A Bi-Weekly Update
9/4/09
Search Multiple Library Databases at Once
A newly acquired “metasearch” tool called Search Central, located on the Trexler Library home page, allows searching of nearly all of the library research databases at once! It’s easy. It’s thorough. It’s scholarly. Encourage your students to use this quick search for quality information.
The results are sorted by database, for easy identification of what’s what. You’ll see JSTOR, Project Muse, WorldCat–all your favorite databases included in the results, and all clearly marked.
Infomaniac Tip
Are you one of the many millions of people using Google every day? Try some of the following tips to make your Google searching reveal the results you need.
- Search within a Specific Website
Limit your searching to a particular website with site:URL. For example, to find information on swine flu from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, search: “swine flu” site:cdc.gov.
- Find Word Definitions
For quick definitions of unknown words and phrase, search define:word. For example, for definitions of the word schadenfreude, enter define:schadenfreude.
- Find Linking Webpages
In scholarly research, we often use a publication’s documentation trail (e.g., bibliographies for cited references lists, times cited features to find more recent publications referencing the older item). Google gives us an option to also track a webpage’s documentation trail in order to find related information or to see how a webpage’s content is being discussed elsewhere. To find linking webpages, enter link:URL. For example, to find webpages linking to The Atlantic July/August 2008 article “Is Google Making Us Stupid?,” enter link:http://www.theatlantic.com/doc/200807/google.
- Find Quick Conversions
Use Google to convert distances, speeds, times, temperatures, currency, units of measurement, and more. The conversion will be presented at the top of the search results list. Find, for example, 125 miles in km, 1 year in minutes, 33 celsius in fahrenheit, 200 euros in dollars, or 3.5 quarts in cups.For more information on Google search tips, try:
Calendar of Events
9/4: Meditation Group. Open to the public. (Trexler Library Rare Books Room, 5:00PM-6:00PM.)
9/18: Meditation Group. Open to the public. (Trexler Library Rare Books Room, 5:00PM-6:00PM.)
9/24: Bestselling author Radclyffe will read from her new book: “Secrets in the Stone.” Co-sponsored by the LGBT Campus Coordinator and Trexler Library. Open to the public. (Trexler Library Level A main concourse, 7:00PM-9:00PM.)
9/30: Faculty and Staff Favorite Book Series: 1st discussion in series will be led by Dean of Students Karen Green. – “No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency” by Alexander McCall Smith. This discussion will also include slides from Chrysan Cronin’s recent trip to Botswana, the setting of the McCall Smith books. Open to the public. (Trexler Library Periodicals Reading Room, 4:30PM-5:30PM.)
