B&ECPL Database News

Novelist Access

2012-01-06T15:46:00.002-05:00

The technical issues with Novelist Plus and Novelist K-8 have been resolved. The databases are now working as they should.

Upcoming Gale Webinars

2012-01-05T10:25:00.001-05:00

January Gale Webinars

Chilton Scheduled Maintenance

2012-01-03T15:03:00.001-05:00

As part of our ongoing product enhancements, ChiltonLibrary will not be available from 6:00 a.m. ET on Thursday, January 5, 2012, until approximately Thursday, January 5, 2012
9:00 a.m. ET.

Users accessing ChiltonLibrary during this time may experience a brief interruption in service. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact Gale Technical Support at 1-800-877-4253, option 4 or by email at gale.technicalsupport@cengage.com.

Sincerely,

Gale Technical Support

Resource of the Month

2011-12-27T10:19:00.004-05:00

Salem Health: Magill’s Medical Guide
This resource is an up to date, easy to use tool suitable for general readers as well as for student research.

Topics can be browsed by category such as: Disease, Disorders & Symptoms, Mental Health and Prevention & Lifestyle, to name a few. Searching is extremely flexible. Users can save articles and searches to personalized logon areas for later retrieval.

The material presented on Salem Health is intended for informational and educational purposes only. Salem Health is for use at any library or from home with a valid Buffalo & Erie County Public Library card number.

Mango Languages App

2011-12-09T12:26:00.003-05:00

Do you want to learn a language on your iPhone, iPod touch, or iPad? Or bring language help with you when travelling? No need for a phrase book. Try the Mango Languages App.

In order to use, you must access the resource through the Library first and create an account profile. Then you can enjoy language help on the go!

Novelist Access

2011-12-07T14:52:00.003-05:00

There are currently technical issues with Novelist K-8 and Novelist Plus, making it difficult to access and use these databases when you are inside of the Library. We are currently working to remedy these issues. The database is still working from home. The blog will be updated when this issue is resolved.

November Database Drop

2011-11-22T16:49:00.003-05:00

Natural Medicines is being dropped effective 11/28.

Webinar on Gale Virtual Reference Library and Twayne's Author Series

2011-11-21T14:06:00.002-05:00

Cengage Gale will conduct a webinar on November 29 to preview enhancements releasing in the Gale Virtual Reference Library (GVRL). Twayne’s Author Series, available through NOVELNY, is searched via the GVRL .

Register for this November 29th national event webinar, or preview the enhancements via a web guided tour. Preview or register for a live demo November 29th at 2pm E.S.T…don't miss your chance!

LearningExpress Library

2011-11-04T10:30:00.004-04:00

LearningExpress Library has something for everyone, from elementary school to college students and adults. You will find practice tests, exam preparation materials, and skills improvement courses for all age levels, including GED students.

Job seekers can work on their job search, resume, and interviewing skills. Exam preparation and practice tests are provided for many civil service titles, as well as for jobs in nursing, real estate, and teaching.

LearningExpress gives access to preparation for U.S. Citizenship tests and materials for Spanish-speakers.
New users can register easily for their own private account with just a username and password. All the tests and courses you choose will be listed here, showing your progress, and allowing you to view your scores.

For use at any library, or from home with a valid Buffalo & Erie County Public Library card

New York Times

2011-10-25T14:51:00.002-04:00

If you need to search the New York Times, please do so through Custom Newspapers(soon to be Newsstand) or New York State Newspapers, which contain select full text holdings from 1985 to the present. We should have the same holdings in the separate New York Times resource, but are currently getting 1994-2003 holdings only. We are working with the vendor to get the same holdings here as we have in the other two products. The blog will be updated when it's best to go into the New York Times resource directly.

October Database Drops

2011-10-25T14:48:00.002-04:00

The following databases are being dropped this month:

Ancient and Medieval History Online (10/29)
Teen Health and Wellness (10/31)

Custom Newspapers is also being upgraded to Newsstand. Newsstand includes all of the content from Custom Newspapers and more.

Chilton Maintenance

2011-10-24T16:50:00.000-04:00

As part of our scheduled product maintenance, ChiltonLibrary will not be available from
6:00 am (Eastern)Thursday 10/27/2011, until approximately 8:00 am.

Users accessing ChiltonLibrary during this time may experience a brief interruption in service. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact Gale Technical Support at
1-800-877-4253, option 4 or by email at gale.technicalsupport@cengage.com.

Sincerely,

Gale Technical Support

New Exercise and Fitness Subject Guide

2011-10-24T10:29:00.004-04:00

Looking for ideas to keep you fit and healthy during the cold winter months to come? Try our new Exercise and Fitness subject guide!

For all of the Library's Health guides, click here.

For all of the Library's subject guides click here.

Gale Access Issues

2011-10-12T15:33:00.004-04:00

A few of the Gale databases, including Custom Newspapers, New York State Newspapers, and New York Times are currently inaccessible from our main database page. Gale's software engineers have identified the problem and will have a repair in place in the morning. In the meantime you can still access these databases from the Gale common menu.

