using the library css101 - part 2 martin j. crabtree mccc library
TRANSCRIPT
Using the Library Part 2 - Agenda
• What is Information Literacy• Using the Mercer Library’s catalog• Searching electronic resources• Databases and Web information• Looking at the quality of information on the web
Using The MCCC Card Catalog to find books and
more• The catalog is available online. Used to find books, videos and other material both in the MCCC collection and the Mercer County Public (MCL) libraries.
• You can have materials from MCL brought to the college. Deliveries arrive Tuesday and Friday afternoons. (DVD’s not available from MCL)
• You will need to have your student ID card to borrow books or use the library’s computer lab
Starting An Electronic SearchKeywords
• Keywords are used when searching electronic databases and web search engines
• First step - Generate a list of words (keywords) often nouns that describes or is commonly used when discussing your topic. For example:– Ozone– Layer– Depletion– Atmosphere– Hole
Starting An Electronic Search
Boolean Searching/Logic
• Boolean searching - Connecting keywords with the terms– and– not– or
• For example– eagles NOT football– (car or automobile) and exhaust
• More Terms = Fewer “Hits”
Searching More Than Just Keywords
Phrases & Truncations• To search for a phrase, use quotation
marks– “weapons of mass destruction”
• Truncations allow for searching related words all at once– The * is usually used. For example:
• “child*” would include: child, children, childhood, childproof, etc.
Let’s take a quick look at how Boolean searching can help
Electronic Databases at MCCC
In General
• Over 60 databases available• Many contain periodical articles• Some are useful for searching specific
subjects like business, art, or criminal justice.• Others are also useful tools like the Encyclopedia Britannica and the Oxford Dictionary
Electronic DatabasesIn General
• Accessible at any computer on the MCCC/JKC campus network
• Most are available off campus, though you do need to use a password.
• Can print/e-mail/download articles
Accessing Databases Remotely
• You can access most of the databases from any computer with internet access.
• Use your student ID number (no dashes) and your last name (include punctuation) to log into the databases. i.e.
Let’s take a look a the databases…
Using the internet/world wide web
• Before using the web for most college research, try using databases first:– You will have fewer hits to go through– You’ll likely find some good information
quickly– The information is always high quality
• The internet & web are not the same thing
Some things to consider when searching the web
• Everything is NOT on the web and may never be
• No search engine covers the entire web
• The “invisible web” is huge!
• Though there has yet to be consensus, estimates put the size of the invisible web to at least 200% bigger than the “visible” (or surface) web.Source: The Invisible Web by Chris Sherman
Searching the World Wide Web
Search Strategy• Searching the Web is much like database
searching:– Put together a list of keywords describing the
information you desire– Use Boolean logic (and, not, or) to better define
your search, use double quotes for phrases, etc.
• When searching the web, also:– Consider which search engines/sites may best suit
your search needs. Different search engines yield different results.
– Use the search engine’s “advanced search” to select limiting parameters (language, date, domain, etc.)
Career info on the web
• Occupational Outlook Handbook - www.bls.gov/OCO/
• Professional organizations also have both career and job info
• Check national organizations for career info. They often have job info too.
• State professional organizations often have career & employment info.
• For example…
Evaluating Web Sites
• Quality varies greatly from site to site
•YOU are the sole evaluator of the quality of information a site provides
Five Web Info Evaluation Criteria
1. Accuracy - is it reliable?2. Authority - is author qualified on
subject?3. Objectivity - is the information biased?4. Currency - is the information “new”
enough?5. Coverage - does the info completely
cover the topic?
With web info, the Bottom Line is…
Buyer Beware• The web contains a vast amount of
information…but not everything
• Anyone can put information on the web, hence the quality of web information varies greatly
• YOU will often be the only person to decide if the quality of the info you find on the web is good
Now let’s visit a site…
Still people can get fooled…