Clearinghouse of Professional Information

Knowledge Ontario for Public Libraries - Database Tips and Tricks

We know that library staff are experts at multi-tasking and that it is not easy to find the time for an in-depth exploration of the e-resources we have been introducing to you. SOLS is offering to do it for you.

This section will highlight tools and/or specific features in the Gale and Ebsco Databases, such as tip sheets, user & navigation guides, guided tours, web conferencing, logos and other useful features to enhance and expand your knowledge and use of the Gale and Ebsco databases.

On this page we will post, from time to item, nuggets of valuable information about specific features like tip sheets, user & navigation guides, guided tours, web conferencing, logos and other useful features to enhance and expand your knowledge and use of the Thomson Gale and Ebsco databases.

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(From The Gale Report, June 2008)  Gale has created a series of step-by-step tours, with audio, for our major databases. These tours allow you to easily get training on key features and interfaces. Simply click on any of the links below and the tour will load. Since these are full tours (every feature of the product), they take about 15-20 minutes.

Feel free to add these links to any part of your Web site. Use these resources to promote your databases at the library.

(Note that every time you click on a database link, you will be using the program Adobe Captivate. It may take some time to download. If you are using these clips to do a training session, we suggest that you open a number of tabs on your browser and load the clips ahead of time.)

Of these the following are part of the Knoweldge Ontario suite of Gale databases:

• Discovering Collection  
• Health & Wellness Resource Center
• InfoTrac Junior Edition - K12
• InfoTrac Student Edition - K12
• Junior Reference Collection
• Kids InfoBits
• PowerSearch

Tip # 4:  How to use the Bookmark function to link to individual URLs on your website

Gale - From a results page, 'Mark' a document by clicking in the little box; then move to the top left hand corner of the page right under PowerSearch and click on 'Bookmark'. A new window will appear giving options for saving this bookmark. Yuu will see a very, very long URL which is the 'permanent address' for this item. You simply copy this URL into your webpage - on Gardening for example

• The perpetual garden calendar: how to make a simple chart based on ancient cyclical calendars that makes growing easy, by Joann Woy.  Source: Country Journal 24.n6 (Nov-Dec 1997): p.p59(3). (1232 words) From General OneFile. 

NOTE: Look in the Red Tools Box and choose to view the .pdf pages for the fully reproduced article with illustrations

EBSCO

Tip # 3: Promoting your virtual library - virtually (Oct 2007)

• Getting Started Demo – a digital “ad” that can be downloaded to the library’s homepage. (Proquest)  This is a link to a creative on-line marketing piece that libraries can use on their websites, or perhaps on the municipality’s website,  to promote the use of electronic resources.  While it’s from Proquest the ad doesn’t refer to any specific product.
•  How-to guide on Marketing Your Library’s Online Resources (.pdf) (Proquest) How to build awareness and increase usage of your on-line resources.  This tool offers suggestions for promoting your  online resources. (Slow to load)

 The keys to success are:

• Get Prepared: Know your resources so that when the user comes he/she has a good experience
• Get the Word Out: Follow a step by step approach. Don't spread the word until you are ready for prime time

Tip # 2: RSS Feeds (Sept 2007)

Both EBSCO and Gale offer RSS feeds and an Alert service by e-mail to notify you of additions to specific your searches, on their databases.  When patron runs a search, they can add the search results to a feed reader, allowing them to get alerts whenever another article meeting their search criteria is added to the database.

EBSCO has a web page describing how to use the service. 

From the Gale Power Search main screen and any other search screen,  if you click on the 'Help" button and then browse to "Search results" and then "Search Alerts", you'll find a description of how to do email or RSS alerts. 

For more information on RSS feeds and how they work, have a look at the SOLS web page "What is RSS?".

Tip  # 1:  Library web pages promoting e-databases

Here are some great examples of  how libraries are promoting their E-resources on their web site. These are some examples of libraries who use different approaches and styles to promote online databases in their community.

• Brockville Public Library sidebar link to Online Databases
• Clarington Public Library. Electronic Resources under « Resources and Links » sidebar
• London Public Library. Information Databases page  from « My Research » tab
• Mississauga Public Library. Right sidebar link to Search From Home page
• North Grenville Public Library. Sidebar link to Online Research Databases
• Rideau Lakes Public Library. Right Sidebar link under Online Research go to Find out more about our online databases
• Stratford Public Library.  Features a database of the week
• Wainfleet Public Library Sidebar link highlights on main page