More Access to Hein Online

2011-09-29T10:30:00.003-04:00

HeinOnline, which was previously available at Central only, is now available at all libraries!

HeinOnline is a legal research tool comprised of four major image-based collections: the Law Journal Library, which contains approximately 370 legal periodicals, the Federal Register Library, which contains the Federal Register from 1936-2005, the Treaties and Agreements Library, which contains 18,000 treaties and international agreements the U.S. has been involved in, and the U.S. Supreme Court Library, which contains Court opinions along with books and periodicals on the Court. The database also includes a section on U.S. Attorney General Opinions from 1791 to 1982. For use at any library.

Reference USA Training on Tuesday, September 27th

2011-09-27T09:39:00.004-04:00

There is Reference USA training for the public today from 1-3pm in the Central Meeting Room at the Central Library. Registration is required at the Borrower Services Desk by the Washington St. entrance on the 1st Floor.

September Database Drops

2011-09-23T13:25:00.003-04:00

The following databases will be dropped by the end of the month:

American Indian History Online
Graphic Novel Core Collection
New York Times and New York Times Historic through ProQuest (We will still be getting select New York Times coverage with another vendor).

Gale Technical Issues Resolved

2011-09-22T12:50:00.000-04:00

The issues have been resolved. All Gale resources are available. Thank you for your patience.
Gale Technical Support

Gale Technical Issues

2011-09-22T12:37:00.000-04:00

Several Gale resources are currently unavailable due to technical issues. Be assured that we are working to resolve these issues as quickly as possible. We apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused.

Gale Technical Support

Database of the Month

2011-09-08T13:48:00.007-04:00

Chilton Library

Do you learn by doing, are unafraid of challenges, and feel proud when completing a job well done? Chilton has been helping people like you maintain cars and trucks for more than 80 years.

Find detailed diagrams, instructions, and videos on specific auto repair procedures and practices.

Learn the best ways to prolong the life of your car or light truck with a comprehensive maintenance plan, and find out the best times to check the critical components of your vehicle for safe and problem free driving.

Find out the latest manufacturers' recalls and service bulletins that effect your car.

All of this, and more, is available with Chilton Library. For use at any library, or from home with a valid Buffalo & Erie County Public Library card number. For a virtual tour of the Chilton Library, please click here.

BookFlix

2011-08-30T16:23:00.002-04:00

BookFlix will no longer be available from the Library's Kids' Corner web page after Nov 7th.

BABEL Series Subject Guides

2011-08-26T15:09:00.005-04:00

The BABEL series 2011/2012 season begins this October! Click here to learn more about the featured authors and their works:

Amos Oz
October 27, 2011 / 8pm

Naomi Shihab Nye
December 2, 2011 / 8pm

Zadie Smith
March 21, 2012 / 8pm

Alexander McCall Smith
April 12, 2012 / 8pm

For a list of all of our available subject guides, click here.

Maintenance notice: ChiltonLibrary

2011-08-24T14:05:00.000-04:00

As part of our ongoing product enhancements, ChiltonLibrary will not be available from
5:00 a.m. ET on Tuesday, Aug. 30, until approximately 9:00 a.m. ET.

Users accessing ChiltonLibrary during this time may experience a brief interruption in service. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact Gale Technical Support at
1-800-877-4253, option 4.

Sincerely,

Gale Technical Support

New Healthy Eating Subject Guide

2011-08-24T10:59:00.002-04:00

Sure to be popular, come visit the Library's new Healthy Eating subject guide under the Health category.

Or see all topics the Library offers by clicking here.

Two New Subject Guides

2011-08-12T11:41:00.001-04:00

Cars, Trucks, RVs and Motorcycles
Veterans, Service Members and Their Families

For a complete listing of the subject guides we offer, click here.

Gale software maintenance release scheduled for 8/14/2011

2011-08-09T15:46:00.001-04:00

Gale will be performing infrastructure maintenance on Sunday, August 14th, 2011. A four (4) hour period will be required for this maintenance. The window will take place from Sunday 2:00am EDT to 6:00am EDT. During this time, all Gale products and services will be unavailable.

Gale's August Webinars

2011-08-05T09:53:00.000-04:00

Click here for a list of Gale's training opportunities in August.

PowerSearch Tutorials

2011-08-02T11:52:00.001-04:00

If you'd like training on the new PowerSearch changes, visit the Library's Virtual Database Tours. The databases affected by these changes are General OneFile, Academic OneFile, Custom Newspapers, and New York State Newspapers.

New Database Trial: A to Z World Travel

2011-08-01T10:44:00.005-04:00

Let us know what you think by using the feedback button on the right-hand side of the page.

