[This is part of an occasional series where I post my responses to typical questions I receive in the hopes that it may be useful to others.]

QUESTION

Hi Mr. Siftar,
Thank you for following up with me. I’m wondering if the library subscribes to Education Week, The Chronicle of Higher Education and Teacher’s College Record and Educational Administration Quarterly journals – in print and online?
I ask only because I did not see them listed independently under ‘Databases’ but they may be folded into EBSCO or ERIC, for example.
I look forward to meeting you.
Best, Jen
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RESPONSE

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Hi Jennifer –

Good to hear from you. Yes we have all of the publications you mention in electronic format. And yes, they are usually folded into one of the literature databases we carry, and not listed individually on the databases page.  For some titles we also have print copy for the older issues. You can check the holdings for each of them using the library catalog – the main search box on the front page of the library website.

We treat each journal as an individual title in the same way we treat a book in the catalog. Going through the catalog, sometimes you’ll see separate records for electronic and print versions of the journal. After you select the record for the electronic version of your journal title you will be dropped into one of our many literature databases (such as Proquest or Education Research Complete on the EBSCO platform).

Notice that coming into the database by this path you will be lead to just the contents of the one journal you selected in the catalog – it won’t be the full contents of that database as you might be accustomed to seeing. Then you’ll be able to browse the contents of just that one journal, either by the date or volume.

There is also typically a search box that says “search within this journal” that is restricted to just  the holdings for that journal. That single-journal search option can be a handy way to narrow the universe of articles in which you are searching your topic.

Enjoy!

Best,
Tim

Here are a few links to library tutorials to help you with the questions from this assignment:

Evaluating Websites:
http://www.library.drexel.edu/resources/tutorials/webeval/intro.html

Research Articles on a topic:
The best place to start is with the Research Guides by Subject, which will give you the best library resources for researching a variety of topics:
http://www.library.drexel.edu/resources/guides/subjectguides.html

There’s also the “Freshman Writers Toolbox” at that main tutorials address that is good:
http://www.library.drexel.edu/resources/tutorials/tutorials.html

Citing references
http://www.library.drexel.edu/resources/tutorials/citations.html

Please call or email if you have further questions!

Best,

Tim

Do you ever need a brain vacation between study sessions? If so, try the Library’s “ecoffee table” for direct
access into a dozen popular magazines. Fun, right? While you’re at it, try out the links to our streamed music resources as well!

“Drexel University libraries have recently added material to its collection that may be of interest to you based on your preferred search settings. You may view and request the material via the link(s) below.”
That’s the default text of the weekly email YOU TOO can receive. Turn on this feature under the link for “Check My Library Record” in the purple section of the Library website’s front page.

Steps for creating a “Preferred search” alert of new books at Drexel University Libraries

1.) Click the link for “Check My Library Record” featured in the purple section of the Library website’s front page. (continued)

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Every Drexel student is aware of our university’s long tradition when it comes to encouraging its students to become early adopters of new technology. For example, Drexel was the first university to require freshman to have their own personal computers in 1983. We were on the forefront of offering students email, wiring the campus with internet. Then we were the first to make wireless internet available campus-wide in 2000. During these great leaps forward, Drexel Libraries has kept pace. We dumped the card catalog for an online version, were among the first to move from a print to electronic journal collection and have supplied loaner laptop and email reference services for years. (Email us at qmlib@drexel.edu)

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For anyone who missed receiving a copy of their Goodwin College student newsletter I will republish the introductory article I contributed about Library services of interest here.

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This is a note from the Drexel Libraries Goodwin College Liaison, Tim Siftar.

What’s new at Drexel’s Library these days? New students may be unaware of the host of great resources and friendly help available to students through the Library. Aside from on-site services such as loaner laptops, storage lockers and private study rooms, some surprising resources can be found on the newly revised Library website. …

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Here’s one everyone can use. We all use Google anyway…

The folks at Usabilityviews.com have done a nice single access point for all of the specialty Google searches from one page. Being part of the generation trained by “what you see is what you get” (WYSIWIG) interfaces, sometimes I just plain forget all the options Google makes available from its understated “Advanced” link.

Usability professionals are renowned for their helpful ways at recreating interfaces and menu options in general. So now they bring us:

Simply Google http://www.usabilityviews.com/simply_google.htm

Their description:
“Simply Google is a page with search boxes that are linked to various Google search engines, for faster results. You can search for maps, news, books, bargains, scholarly articles, music, video, blogs, catalogs, computers, and much more by using the appropriate search box. What will they think of next? Well, if Google could invent a search engine that my wife could use when she misplaces her car keys, I’d be eternally grateful.”

Thanks www.usabilityviews.com !

There are several electronic book collections available from the Drexel University Libraries web site that students in these programs may find them very useful. Start with the following eresources:
ebrary
continued…

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Okay – so this recent Washington Post article by Jay Matthews has a catchy title. What are the sources for these gems? As it turns out the author cites a scholarly work: “College Student Retention: Formula for Student Success,” edited by Alan Seidman and published by the American Council on Education and Praeger. In particular he extracts a few key points from the piece by Alexander W. Astin and Leticia Oseguera of UCLA entitled “Pre-College and Institutional Influences on Degree Attainment,” on page 245. The work is based on extensive surveying at UCLA’s Higher Education Research Institute which produces an annual survey of about 400,000 college freshmen across the country. The Post author presents their most intriguing findings as a list: Five Weird Ways to College Success. Excerpts of Mathews list follow… with a few of my own comments in square brackets. [ ]

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This blog is intended for readers from the Goodwin College of Professional Studies at Drexel University, who are primarily part-time, evening or weekend students.

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