Contents
- From Kim Kelley
Electronic Resources- What's New!
Hot Sites
For Your Information...
Faculty Corner
- ILS Hours and Locations
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From Kim Kelley
Associate Provost, Information and Library Services
As the Fall semester begins,
I'd like to take this opportunity to welcome back all of you who
are returning to UMUC as students, faculty, and staff and to greet
those who have just become members of the UMUC community.
Beginning this fall, UMUC
will issue new ID cards to all stateside students
and faculty members. The ID card will be attached to a letter that
students and faculty members will receive during the first two weeks
of classes. The
UMUC ID cards are required for accessing UMUC services including
those of the library and computer labs. The new stateside ID cards
for students and faculty replace all previous ID cards issued by
UMUC, and are valid for the fall 2005 semester only.
This fall a new graduate
course, UCSP 611: Introduction to Graduate Library
Research Skills, will be offered. This course is designed to
familiarize graduate students with online library and information
resources. This faculty-mediated course will be taken concurrently
with an introductory course in the graduate student's discipline.
This issue of the
newsletter also includes features on electronic
resources additions and enhancements, "hot" reference
Web sites, wireless access in the library, new
library tutorials, the redesigned ILS Web
site, DocumentExpress, and subject
guide updates.
We remain dedicated
to providing the best services possible, and we value your comments
about any of our services and resources. If you find something you
would like to see improved, please do not hesitate to contact
us.
Electronic
Resources
Database Additions and
Enhancements
-
D&B
Key Business Ratios (a Dun & Bradstreet database)
At
last, a database is available from D&B that provides business
ratios for industries in areas of solvency, efficiency and profitability.
It is searchable by industry name and SIC code with reports that
can by printed in spreadsheet format. Right now, there is one
year's worth of data available, and more years may be added later.
Industry norms and business ratios are a staple part of any company
or industry analysis because they measure the relationship between
financial values in a company's balance sheet and income statement.
This resource will allow you to determine prevailing median values
of more than a dozen corporate performance measures in hundreds
of industry sectors.
-
PAIS
Archive
This
historical addition expands coverage in our PAIS International
database: Archives from 1937-1976! Topics include global
public policy and social issues related to business, economics,
finance, law, international relations, public administration,
government, political science, terrorism, and other social
sciences, from a variety of sources.
-
PsycBOOKS
Another
new e-books database is here! The e-books in this database
include a collection of chapters in PDF from a large number
of e-books published by American Psychological Association
and other distinguished publishers on a wide variety of psychology
topics, some dating back to 1953.
-
PsycEXTRA
This
new American Psychological Association database is available
on a trial basis until June 30, 2006. Try it out and send your
feedback to library@umuc.edu.
This database includes bibliographic citations and full text "gray
literature." Gray literature
is generally material that is difficult to find and disseminated
outside traditional peer-reviewed journals or scholarly
books. It often is not peer-reviewed. Materials include conference
papers, research reports, policy statements, standards, newsletters,
magazines, newspapers, brochures, fact sheets, annual reports
and more. PsycEXTRA is a companion database to PsycINFO.
-
SAGE Full
Text (E-Journal) Collection: Criminology
This
new SAGE e-journal collection includes 21 new criminology
titles focusing on such topics as criminal justice, juvenile
justice, corrections, policing, forensic psychology,
and family and domestic violence. Like other SAGE collections,
this criminology collection is linked to the ILS databases
so that articles will also be accessible in full text when
searching the databases.
-
This
new, mostly full text sociological database is available for
you, with articles dating from 1895 to the present. In addition
to articles, SocIndex contains the full text for sociological
e-books, monographs, and conference papers. It replaces Sociological
Abstracts.
New e-Journal
Subscription
- The
Chronicle of Higher Education
ILS is pleased to announce the addition
of The Chronicle of Higher Education to our collection
of e-journals. The subscription includes a backfile from 1989
to the present, daily news and advice columns, job postings,
discussion forums and RSS feeds. Current issues are posted
online on the Monday following release of the print edition.
This resource can be accessed through
the ILS E-journals page at: http://www.umuc.edu/library/database/ejournals.html by scrolling
past the Journal Finder search box to the alphabetical list,
where a direct link to The Chronicle of Higher Education is
provided. The ILS Education and Distance Education Subject Guides
also provide access to the journal and are available through http://www.umuc.edu/library/database/databases.html#subjects.