Product: A to Z World Travel
Url: www.atozworldtravel.com
User Name: aztravel
Password: ghana
Expires: August 31, 2011

Annotation:

AtoZ World Travel contains 175 world city travel guides with latest-generation content, images, and audio. Try it on your iphone, ipad, or other handheld device. Extensive travel guides include maps, photographs, restaurant, and shopping guides. While AtoZ World Travel is a travel resource, it can also be used as a reference tool for librarians as well as a resource for student reports.

Buffalo News Tutorial

2011-07-28T16:56:00.002-04:00

A new Buffalo News tutorial has been added to Virtual Database Tours page. It is currently highlighted on the Library's website as well.

PowerSearch

2011-07-22T16:57:00.001-04:00

Cengage/Gale will be implementing an enhanced version of their PowerSearch
interface, used for most Cengage/Gale databases available through NOVELny,
on August 1, 2011.

Enhancements include:

- Search Assist with "Did You Mean?" functionality
- Trending topics, suggested phrases, publication recommendations
- Sidebar with recommendations and limiters for every search
- Read Speaker will read non-English documents out loud in their native languages
- Translation of all foreign language documents into English
- Users can personalize their search experience by creating user accounts

Complete information on the enhancements is available at http://www.gale.cengage.com/powersearch/enhanced/

Two free webinars covering the enhanced PowerSearch have been scheduled:

July 28, 9:00 am - 9:45 am
August 8, 3:00 pm - 3:45 pm

Information on how to participate in the webinars is available at:
http://novelnewyork.org/training.php#online

New Database - Job Now

2011-07-15T11:01:00.001-04:00

JobNow is listed under the Career & College Information Category. The Library is receiving the database through a BTOP grant.

Product: JobNow
Vendor: Brainfuse Online Tutoring
Access: All libraries and remote.
Annotation: JobNow provides you with practical tools to help you get a job. On the home page, you have three services to choose from: Career Resources, Resume Builder, and Ace the Interview. For use at any library or from home with a valid Buffalo & Erie County Public Library card number.

Click here to see a tutorial, which is now on the Library's Virtual Database Tours.

Reference USA Maintenance

2011-07-14T11:37:00.002-04:00

This weekend ReferenceUSA will be “unavailable” due to system maintenance. The outage will be from Friday evening, July 15th from 8 p.m. EST until Sunday, July 17th at 8 p.m. EST.

New BECPL Movie Site

2011-07-07T12:50:00.002-04:00

If you love movies, you'll love the Library's new Movie Site!
The site lists the movies the Library owns by genre, with links into the Library's Catalog to see if they're currently available.

You can click on the link above, or go through the Movie subject guide for even more information about your favorite blockbusters!

Featured resource of the month: World Book

2011-06-30T13:47:00.007-04:00

If you love World Book in print?

Check out the World Book database online, it has a user-friendly interface, comprehensive and easy to use. Enjoy this intuitive, reliable, and authoritative resource to search the full World Book database of articles. Find answers and information you need in World Book’s authoritative content. You can also view rich multimedia, including maps, photographs, and illustrations. Stay updated on popular trending topics.

Have a SmartPhone?

You can scan the QR Scan code located below to take advantage of the excellent content in World Book. To check out the online version of World Book just follow the steps below:

1. From your mobile phone app store, search for a “QR scan code reader” or visit this link on your phone’s browser to download the free app.
2. Once downloaded, locate the QR Scan code for World Book located below.
3. Open the QR Scan code reader onyour mobile camera phone.
4. Hold your phone still, center the code within the viewfinder, and wait for the QR Scan code reader to automatically read the code.
5. Once the code has been read you will be taken right into the World Book database. Then scroll down to the bottom of the page and click on “Log in to World Book Mobile” enter your 13 digit library card number to view the full content of the article.

Database Trial Extended

2011-06-30T09:57:00.001-04:00

New Database Trial: A to Z
Please use the Feedback button on the right side of the page to let the Library know if you like this product.

Product: A to Z Database Trial
Expires: July 31
Annotation:
AtoZdatabases is a reference and marketing tool that provides details on businesses and households within the U.S. It is intended for job seekers, small business owners, entrepreneurs, students, marketing researchers, career counselors, and many more patrons of libraries. Please compare to our current Reference USA subscription.

Steps to follow when accessing the trial:
1. Go to www.atozdatabases.com
2. Go to the lower right-hand of this page and click on the Admin Sign In.
3. Enter Username (buffalo)
4. Enter Password (buffalo)

New Mango Language Tutorials

2011-06-23T15:27:00.002-04:00

If you want to learn a language, try our Mango Languages database. Not sure how to use Mango? Try our new tutorials on our Virtual Database Tours page.

Twayne's Author Series

2011-06-21T09:14:00.002-04:00

Twayne's Author Series now has a new look!

For training, click on the following link:
http://vimeo.com/24499970. (The recording lasts 40 minutes.)

Please note that the Twayne's Author Series can now be accessed from our Gale Virtual Reference Library database as well as on its own.

