B&ECPL Database News

Database Trial - English Language Learner Reference Center

2009-12-08T12:39:00.002-05:00

Please use the Feedback button on the right to let the Library know what you think about this resource.

Product: English Language Learner Reference Center
URL: http://trial.ebscohost.com
User Id: buff
Password: trial
Annotation:
English Language Learner Reference Center (ELL) is designed for middle/high school students and those that are new to the English language. ELL includes 1,000 Foundation documents on topics including Science, History, Civic, Life Skills, and Literature. Customized content is designed to support English-language proficiency and comprehension, including literacy, researching, note-taking, and academic writing.

Customized content includes:
· Nonfiction articles and reference texts
· Images
· Step-by-step guides
· Audio/Text-to-speech support enables students to highlight and listen to text
· Search tools and support features
· ELL reading levels
· Lexile reading scores
· Result list with intuitive Narrow Results by Options
· Related Inset Feature - Links to articles that lead students to further content to increase topic comprehension

December Database Drops

2009-12-07T11:09:00.002-05:00

The following databases will not be accessible after the end of the year:

Academic Search Premier
AP Images
Literary Reference Center
Opposing Viewpoints
Vault

December Resource of the Month:

2009-12-01T14:49:00.006-05:00

NoveList Plus

Have you finished the Twilight series and want to read something similar? Perhaps you are looking for the 3rd book in the Nora Roberts Dream Trilogy series. Or maybe your child has finished Rick Riordan's Percy Jackson and the Olympians series and needs to find a new author to read. If so NoveList Plus is the database for you. Using NoveList Plus enables you to search hundreds of thousands of popular fiction and non-fiction titles. You also can retrieve author read-alikes, book lists, book discussion guides and more.

NoveList Plus is available for use at any Buffalo and Erie County Public Library or from home with a valid Buffalo & Erie County Public Library card number.

Gale Webinars

2009-11-23T15:39:00.001-05:00

Click the following link for upcoming Gale webinars:

http://www.gale.cengage.com/email/GDC_webinars/GIN43310.html?f3=pierpaolia@buffalolib.org&c1=125524&c2=24

World Book Update

2009-11-19T15:22:00.003-05:00

World Book and World Book Kids have been changed from the Student edition to the Public Libraries edition. Check out the new look!

Please note that because of this change, these databases can be searched individually but will not currently bring up results when searching in conjunction with other databases. This should be resolved within the month. Until then, simply click on the title of the database to access.

Reference USA Access

2009-11-13T11:39:00.003-05:00

We are currently having access issues with Reference USA Business. But there is a workaround. If you click into Reference USA International Business Directory, you will get a menu for all of our Reference USA products. You can access U.S. Businesses from here. Stay tuned to the blog for updates.

Database Trials - Footnote and Points of View Reference Center

2009-11-13T10:45:00.002-05:00

Please use the feedback button on the right to send in your thoughts on these resources.

Product: Footnote History and Genealogy Archives
URL: http://trial.ebscohost.com
User Id: buff
Password: trial
Expires: 12/10/2009
Annotation:

Footnote History and Genealogy Archives combines original historical documents and personal histories, creating a unique historical and genealogical resource. It also has a vast array of valuable and unique content consisting of well over 50 million historical documents and images. The collection features millions of images available from a content partnership with The National Archives. These digital images of records, preserved in the National Archives and other regional archives, represent a growing collection of historic documents— most never before available on the Internet.

Footnote History and Genealogy Archives feature documents relating to the Revolutionary War, Civil War, WWI, WWII, U.S. Presidents, historical newspapers, naturalization documents, and much more. Some other very notable material includes the Matthew Brady collection of Civil War photos and UFO documents from 1947 – 1969.