Top
Hot Sites... Reference Sites
When you are starting
your research, often general reference sources such as encyclopedias,
dictionaries and almanacs are good places to get background information
on a topic. Also, sometimes you need easy access to ready reference information
such as “What is the capital of Nepal?” or “What team
won the World Series in 1948?” Several Web sites have links to
both detailed reference sources and Web sites with general topical information
in a format that is organized and easy to use. The Web sites these sites
list are evaluated for authority, accuracy, objectivity, currency, and
coverage. Listed here are a few sites worth exploring:
- Information
Please
Information Please has been providing authoritative answers to
all kinds of factual questions since 1938—first as a popular
radio quiz show, then starting in 1947 as an annual almanac,
and since 1998 on the Internet. It is organized by subject category
as well as by type of publication, such as almanac, dictionary
and encyclopedia. Information Please is part of Pearson
Education, the largest educational publisher in the world.
- Internet
Public Library
Sponsored by the School of Information at the University of Michigan,
it is the first public library by and for the Internet community.
Links to subject categories as well as ready reference are provided.
There are also links to free online books, e-journals and newspapers.
- Librarians’ Index
to the Internet
Indexed by librarians, it offers two services: a searchable, browsable
collection of over 16,000 high-quality Web sites, and a weekly newsletter,
available by email or RSS, of high-quality Web sites related to current
events, holidays, and popular and important issues.
- Reference
Desk
Since 1995, a free Web site that indexes and reviews quality, credible,
and current Web-based resources. Information is available from simple
thumbnail snapshots to in-depth studies of a particular topic. Links
to current news and hot issues are provided.
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For
Your Information...
UCSP
611: Introduction to Graduate Library Research Skills
This course is
designed to familiarize students with online library and information
resources--material that is critical for 21st-century managers.
The significant changes in how information is delivered make information
retrieval and research an exciting challenge. This course provides
an in-depth introduction to the library research process and the
tools necessary to be effective in the Graduate School of Management & Technology.
Students learn to efficiently and effectively use a variety of
electronic retrieval systems including the online catalog of the
University System of Maryland and Affiliated Institutions (USMAI),
UMUC's subscription databases, and the Web.
UCSP 611 is a seven-week, faculty-mediated course taken concurrently
with an introductory course in the graduate student's discipline.
Students conduct research in their discipline and gain experience
in formulating viable research questions, selecting the most appropriate
investigative methods and resources for research, locating relevant
research materials, evaluating the scholarly value of their sources,
and effectively citing their sources. This course is required for
all new graduate students and all inactive students who reapply for
admission. It must be completed within the first six credits of graduate
study. For MBA and Doctoral students, the course will be 5 weeks
long. All new UMUC graduate faculty will be automatically enrolled
in UCSP 611 for faculty. Participation in the course is highly recommended
for new faculty, but not required.
Wireless
Access
UMUC library users who
have installed a wireless network interface card on their laptop
computer or PDA can access the library's wireless network connection
in SFSC 2255. This new connectivity will allow you to access the
Internet without being physically connected to a network wall jack.
This service is free and available to any library patron.
Pick up a setup guide at the ILS reference desk and get started using
your own laptop or PDA for Internet access in the library today!
Web
Site Redesign
In the fall of 2004, UMUC's
Information and Library Services (ILS) conducted usability testing
of its Web site. Web usability testing is used to learn how people
actually use our Web site and where they have trouble locating
what they need. As a result of the usability testing, ILS has just
completed an extensive review and redesign of the ILS Web site.
We have updated the look and feel of the homepage, rearranged links
to resources and services in order to streamline access to them,
and updated the pages to be more helpful and easier to use.
Visit the library Web page at http://www.umuc.edu/library/ to
start using the new site for all your research needs.
Interlibrary
Loan Renamed DocumentExpress
ILS recently introduced
a new interface for its document delivery service and renamed the
service DocumentExpress. You can still link to DocumentExpress
services using FindIt or directly under Get It Delivered on the
ILS home page. Once you submit a request, you'll be able to view
its status twenty-four hours a day! And although the process and
look has changed, ILS will continue to provide high quality service
to help you obtain full-text articles, book chapters, and non-USMAI
books.
New
Audio/Visual Presentations
We at ILS
are always looking for new ways to keep you informed about our
services. In fall
2004, we created an online audiovisual presentation to assist
you in navigating
library resources. As fall
2005 arrives, we are happy to announce a number of additional
short audio/visual presentations that provide quick overviews
of specific resources or services. Among them are presentations
on how to perform advanced
database searching, how
to get articles and books delivered using our Get
It Delivered service,
and how to use 'find
it' to locate full-text articles. Visit the "Learn
How To…" section
of our Web site for links to all audio/visual presentations.