Morningstar Change

2011-06-16T13:40:00.003-04:00

Dear Client,

We will be updating the format of our stock and fund reports in the next few weeks. You and your patrons will be able to toggle from the old to new version until September. This will help make the learning curve and transition an easy one. The new format expands the data points offered, gives new visualizations to complex data points, making them easier to understand and read, and provides new tools for charting and comparing holdings.

Our regularly scheduled monthly training session will be held on Thursday, July 7th at 11am Central Time (Noon Eastern Time). We will focus on the new database pages during that session. If you or your patrons would like to pre-register, please email librarytraining@morningstar.com.

All Data

2011-06-07T14:39:00.001-04:00

All Data is now working as it should.

All Data

2011-06-06T11:47:00.002-04:00

The All Data database is currently down. We are working with the vendor to bring back up as soon as possible.

Upcoming Gale Webinars

2011-06-01T11:52:00.001-04:00

Click here for upcoming Gale Webinars

Gale Maintenance

2011-05-28T16:07:00.001-04:00

Gale will be performing infrastructure maintenance on Saturday, June 4, 2011. A twelve (12) hour period will be required for this maintenance. The window will take place from Saturday at 12:00am EDT to 12:00pm EDT. During this time, all Gale products and services will be unavailable.

New Biography Subject Guide

2011-05-27T16:39:00.003-04:00

Are you interested in learning more about a particular person - a celebrity, poet, or president for example. Learn more about them on our new Biography Subject Guide.

Our check out all of our subject guides by clicking here.

New Database Trial: A to Z

2011-05-23T10:20:00.004-04:00

Please use the Feedback button on the right side of the page to let the Library know if you like this product.

Product: A to Z Database Trial
Expires: June 21
Annotation:
AtoZdatabases is a reference and marketing tool that provides details on businesses and households within the U.S. It is intended for job seekers, small business owners, entrepreneurs, students, marketing researchers, career counselors, and many more patrons of libraries. Please compare to our current Reference USA subscription.

Steps to follow when accessing the trial:
1. Go to www.atozdatabases.com
2. Go to the lower right-hand of this page and click on the Admin Sign In.
3. Enter Username (buffalo)
4. Enter Password (buffalo)

Math Subject Guide

2011-05-18T12:42:00.003-04:00

We have a new "addition" to the subject guides: Math

Or visit all of the subject guides by clicking here.

Learn to speak Pirate!

2011-05-17T14:18:00.002-04:00

Blow me down! Learn to speak Pirate at mangolanguages.com/store/pirate-day.html Available through June 30th! Or visit Mango to learn additional languages at http://www.buffalolib.org/webfeat/webfeatredirect.asp

Resource of the Month:

2011-05-06T11:12:00.006-04:00

Gale Virtual Reference Library Database

Tutorial: Gale Virtual Reference Library

The Gale Virtual Reference Library (GVRL) gives you full access to over 15 searchable reference books spanning various topics. It is a great resource for kids who “need a book because they cannot use computer sources.” These are actual books that we may have in our collection and can be cited as “ACTUAL BOOKS.” The entire book is completely searchable and a link is provided to the table of contents and the index, when applicable, for quick searching. GVRL also provides complete lists of what books are available, sorted by title and each title has a list of illustrations, which are also searchable.

One example of a great resource in the GVRL collection is the Human and Civil Rights: Essential Primary Sources. It has an amazing number of pictures, speeches and other primary sources on social issues in the 19th, 20th and 21st century. Primary sources are often hard to find. The topics are divided into the following categories:

One example of a great resource in the GVRL collection is the Human and Civil Rights: Essential Primary Sources. It has an amazing number of pictures, speeches and other primary sources on social issues in the 19th, 20th and 21st century. Primary sources are often hard to find. The topics are divided into the following categories:

• Development of Human Rights
• Slavery and Genocide
• Imprisonment
• Health and Housing
• Labor and Working Conditions
• Civil and Political Rights
• Borders, Sovereignty and Culture
• Education and Childhood

GVRL will prove to be invaluable when you cannot get to a library or all the books on a particular subject are checked out.

For use at any library or from home with a valid Buffalo & Erie County Public Library card number.

Maintenance notice: ChiltonLibrary

2011-05-04T14:33:00.002-04:00

As part of our ongoing product enhancements, ChiltonLibrary will not be available from 5:00 a.m. ET on Tuesday, May 10, until approximately 8:00 a.m. ET. Users accessing ChiltonLibrary during this time may experience a brief interruption in service.

Sincerely,
Gale Technical Support

New York Times

2011-04-15T16:47:00.001-04:00

The new New York Times database can now be searched in conjunction with other databases.

New York Times

2011-04-15T11:52:00.003-04:00

New York Times now has a new look and feel. From one search box, you can now search the complete New York Times from 1851 to the present. The database is comprised of two separate products, the New York Times Historic, which has coverage from 1851-2007, and the New York Times current product, which covers 1980 to the present. Unless you designate a particular database, you will be searching all of the NYT coverage at once. Please note, we are still working on getting this database searchable with our other databases. The blog will be updated when this happens. In the meantime, you can click on the title of the database for access.