Product: Points of View Reference Center™
URL: http://trial.ebscohost.com
User Id: buff
Password: trial
Expires: 12/10/2009
Annotation:

Points of View Reference Center™ is a full-text database designed to provide students with a series of essays that present multiple sides of a current issue. The database provides more than 270 topics, each with an overview (objective background/description), point (argument), counterpoint (opposing argument), and Critical Thinking Guide. Topics covered include: affirmative action, cloning, DNA profiling, HIV/AIDS status disclosure, immigration, Iraq, Israel & the Palestinians, Katrina and FEMA response, nuclear proliferation, separation of church and state, standardized testing, stem cell research, tax cuts, voting machines, and many more.

Points of View Reference Center contains a balance of materials from all viewpoints, including more than 1,200 main essays, leading political magazines from both sides of the aisle, newspapers, radio & TV news transcripts, primary source documents and reference books. The database also offers guides to debate, developing arguments and writing position papers. Additionally, this database contains the Video Encyclopedia of the 20th Century, providing students with a searchable collection of some of the most important social, political, and cultural moments of the 20th century. Points of View Reference Center provides the basis from which students can realize and develop persuasive arguments and essays, better understand controversial issues and develop analytical thinking skills. Critical Thinking Guides for every topic covered helps the student judge Fact vs. Opinion and enhances the student's ability to read and think critically.

Please compare with Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center and CQ Researcher Plus Archive.

Wilson November Newsletter

2009-11-12T16:21:00.001-05:00

Click below to see Wilson's November Newsletter:

http://www.hwwilson.com/rs/newsletter.htm

Oxford Music Online

2009-11-09T15:21:00.002-05:00

Access has been restored to Oxford Music Online.

Oxford Music Online

2009-11-09T09:38:00.003-05:00

Oxford Music Online is currently requesting Log In information. We are currently in the process of renewing this product, and access will resume shortly.

Database Access Restored

2009-11-06T09:44:00.003-05:00

The technical issues with the Research Databases page has been resolved and access has been restored.

Database Page Currently Down

2009-11-06T08:58:00.001-05:00

The database page is currently down. Network Support is working on restoring it as soon as possible. Stay tuned to the blog for updates.

November Resource of the Month:

2009-10-31T11:00:00.011-04:00

Ancestry Library

Ancestry Library is an excellent resource for anyone interested in tracing their family’s history. With information on over 1 billion people, everyone is likely to find something here, whether you are an experienced genealogist or a new researcher. Ancestry Library provides access to all kinds of records, including the U.S. census from 1790 to 1930, military records from the Revolutionary War through the Vietnam War, and ships passenger lists and immigration records from various U.S. ports. You can begin searching by entering one of your ancestor’s names on the Ancestry home page, or focus on searching for a particular type of record.

For use at any library.

MLA 7 in Gale Products

2009-10-29T09:45:00.002-04:00

MLA 7 is now available on Gale PowerSearch and Infotrac Periodical products. Plus resources like Gale Virtual Reference Library and Literature Resource Center and many others will see the addition of MLA7 soon.

Historical Encyclopedia of American Business

2009-10-28T12:28:00.001-04:00

We have recently added Historical Encyclopedia of American Business as a new title to the Salem History online database. It offers a complete view of all aspects of American Business history from trade between Native Americans and Europeans on the North American continent to e-commerce and the financial crisis of the present century is clearly covered. There are also overviews on broad legal topics such as antitrust legislation, bankruptcy laws and patent laws. Also covered are significant economic depressions and 'panics' as well as such events as the Boston Tea Party, the Dust Bowl of the 1930's, and the Energy crisis of 1979. To utilize this new title, please visit the library's homepage at www.buffalolib.org , click on "Research", "Research Databases" and login with your 13 digit library card number, then scroll down the page and click on Salem History to start searching.

Gale November Webinars

2009-10-23T11:14:00.001-04:00

Click on the following link for a listing of next month's Gale webinars:

http://www.gale.cengage.com/email/Webinars/Nov09/web/pub-nov09.htm?f3=pierpaolia@buffalolib.org&c1=125521&c2=15

Sanborn Maps of New York 1867-1970

2009-10-13T10:09:00.000-04:00

The Sanborn Maps of New York database is now available for use in all BECPL locations and for use at home with a valid BECPL library card.

