databases

New databases, bird flu, and you! 

Bird flu! It’s in the news.  

Maybe your patrons are wondering about it. Maybe they’ve already transformed into giant chickens themselves! That’s what bird flu does right? I read that somewhere on the internet.  

Just kidding! When I go looking for information online, I start with library databases. I love Wikipedia dearly, but sometimes it will lead me astray. Just look at this link! https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bird_Flu. 

Luckily for me, POWER Library has provided two new databases that can help with health information and much more: Health and Wellness and Academic OneFile Select, both from our pals at Gale. As with other Gale products, they look almost the same but contain different information aimed at different audiences. 

Health and Wellness contains full-text articles from medical publications and reference works, but also from more popular, general media outlets with a focus on health information that is approachable for a general audience. Here are the results for a search for “bird flu” with a publication date limiter of the “past month.” 

Notice that it leads with four audio clips from various NPR programs. Health and Wellness is for a general audience looking for reliable information that doesn’t get too deep into medical jargon. 

However, if your patrons do want jargon, we now have Academic OneFile Select! 

This resource is geared toward students, researchers, and curriculum-based learners. It provides access to full text articles across many disciplines, not just health, as well as also vocational/technical training material for students who are studying the trades. A nice complement to BlueCareer! 

But back to the chickens. If I do the same search for “bird flu” with that “past month” time limiter, I get results that may not be appropriate for a lay audience but will definitely help with a college student’s research. 

These new resources provide information for a variety of different types of patrons and are now live on the eLibrary website. Check them out! 

-Mary, Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh 

Continue ReadingNew databases, bird flu, and you! 

Good news, everyone! New databases for all!

Recently, staff evaluated two new Ebsco resources that aim to fill gaps in our electronic job and career resources: BlueCareer for career information about the trades, and FinancialFit for personal finance and financial literacy. These topics continue to be popular with patrons, and the new learning tools will enhance and support our work. 

We plan to have these resources up and running in early November, so it’s a good idea to get a sneak peek ahead of time. Let Hilary or Mary know if you have any questions. Both databases will be available to all Allegheny County library card holders. Check them out!

Blue Career  

This new workforce development platform from EBSCOlearning is the one-stop shop for members of your community to explore the skilled trades industry, start their careers, connect with employers and more. 

You can click here to view the experience of a job seeker or employer through short demo videos. 

FinancialFit  

FinancialFit includes a curated collection of personal finance lessons, videos and interactive tools that empower all members of our community — no matter their current financial situation — to make good financial decisions and achieve their financial goals. 

If you would like a more in-depth walk-through of both these resources, you can click here to view the recorded video presentation that Ebsco provided for the evaluation team. 

It’s our hope that these news tools will offer robust coverage for subject areas that weren’t previously addressed in our eResources. Let me know what you think!

-Mary, Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh

Continue ReadingGood news, everyone! New databases for all!