Free Gale Databases for National Library Week

2011-04-12T09:10:00.001-04:00

Database Page

2011-04-07T12:08:00.001-04:00

Status Update: The database page is now fully accessible.

Database Page Down

2011-04-07T11:40:00.003-04:00

The database page is currently down. We are working to address this problem. In the meantime, you can get into many of the databases from the Subject Guides Page There is a search box in the upper right-hand corner if you are looking for a particular database.

Stay tuned to the blog for status updates.

NOVELNY ONLINE DATABASE TRAINING SESSIONS

2011-03-05T08:51:00.000-05:00

The New York State Library is pleased to announce that online
training sessions ("webinars") for databases included in the
NOVELny statewide database program will be offered at no charge
to all types of libraries. These sessions, which will last
approximately 45 minutes, will be conducted by a trainer from
one of the NOVELny database vendors: Cengage-Gale.

The following sessions have been scheduled:

"General OneFile and Academic OneFile":
March 11, 2011, 11:00 am - 11:45 am ET

"General OneFile and Academic OneFile":
March 17, 2011, 3:30 pm - 4:15 pm ET

"Health Reference Center Academic":
March 29, 11:00 am - 11:45 am ET

"New York State Newspapers":
April 8, 2011, 10:00 am - 10:45 am ET

Instructions for participating in any of these webinars is
available at:
http://novelnewyork.org/galeinstruct.htm

Additional webinars on various topics are added regularly.
At any time, scheduled sessions can be viewed online at:
http://novelnewyork.org/training.php

For more information on these webinars, contact David Fiske
at the State Library, Division of Library Development by
calling 518-486-4857 or by email at dfiske@mail.nysed.gov.
============ Questions about, or problems with, the NOVELny Databases program? Contact us at or call the Help Desk at (877) 277-0250 M-F, 9:00-4:00.

Resource of the Month:

2011-03-02T16:32:00.025-05:00

HeritageQuest Online

HeritageQuest Online - is an excellent resource for genealogists and historians. It includes the following resources and is available at any Buffalo and Erie County Public Library location, and from home with a B&ECPL library card.

Census Records - U.S. Federal Census Population schedules from 1790-1930 are available in HeritageQuest. The years 1790-1820 and 1860-1920 include a head-of-household index, and all years from 1790-1930 can be browsed page by page. Slave population schedules for 1850 and 1860 are also included and can be browsed.

Book Collection – Over 28,000 full-text books are available. They are every word searchable. The types of books included are: family histories, local histories, directories, military histories, church histories, society membership rosters, as well as others.

Freedman’s Bank Records - The Freedman’s Bank (also known as The Freedman’s Savings and Trust Company) was set up in 1865 to benefit those who were freed from enslavement. The records available in HQ are the Bank’s Signature Registers, which may include the following details: name, place born and brought up, residence, age, names of family members, name of employer or occupation, military service details, signature, name of the former master or plantation, and copies of death certificates are sometimes included.

Revolutionary War Records - Pension files make-up this collection and are usually rich in genealogical detail. When Revolutionary War veterans or their dependents applied for a pension, they were required to prove military service and their identity through supporting documentation. Records that may be found in pension files include but are not limited to: narratives of events during service, marriage certificates, birth records, death certificates, pages from family Bibles, family letters, depositions of witnesses, and affidavits.

PERSI - This is a selective index to genealogy and local history magazines and journals. PERSI does not include full-text articles. Genealogy and local history periodicals are an excellent resource, but are often overlooked by researchers. Genealogy and historical societies often publish transcriptions of local records, and write articles on local families, local record repositories, histories of communities, and many other local topics. General genealogy magazines offer how-to articles on a variety of subjects.

The U.S. Serial Set - The U.S. Serial Set and the American State Papers are comprised of U.S. Senate and House documents and reports. Portions of these records have been selected for database inclusion due to their potential for genealogical content. The sections included are: Private Relief Actions, Memorials, and Petitions from 1789-1969. Examples of information that may be found are land claims, lists of military pensioners, memorials, military registers, and property damage claims due to war or other reasons.

To view online tutorials and print guides to HeritageQuest see the following links:

Tutorials

• Search Census Records

• Browse Census Records

• Browse Slave Census Schedules

• Basic Book Search

• Advanced Book Search

• Search Freedman’s Bank Records

• Search Revolutionary War Records

• Search PERSI

• Printing from HeritageQuest

Print Guides

• Learn how to use HQ

• Search the U.S. Census

• Search Books

• Search Revolutionary War records

• Search Freedmans Bank Records

• Search PERSI

• Search the U.S. Serial Set

• Special printing instructions

Heritage Quest Tutorials

2011-02-17T13:33:00.001-05:00

There are new Heritage Quest tutorials on the Library's Virtual Database Tours and on the Grosvenor Room Genealogy website. View anytime!