Sanborn maps are large scale detailed property maps of cities and towns. They were used by fire insurance companies to help them determine insurance coverage. This database covers hundreds of New York State cities and towns including over 50 Erie County locations.

What are some uses for Sanborn maps?

Genealogy - Genealogists use Sanborn maps to learn details about an ancestor’s home such as the location, building materials, and features. They can find out what an ancestor’s neighborhood was like and learn information about their place of work. The maps label places of worship which can help lead them to record sources.

Local History - Sanborn maps help study the make-up, growth, and decline of neighborhoods. They show buildings, street names and numbering, as well as rivers, canals, and railroads. Businesses and public buildings are labeled, which enables researchers to uncover the uses of structures over time. They assist the study of local business and industry history by identifying business locations, names, and type, and by providing detailed layouts of large factories and businesses.

Real Estate - Research a building to help determine its historical significance. Find out if a property was used for a purpose that indicates environmental risk.

Writing – Sanborn maps can help authors add authentic details to a work.

Other Uses: architectural research and design, urban planning and renewal, environmental research, historic preservation and conservation, model railroading, classroom projects, archaeology, and collecting.

Vault Career Library Update

2009-10-07T15:24:00.002-04:00

The name of Vault Career Library has been changed to Career Insider. Users can now register in order to save content to a My Vault feature.

Database of the Month - CQ Researcher

2009-10-01T09:18:00.002-04:00

Resource of the month: CQ Researcher

Remember how your mom always told you that there are two sides to every story? Check out CQ Researcher Plus Archive. CQ Researcher provides in depth coverage of current events. CQ Researcher is noted for its unbiased coverage of health, social trends, criminal justice, international affairs, education, the environment, technology, and the economy. It is perfect both for students doing research for projects and for citizens who just want to be well informed.

Reports are compiled by experienced journalists and include an overview of the subject, background, an assessment of the current situation, charts, maps and a bibliography. Also included is a pro/con section which features representatives of opposing viewpoints. Take a look at CQ Researcher whenever you are researching current events. For use at any library or from home with a valid Buffalo and Erie County Public Library card number.

Encyclopedia of Animals

2009-10-06T10:17:00.000-04:00

EBSCO Animals content was discontinued as a stand alone database. The content from EBSCOanimals has been incorporated into other products such as Science Reference Center, Middle Search and Primary Search and is available via the EBSCOhost, Searchasaurus, or Kids Search interface.Articles within the Encyclopedia of Animals can now be found more easily through the improved citation with added subject headings and an abstract. In addition, each article includes a Lexile value. New images and maps have been included into the ‘Related Item’ section of the full text. Persistent Link to the Encyclopedia of Animalshttp://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&AuthType=cookie,ip,url,cpid&custid=s9156396&db=prh&jid=EHJ&site=ehost-live

Gale's October Webinars

2009-10-01T16:09:00.000-04:00

Please click the link below for Gale's October Webinars

http://www.gale.cengage.com/email/TrainingWebinars/Oct09/index.htm?f3=pierpaolia@buffalolib.org&c1=125521&c2=15

Mango Languages

2009-10-01T09:53:00.001-04:00

Access is back up for Mango Languages. Now users have the option to create a user profile to track progress in the courses they are taking.

Mango Languages

2009-09-30T14:34:00.000-04:00

We are currently in the process of a url change for Mango Languages. The database should be back up shortly.

Wilson October Newsletter

2009-09-29T14:50:00.002-04:00

Please click on the following link for Wilson's October newsletter:
http://www.hwwilson.com/rs/newsletter.htm

Gale October Webinars

2009-09-28T11:27:00.002-04:00

Click on the link below to access the schedule for Gale webinars in October:

http://www.gale.cengage.com/email/Webinars/Oct09/web/pub-oct09.htm?f3=pierpaolia@buffalolib.org&c1=125521&c2=15