If you haven't heard...

The new databases are officially up and running. I have blogged about them quite a bit you can read about ABC CLEO Here and Proquest HERE. These subscription resources are truly amazing. In fact I believe they are vital to an education. Students must learn how to find reliable information beyond Google. Not that Google isn't good; it just shouldn't be the only place to find information. In fact, there is a world of free search engines out there that work differently than Google and return some amazing result. BUT that is an entirely different post.

If you missed my explanation of a database please read all about them HERE

Where will your research lead you?

I have tried to make accessing our subscription databases as easy as possible. Up at that top of the page is a tab title Databases. Once you click on it you will see a page with links and buttons to each of our subscriptions. Not every database offers a button or search widget. I hope the databases that are simple links don't get lost among the ones with the fancy buttons. I have also included a small explanation of the purpose of each database. Some cover a full range of grade levels while others are more specific to younger or older students. Take your time to read about them and explore. Now is the best time to do this. It is better to have some knowledge of them before you have to use them for school work. That way when the time comes you already know which database will suit your needs.

Because they are paid subscriptions you need a password to log into them. To simplify this I divided up the databases by username and password.

As always, do not hesitate to comment below with questions or email me.
 

What is a Database?

I realize some of you may be asking yourself, "what is a database and why is it so important?" The answer lies in the definition of a library, a place to access knowledge. It is the responsibility of the library to collect and make available knowledge and information. For this reason, I have been on a mission since the beginning of last year to provide the St. Philips school community with reliable reference resources. We do this in a variety of ways including our physical book collection and internet access points.

A database doesn't exactly fit intoeither of those two things. While you do access a database from a computer it is not the internet! Most of the things you find in our databases cannot be found by searching Google or Wikipedia. Databases are subscription services that the library pays for. Although a database isn't something you can hold in your hand they are just as much a part of our collection as the physical books on our shelves.

A library database is an online resource that a library subscribes to. It contains articles and information from print sources such as magazines, newspapers, journals and reference books. You must log into a database to gain access to it's content. Once inside, you are able to search through its resources to find the information you are looking for.

I am not saying I don't believe in using the internet to gain knowledge. Sometimes a Google search is perfect. But for school work I believe resources like a database are as invaluable as a good book.

Rounding Out the Lineup!

I am very excited to announce our brand new database subscriptions from the well known ProQuest Databases. Touted as "indispensable research solutions that connect people and information" I was first introduced to it in high school. Since then I have been a loyal ProQuest user throughout my various careers as student and then educator. Last year I discovered that ProQuest offered services for the elementary library! After some investigation I realized these services were the perfect tools for our students as well as an excellent way to round out my goal of providing a place for our students to access accurate and safe information.

 You may be asking yourself what is included in our new subscription. But first let me tell you that due to some glitch or error I can't provide you with access to these just yet. I'm really disappointed because I want you to explore first hand. Until I hear back from ProQuest I can only paint a little picture of these powerful tools.

Here it is, strait from ProQuest

Makes learning fun and intuitive for young students
"The database includes carefully selected, 100% full-text articles and images from more than 1,900 domestic and international newspapers, magazines, and government documents, along with 9,000+ educational weblinks via the integrated Discoverer WebFind content set."  


Concise, reliable, and up-to-date country reports delivering the world... to you
"CultureGrams helps researchers discover the world with concise cultural and statistical snapshots of every country recognized by the United Nations -- from Afghanistan to Zimbabwe. Local experts document the unique, intimate details of each country's customs, traditions and daily life."

The ultimate elementary reference resource
"Students of all ages use eLibrary Elementary's powerful, yet engaging and easy-to-use search interface to find the answers they need from more than 140 magazines, newspapers, books, transcripts, maps, images, educator-approved websites from Homework Central®, plus audio/video titles, all selected as appropriate for elementary school studies."

I feel like I'm writing a brochure for ProQuest!

But in all seriousness, I am very excited that the St. Philip's Library is able to offer these resources to our students. In the coming weeks I will be posting much more about these databases and how best to utilize them. Also look for a post or update about how to access them from home or school.    



 

It's Finally Here!!!!!

I've been doing my happy dance! Do you know why?!?! Its for something that we have been wanting for a very long time.

Finally, Destiny Quest, our online library manager and book club is available online. St. Philip's students have learned to enjoy the graphic interface of the program, utilizing it's unique online search engine, social network and book search while at school. As long as a student has created a username and password they can access these features from home.

1. They can search for library books and save them to personal lists.
2. Make friends to share and discuss favorite books and authors.
3. Recommend books to their peers.
4. Write book reviews
5. Use the search engine to access kid and parent approved websites. 

Trust me, it is fun for all. Currently 1st - 5th grade classes have a username and password. If your child does not have one and would like to make one they must come to the library at their lunch time and fill out a request form. I would like to see Jr. High utilizing this wonderful program. 

To access Destiny Quest use the tab located at the top of this blog. Go ahead and bookmark the page also!

5th and Jr. High Databases

The databases for the older students are up and running. We are subscribing through a company called ABC CLEO. I asked for teacher feedback to help decide what databases would be most used by the students. It was decided that Religion and Social Studies would get the most use from the databases. I have done a few random test searches and have found the articles to be interesting and useful but definitely geared toward middle school student. You can access the databases through the tab on top of this page. The username and password are provided on the database page.