New Subject Guide - Pets

2011-02-17T13:16:00.003-05:00

Do you have a pet, or are interested in getting one? The Pet subject guide is for you!

Or visit a list of all of the Library's subject guides.

New Database - Kids Search

2011-02-16T08:49:00.000-05:00

Kids Search (under the Kid Search category)

Kids Search, an interface to the Primary Search database, is designed for K-5 students. It contains full text for over 50 popular elementary school magazines, over 100 student pamphlets, an encyclopedia, and a dictionary. For use at any library or from home with a valid Buffalo & Erie County Public Library card number. This database is made available through NOVEL: New York Online Virtual Electronic Library. NOVEL Databases is an electronic database access project provided by the New York State Library that enables libraries across New York State to give their communities online access to the full text of hundreds of journals, newspapers and other references.

3 New Subject Guides

2011-02-05T08:59:00.003-05:00

Added to Front Page:
Weather

Added to the Science subject guides page:
Geology
Zoology

To see a listing of all of the Library's subject guides, click here.

World Book Access

2011-02-04T16:26:00.001-05:00

The World Book issue has been resolved.

World Book Temporary Access

2011-02-04T10:43:00.001-05:00

To access WorldBook, go to www.worldbook.com, click on the section that says "Sign In", and use the temporary user ID americas and password poppy.

World Book Access

2011-02-04T10:22:00.002-05:00

World Book and World Book Kids are currently experiencing technical issues. The blog will be updated when access returns.

Chilton Maintenance

2011-02-03T16:22:00.000-05:00

As part of our ongoing product enhancements, ChiltonLibrary will not be available from 5:00 a.m. ET until approximately 11:00 a.m. ET on Tuesday, February 8. Users accessing ChiltonLibrary during this time may experience a brief interruption in service. A maintenance notice window will appear for all users trying to access ChiltonLibrary during this time.

If you have any questions or concerns, please contact Gale Technical Support at 1-800-877-4253, option 4.

Sincerely,
Gale Technical Support

Gale, a part of Cengage Learning
27500 Drake Road
Farmington Hills, MI 48331-3535
1-800-877-GALE

New Writing Subject Guide

2011-01-22T10:42:00.000-05:00

Interested in the writing process? Visit the Library's new Writing Subject Guide.

Or, view a list of all of our subject guides.

New Government Subject Guide

2011-01-04T15:14:00.002-05:00

Visit our new Government Subject Guide

Or see a list of all of our available Subject Guides.

Resource of the Month: Buffalo News

2010-12-31T15:18:00.010-05:00

Did you know that the library offers full text access to the Buffalo News from 1989 to the present? This means that you can view (and email or print) articles free of charge.

To get started visit the Research Databases page at www.buffalolib.org. You can use the Buffalo News Database from any library or from home with a valid Buffalo & Erie County Public Library card number.

December Database Drops

2010-12-21T08:58:00.001-05:00

Career Insider (Vault) and Science Full Text Select will be dropped effective 12/31.

Reference USA Health Care

2010-12-15T10:47:00.001-05:00

Reference USA Physician and Dentist are no longer listed separately. They are now combined under Reference USA Health Care. Content is the same.

Education Subject Guide

2010-12-11T13:38:00.002-05:00

Visit our new education subject guide at the following: http://becplsubjectguides.pbworks.com/w/page/31655399/Education

Or visit all of our subject guides here:
http://becplsubjectguides.pbworks.com/w/page/2604681/FrontPage

College Information and General Reference Subject Guides

2010-12-02T11:09:00.002-05:00

There are two new subject guides!

College Information
General Reference

Or see a listing of all of our subject guides if you click here.

New Movies Subject Guide!

2010-11-24T12:09:00.001-05:00

Do you like movies? Try our new movies subject guide!

Or see what other guides we offer.

Philosophy Subject Guide

2010-11-22T16:06:00.002-05:00

Click here to see the new Philosophy Subject Guide.

Psychology Subject Guide

2010-11-17T14:32:00.001-05:00

Click here to see the new Psychology Subject Guide.

New Science and Sociology Subject Guides

2010-11-13T09:24:00.003-05:00

Visit our new Science subject guides. There are separate guides for General Science, Astronomy, Biology, Chemistry, and Physics. Or visit our new Sociology guide.