New Online
Student Workshop
This
Fall ILS will offer an interactive, synchronous, real time workshop
on effectively searching the library database ABI/INFORM. Students
will be able to register for the workshop through the library’s
home page and the workshop will take place in ILS' Virtual Library
Classroom, VLIB101 on WebTycho.
ABI/INFORM is a highly used database by UMUC
faculty and students in all areas of business and management, including
accounting, finance, marketing, and international business. The
workshop will cover advanced searching techniques and demonstrate
how to view company and industry reports in the database. Participants
will view a slide show of screen shots while listening to a librarian
explain how to effectively use the database. In addition, participants
will use instant messaging to interact in real time with the librarian
about any questions they may have. Please
visit the ILS Web site for more details.
New
Stateside Student and Faculty ID Cards for Fall
This fall, UMUC
will issue new ID cards to all stateside students and faculty members.
The new student and faculty ID cards will be attached to a letter
that students and faculty members will receive during the first
two weeks of classes. The UMUC ID cards are required for accessing
UMUC services including those of the library and computer labs.
When you receive your letter, be sure to detach the ID from it
and carry it with you. The new stateside ID cards for students
and faculty replace all previous ID cards issued by UMUC, and are
valid for the fall 2005 semester only. A semester sticker will
not be issued for stateside students for fall.
UMUC students,
faculty, and staff have access to and borrowing privileges at all
libraries of the University System of Maryland and Affiliated Institutions
(USMAI). You must present your ID card to check out books at USMAI
libraries. Your barcode number on your ID card can be used to access
UMUC's library databases and to request books from the USMAI libraries.
For stateside patrons, your barcode number is required to use DocumentExpress
to obtain journal articles not available in full text online or
books from non-USMAI libraries. Beginning in the fall, UMUC library
patrons will also have the ability to look up their barcode number
in the MyUMUC Portal.
UMUC employees
will continue to use their current UMUC ID card. If you are a student
or faculty member and also an employee, the barcode on your new
ID card should be identical to the one on your employee ID card.
You will be able to use either card to check out books from USMAI
libraries. UMUC-Asia and UMUC-Europe students, faculty, and staff
will continue to use their current access method for library databases
and DocumentExpress.
If you have any
questions about these or other library services or resources, please
see the Information and Library Services Web site at http://www.umuc.edu/library/ or
call 800-888-UMUC, ext. 7209, during scheduled hours or 800-295-2084
after hours.
Subject
Guides
Have you
ever wondered which library database to choose or where to get
started with a topic? The library's subject
guides provide an easy way to access library resources on
a particular topic. They contain suggestions on databases, e-books,
printed books, and Web sites. Over the summer, UMUC librarians
have completed a review
of our guides to make sure they provide you with up-to-date
and relevant research resources. Happy searching!
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Faculty
Corner
CTLA 607: Beyond Library Basics: Choosing, Using, but Not Abusing
Information Resources
Information and Library Services, together with the
Center for Intellectual Property, recently conducted an online
workshop under the auspices of the Center for Teaching and Learning.
Entitled “Beyond Library Basics: Choosing, Using, but Not
Abusing Information Resources," the workshop covered such
topics as advanced database searching, creating a reading list
and using the library’s e-reserves database, copyright
in online learning, promoting academic integrity through effective
assignment design and discussion of the issues with students,
setting up an account with the plagiarism detection service Turnitin,
using citation management software to format citations in APA
and MLA styles, a review of Journal Finder, and an introduction
to Google Scholar. The workshop was offered to faculty worldwide
via WebTycho and will be offered again in the future. Please
check the schedule of upcoming workshops offered through the
Center for Teaching and Learning at http://www.umuc.edu/distance/odell/ctla/workshops.html
New Acquisitions
View a list of some of
our recent acquisitions in distance
education, adult education, assessment, instruction, and instructional
design. If you are in Adelphi, visit ILS in SFSC 2255 and browse
through our collection. If you would like to borrow any of the
books from the ILS collection, you can request them in the library
catalog. Books can be picked up at one of the libraries of
the University System of Maryland and Affiliated Institutions,
if you live in Maryland, or delivered by mail if you live outside
Maryland within the continental United States. If you live abroad,
send us an e-mail for
information about borrowing these titles.
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ILS Hours and Locations
 Need to find us? Please visit Locations
and Hours for more information.
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