We have the following databases:

• American History
• Daily Life Through History
• World History: Ancient and Medieval Eras
• World Religion

1st Database!

Our first database subscription is up and running! To access it you must go to the Database tab at the top of this blog. For now, this is where the access point will be for all database subscriptions. There are two links on the database home page. The 1st is World Book Online, which is our subscription to World Book Encyclopedia. The second link is our brand new database. Pebble Go is geared toward K-3 and is actually two database subscriptions. The first is Animals and the second is Earth and Space Sciences. Both can be accessed thru the same link.

Just like World Book Online, Pebble Go requires a username and password. It is pretty easy for all Falcon's to remember but if you forget, I put them on the database home page.

NOW! Go off and explore!!!!!

I am going to the LA County Fair this weekend. I love September when the fair comes around. Not only is it fun to eat the yummy food and shop but I enjoy seeing the animals and arts and craft displays. So I thought I would share some books that would help you prepare for your fair visit or give you some information about the things you see at the fair. Farm animals are a huge part of the fair. I personally could spend all day watching the animals, especially the babies. We have many animal books that are specific to farms. Some simply tell you about cows, ducks, chickens, sheep and horses. Others tell tales of real animal experiences. We have a wonderful series titled Farm Animals that covers all of them. Glancing through the Cattle volume I see that I can read about their history, how they are fed, their life cycle, how to care for them and much more.

We also have a few books that explore the work that farmers do. It is important to remember that our food comes from farms. Farmers also provide many of the supplies we use in our daily lives. One of my favorite non-fiction series in our library is called the Start to Finish Series. The series is for younger readers and it shows them where daily items come from. A great one that ties into the fair is called From Sheep to Sweater. This book tells how a farmer raises a sheep for wool then shears it and sells it for people to make clothing.

Another fun aspect of the fair is the Arts and Crafts display. As a child I used to enter table settings. To this day I enjoy spending time in the children and adults sections looking at photography, art, collections, sewing and cooking. Our library has a few books to inspire you to enter your own arts and crafts next year. The book Made by Me by Jane Bull is full of fun sewing projects that require little or no technical skills. If you really want to go crazy you can check out the book Crafts for Kids Who Are Learning About Farm Animals by Kathy Ross. What better way to enhance your fair experience than by making crafts of farm animals. It's a two for one deal!

I hope if you haven't already you and your family get a chance to explore this years fair. Even if you can't actually attend the fair you can come to the library and learn all about "fair" things and even get a little crafty!

Research Projects

As your child gets older you will notice they are required to do more and more research projects. This can be daunting for both parents and children unless you are a member of the rare few who take to research like a pig to mud. I confess I belong to this piggy little group. I become giddy with excitement when I have research to do. It is my own special quest and I can't wait to fight my way through the world of information and come out triumphant. I fancy myself a warrior of knowledge; a blend of the Greek goddesses Athena and Sophia. I have the wisdom to know when to accept the information as fact and when to say "NO, you are not good information". I attack quickly only accepting gifts of knowledge than will take me further on my journey and in no way hinder my progress. I know how to find knowledge!!!!!

You are probably saying, "Ok, Falcon! Lets not get carried away in the world of imagination and plant ourselves firmly back on the ground. How can I wade through all the information available to me to find the answers I need?"

Lucky for you SP is doing a wonderful job of supplying the tools to help you in your quest for knowledge. Over the next few weeks I will periodically blog about ways to research. We will talk libraries, the internet and even online journals and resources that take you away from the World Wide Web.

Today I want to present you with a gift. Something that SP is providing for you that you can access from home. It's quick, it's easy and the best starting out point for your quest! Drum roll please..................

WORLD BOOK ONLINE!!!!!! An encyclopedia is a wonderful tool or should I say weapon, against all the false and misleading information threatening to hinder your quest. It provides you with basic information on any topic you can dream up. While the information is not in depth, it certainly gets those wheels spinning, allowing your brain to plot and plan the next steps in your quest. It helps you answer the question, "where to now?"

You don't need to head to the library or risk getting attacked by bad information from the internet. Just go to www.worldbookonline.com and enter philipschool as your username and falcon as your password. AND have fun!!!!!!

Reference Library

Today I am going to get a little personal. To start with, I am currently taking a Reference Librarian class. When I accepted the job of SP Librarian I didn't know much about running a library. Last year found me learning how a library truly works. For the most part I am self taught. I quickly realized I would benefit from taking library classes and was excited to learn and bring my new found knowledge to the SP library. Today, I used the skills learned in my Reference Librarian class. After helping multiple students I was overcome by this deep satisfaction. I felt like my whole body was a glow and tingling. I helped these student find information! It seems so simple yet I know it is not.

Since starting the library I have often wondered if we have to correct materials to meet the needs of our school community. YES WE DO! we do we do we do. I am giddy!!!! When Miss Lizardi called down this morning asking if the 6th graders can do research on world religions, specifically, what the churches or temples look like, I thought they would mostly be doing internet research. BUT, it turns out our little library had some books to suit their needs. I don't know about you but I found that thrilling!

My limited experience with reference librarians has not always been good. I am determined and committed to helping our children find the information they need from the best and most correct resources. I now know that when the teachers and children have a question our library will have the answers and I am able to be the go between. This is a job I love and enjoy.