All of our subject guides can be found at http://becplsubjectguides.pbworks.com/w/page/2604681/FrontPage

EBSCO Primary Search Training

2010-11-10T11:14:00.001-05:00

A free online webinar, "Ebsco's Primary Search for NOVELNY,"
is scheduled for Monday, November 15, 4:00 pm to 4:45 pm ET.
Registration is required. Use the online registration link
on the NOVELny Training page:

http://novelnewyork.org/training.php#online

Training for p4A Antiques

2010-11-04T12:51:00.003-04:00

A new Virtual Database Tour has been added for p4A Antiques. You can view at the following: http://becplsubjectguides.pbworks.com/w/page/Virtual-Database-Tours

Reference USA Products

2010-11-03T16:54:00.002-04:00

Some of the Reference USA products are not getting results when searching them together or in combination with other databases. You can still access by clicking on the title of the product you are interested in and searching that product individually. Some of the Reference USA products are also available from the Subject Guides.

An update will be posted to the blog when full access has been restored.

Resource of the Month

2010-11-03T11:02:00.005-04:00

Subject Guides
Let Subject Guides help you to find the best and most useful books, electronic resources, websites and local sources on a particular subject. There are presently 55 guides available. You can find information on anything from Cooking to Personal Finance. All guides have been created by librarians. Just click on Subject Guides from the library's homepage to get started.

Oxford Music Online (Grove Music)

2010-10-29T11:22:00.002-04:00

Oxford Music Online (Grove) was dropped effective today. The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians is still available in print at the Central and Clarence libraries.

New Senior Resources Subject Guide

2010-10-28T09:29:00.003-04:00

Check out the new Senior Resources Subject Guide at http://becplsubjectguides.pbworks.com/w/page/Senior-Resources

For a listing of all of our subject guides, http://becplsubjectguides.pbworks.com/FrontPage

New Database Tours Added

2010-10-26T16:26:00.003-04:00

Several training videos have been added to our Database Virtual Tours:

http://becplsubjectguides.pbworks.com/w/page/Virtual-Database-Tours

These include training sessions for Mergent, Morningstar, World Book, Ancestry Library Edition, and Heritage Quest.

Mango Languages Upgrade

2010-10-22T15:57:00.002-04:00

Mango Languages now has 37 languages, including more English as a Second Language courses! Take a look at the database for a complete list of new offerings.

Virtual Database Tours

2010-10-21T11:52:00.001-04:00

Please see our new virtual database tours at http://becplsubjectguides.pbworks.com/w/page/Virtual-Database-Tours

You'll see a link to these tours under "Links" on the Reasearch Page
and in the Subject Guides.

BABEL Series Subject Guides

2010-10-15T09:05:00.001-04:00

Subject guides for Danticat and Abani have been added to the BABEL Series page:
http://becplsubjectguides.pbworks.com/BABEL-Series

BABEL Series Subject Guides

2010-10-07T15:30:00.003-04:00

The BABEL 2010/2011 Season features four critically acclaimed authors: V.S. Naipaul, Nobel Prize winner on October 19th 2010; Maxine Hong Kingston, National Book Award winner on December 1st, 2010; Edwidge Danticat, MacArthur Fellowship recipient on March 25th, 2011; and Chris Abani, PEN USA WEST Freedom to Write Award winner on April 15th, 2011.

Subject guides for Naipaul and Kingston have been posted at http://becplsubjectguides.pbworks.com/BABEL-Series

Guides for Danticat and Abani will be posted closer to the event.

To see all of the Library's subject guides, click here.

New Technology Subject Guide

2010-10-07T12:32:00.001-04:00

Visit the Library's new Technology subject guide by clicking here.

Or visit all of the Library's subject guides by clicking here.

Reference USA Maintenance

2010-10-05T16:12:00.002-04:00

According to their website, Ref USA will be unavailable due to scheduled maintenance on Oct. 9th from 10:00am-3:00pm EST.

Gale October Webinars

2010-10-02T09:01:00.001-04:00

Click here for a listing of Gale's October webinars.

October Database Drop

2010-10-02T08:50:00.002-04:00

Oxford Music Online (Grove Music) will be dropped effective October 31st. The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians is still available in print at the Central and Clarence libraries.

Resource of the Month: Reference USA

2010-10-01T15:10:00.008-04:00

Reference USA database is a powerful source for business and residential information. Reference USA allows you to obtain contact information, SIC code, names of company executives, sales volumes, and number of employees for businesses across the United States and internationally, as well as residential/personal contact information for individuals across the US and Canada. Need information on a doctor or a certain type of business or lifestyle in your area? Reference USA can provide all of that for you. For use at any library or from home with a valid Buffalo & Erie County Public Library card number. This product is for personal non-commercial use only.

Small-business owners/Entrepreneurs/Consumers
Are you looking to open a small business? Or promote and market an existing one?

Use Reference USA
 Search addresses and phone numbers.
 Profile your targeted neighborhoods, cities or state.
 Find your business competitors.
 Find sales leads.
 Conduct patent and market research.
 Search for business opportunities & suppliers.
 Create a list of business contacts in the area you would like to work.

Consumers
 Find out who owns a business.
 Get headquarters information.
 Get the name of the CEO, CFO or Executives of a company.
 Find hospital affiliations.
 Locate physicians, surgeons, dentists, or Medical Schools
 Are you trying to locate Aunt Sally who relocated twenty years ago to Boston, Massachusetts?
Reference USA can provide that information for you.

