USF Polytechnic Library

Gale is currently experiencing intermittent problems with their online databases. They are working on it as we speak. The USF Libraries have access to several Gale databases, including Academic ASAP, Business & Company Resource Center, General One File and a multitude of online reference encyclopedias and dictionaries.

The USF Libraries have acquired the multidisciplinary database SourceOECD.

SourceOECD is an online library of statistical databases, books, and periodicals from OECD, the Organisation for Economic Co-Operation and Development. The OECD, a membership of 30 countries, is one of the world’s largest publishers in the fields of economics and public policy. SourceOECD is comprised of over 1,800 online books with unrestricted access grouped in 24 themes, 24 periodicals, 3 reference titles, and 26 OECD statistical databases, all in full text. Themed groupings include: Education, Energy, Emerging Economies, Environment & Sustainable Development, Finance and Investment, Science, Social Issues, Urban and Regional Development, Transportation and more. Twenty-six statistical databases from the OECD are presented enabling users to download data and build their own tables, in real time. Users can also build cross-database tables. OECD has recently launched OECD.Stat that allows searches across the various OECD databases. It is now in a beta test until September 2008. The USF Libraries hold a subscription to all OECD online publications with the exception of the third-party IEA Statistics.

To access it, search MetaLib by using the “Search the Databases” link on the library’s main page.

The data from the 2006 Journal Citation Reports is now available in the ISI Web of Knowledge database. This data gives information on how many times a journal was cited, how many it has cited other journals and it’s impact factor, among others.

This kind of information is interesting when you are choosing a journal to submit an article, or when you are collecting additional information for a tenure and/or promotion dossier.

You can access the Journal Citation Reports in the Web of Knowledge database. Go to MetaLib, search the database by name and click on the resulting link. In the database itself, at the very top, you will see a drop-down menu. You will see the option for the Reports. If you are from off campus, don’t forget to log into the network first.

The data from the 2005 Journal Citation Reports is now available in the ISI Web of Knowledge database. This data gives information on how many times a journal was cited, how many it has cited other journals and it’s impact factor, among others.

This kind of information is interesting when you are choosing a journal to submit an article, or when you are collecting additional information for a tenure and/or promotion dossier.

The Health & Wellness Resource Center database is now sporting a collection of more than 700 videos following a partnership between Thomson Gale and Healthology, Inc. The videos cover more than 60 therapeutic areas and run approximately four minutes in length. Search “Health & Wellness Resource Center” in MetaLib to access the database.

NewsBank, a database permitting to search newspapers across the country, is offering two products of use to students and instructors. Look for them in the left-hand side menu in the NewsBank interface.

• Hot Topics: updated each month, Hot Topics suggests search terms for extremely current news topics. Examples for January includes Iran and nuclear facilies, Jimmy Carter’s most recent book, education vouchers and Supreme Court confirmation hearings.
• Special Reports: those reports focus on topics of current interest. They include content from sources throughout the world to provide a global perspective, current and background information, statistics, maps, images, websites, and suggested search terms.

Note: if you search for NewsBank in MetaLib, the system will bring up all the newspapers USF subscribe through NewsBank. Click on one of the titles to access the interface and the NewsBank menu.

Welcome back, instructors! I hope you had pleasant holidays.

A quick word to remind you that I am available to meet your class to provide library instruction. I can explain the library system and services to your students - for example the library system structure, the catalog and databases; circulation issues, source citations and Refworks; etc. I can also show them how to search the catalog and the article databases. The session content will depend on your needs and the amount of time available.

If interested, you can contact me at 667-7737 or clw@lakeland.usf.edu to schedule a session.