Are you “Job Hunting” or Relocating?
 Research potential employers and locate key individuals in the company.
 Locate out-of-town companies.
 Research executives and companies worldwide.
 Map out a route from your home to a business you have found using Google Maps, or from your home to an individual address you have found using Reference USA. The options with Google Maps and Reference USA are limitless as you can also utilize this to plan your route from school to home, work to home, church to home, or wherever you may drive.

To view other quick tutorials please see below:
Map Based Search
Reference USA and Entrepreneurs

New World Religions Subject Guide

2010-10-01T11:25:00.002-04:00

To view the new World Religions subject guide, click here.

To view a listing of all of the Library's subject guides, click here.

Personal Finance and Voting Subject Guides

2010-09-28T16:16:00.001-04:00

Two new subject guides were just posted: Personal Finance and Voting

Or see our entire list of subject guides by clicking here.

New World History Database

2010-09-26T15:14:00.002-04:00

Database: World History in Context
Vendor: Gale
Where Accessible: All and remote
Categories (1): History & Biography
Annotation: World History in Context is an online resource for those seeking contextual information on hundreds of the most significant people, events and topics in World History. It merges authoritative reference content with full-text magazines, academic journals, news articles, primary source documents, images, videos, audio files and links to websites. For use at any library or from home with a valid Buffalo & Erie County Public Library card number.

You can search this database by clicking on its name from our database page. You will also be able to search it in conjunction with other databases in the near future.

Citizenship Subject Guide

2010-09-26T14:44:00.002-04:00

To visit the new Citizenship subject guide, click here.

To see all of our subject guide options, click here.

Polish Heritage Subject Guide

2010-09-23T16:30:00.001-04:00

To visit the new Polish Heritage subject guide, click here.

To see all of our subject guide options, click here.

In Context Databases

2010-09-22T14:42:00.002-04:00

History Resource Center was recently changed to U.S. History In Context. Other databases with a new look include Biography Resource Center, which is now Biography In Context and Student Resource Center, which is now Student Resources In Context. When you click into the databases, you will see these changes.

Please note that we are currently working on these changes on the Library's main database page. You may still still see the old names for a little while longer, and you may not be able to search them yet in conjunction with other databases. Please note that we are working on making these changes as quickly and efficiently as possible.

Enjoy exploring the new resources!

Facebook Page for NOVELny

2010-09-09T13:54:00.001-04:00

The New York State Library is pleased to announce the creation of
a Facebook page dedicated to the NOVELny statewide database pilot
program. This program provides all New York State residents with
free access to commercial databases containing information on
various subjects, including health, business, and news. NOVELny
databases can be accessed through participating public, school,
special and academic libraries, or directly using a New York
State Driver License or Non-Driver Photo ID number.

The NOVELny Facebook page and the NOVELny Web site (novelnewyork.org)
contain information on available resources and their use.

On the Facebook page, the Wall and Links tabs highlight training
opportunities, new database features, database changes, and other
news related to NOVELny.

The Info tab has links to background information on this statewide
program, lists of databases by subject area, relevant information
for students, educators, consumers and librarians, and how to get
assistance with searching or database access.

The Discussion area provides a forum for questions and comments
relating to the program, and especially "success stories,"
featuring specific examples of how access to NOVELny resources
has benefited New York State residents.

The Search! tab includes a search box for finding information
in all the NOVELny databases, as well as links to databases
according to subject and vendor.

The Facebook page can be accessed at:
http://www.facebook.com/NOVELny

All New York State residents are encouraged to 'Like' the page,
make comments, and provide other feedback on the program.
Libraries and library systems are encouraged to publicize this
page. Consider making the NOVELny Facebook page a 'Favorite Page'
of your library or system's Facebook page! (Instructions available
at:
http://www.facebook.com/help/?faq=13079 )

More information on the NOVELny Facebook page can be obtained
from David Fiske, dfiske@mail.nysed.gov.

The NOVELny pilot program is supported with temporary federal
Library Services and Technology Act funds awarded to the New
York State Library by the Institute of Museum and Library
Services.

BYKI Trial Extended Until 9/15

2010-09-08T10:29:00.000-04:00

BYKI - Languages Database Trial
We are currently trialing Byki, a resource that helps you learn a new language. We would love to get your feedback. Please use the feedback button on the right-hand side of the blog.

Product: byki Online Library Edition
URL: http://library.transparent.com/skipjacklibrary/flashcards/login
Username: becounty1
Password: test1
Expires: 09/15/10
Annotation:

Byki (Before You Know It) Online is a feature rich online language learning system that uses the same core learning technology used by the US government. Please compare to Mango Languages.

Features of Byki Online:
Over 80 language options + ESL
Remote patron access
Pronunciation analysis
Grammar reference
Multiple learning activities
Individual progress tracking and library administrative portal