Week 10: Using Online Libraries and Databases

9 October 2007


SUMMARY OF LECTURE TEN

Many reference organisations are placing their collections or catalogues on line. This includes most libraries. This makes accessing their collections more convenient - all you need is to be connected to the Internet. You also have access to many resources of a variety of types including the latest journals. The information is available in electronic format which makes it easy for making notes by copying and pasting. The online libraries can also be accessed at any time. Types of on line resources include online text repositories (like the www Virtual library), online journals (like the free Medical Journal Online), electronic books (like Classic Bookshelf), music (like The Sheet Music Archive)and artworks (The Louvre).

There are limitations to using online libraries, though. Often it is only the catalogue, not the text which is online. Many libraries are available only by paid subscription. Where you are seeing digital copies of original works, obviously resolution will be reduced.

Correct referencing of online resources is important and should be done (at ECU) in APA format. Refer to the ECU referencing guide if you are not sure how to do this. Copyright permission is not needed for copying and pasting for note-making purposes, but the use of art and music is usually subject to copyright restrictions. Most library sites have a statement of copyright and you are responsible for copyright permission.


Online databases are an organised collection of information (data), characterised by the use of data fields, that provide procedural methods for retrieving information. Some examples are people searches (like in yahoopeople.com), e-mail directories, genealogy resources, maps and atlases, government information and statistics,and news and media. There are similar advantages for databases as for online libraries - they are current, browsable, searchable, have round-the-clock access, are in electronic format and are comprehensive (although this also means that there is a lot of information to sift through). However, many of the databases are available by paid subscription only (although there are also a lot that are freely available), they are sometimes difficult to navigate and have a lot of advertising. Sometimes there is also just too much information on them.

SUMMARY OF WORKSHOP TEN

The workshop was aimed at familiarising ourselves with the ECU on line library service as well as getting to know the Medline plus website and extracting relevant and useful information from it.


Task 1:

I logged onto the ECU Library Service and had a look at the various support options. At this stage I concentrated on the search functions. We had already had to do searches for journals and books for our essay in UPC0002 but I did learn some new search options, which may have been more useful to me had I previously taken the time to get to know them. I have realised now that I was not using the database searches to their full potential.


Task 2:

A list of useful functions on the library site.
1. By clicking on "resources for students" in the library homepage, and then on "getting started" and then scrolling down to "Liberty", you are able to access a very detailed step-by-step guide to accessing information, from developing your assignment topic to finding journal articles using a subject index, to searching the WWW, to searching for information using subject sources. It would be useful to go back to this if you ever got stuck with preparing an assignment.

2. By clicking on "resources for students", you can then log in to view your library profile. You can see what material you currently have out and, more importantly, when they are due back, so that you can avoid penalties. There is also an option to renew borrowed material here.

3. By clicking on "resources for students", and then clicking on "find websites", you are able to choose websites according to categories eg Dictionaries. This brings up several dictionary websites which you could then use to look up a word.

4. You can click on "reserve collection services" in resources for students and you can view each of the items put on print reserve or eReserve at the request of lecturers. You can access the lists by lecturers name or by course code or name.

5. By clicking on "resources for students" and then other catalogues you have the option to search catalogues from other libraries, which would be useful if you were requiring specialised information that you were not able to access through the ECU library. You click on which catalogue you want to search and then enter your search criteria.

6. By clicking on "resources for students" and then "Endnote Software", you have the option to download it from ECU IT services or to upgrade to version 9 or download the Guide to using Endnote. I have downloaded Endnote and have had some practise using it both in an earlier workshop in this unit and in my essay assignment for UPC0002.

7.Also in "resources for students", you can click on the "ECU referencing guide" and download it. For some reason I was unable to download it to my computer, but I have the printed version from the bookshop to refer to.

8. On the homepage of the library site you are able to listen to podcasts on annotated bibliographies, types of journals, and a library podtour.

9. Another option for searching is to go to inDOOR Gateway databases or websites or guides by going to resources by faculty in the resources for students page. Click on your faculty in the columns headed database, website or guide, depending on what you want. You then can search within that collection relevant to your area of interest.

10. There is a quick-search facility within the library catalogue page. This gives you information on the book that you require, including all its details as well as whether you will find it on the shelf or whether it is out on loan. The quick search enables you to search by keyword, subject, author, title, ISBN, ISSN, call number or journal titles.

Task 3:

This was to visit the Medline plus website and spend some time going through the health topics and drug information. The health topics were categorised into body location or systems, disorders and conditions, diagnosis and therapy, demographic groups, and health and wellness. There were also five click-on buttons linking you to frequently requested topics, interactive health tutorials, easy to read, health check tools, and for low vision users. In the section on drug information,you can browse the drugs by generic or brand name. The information under each drug was consumer friendly.

Task 4:

We had to use the built-in search engine to find out more about a condition or drug. I entered Pantoprazole (a medication available by prescription only) in and came up with a whole lot of information regarding why the drug is prescribed, how it should be used, what to do if a dose is missed side-effects, storage conditions, and what to do in case of an emergency or overdose. The information was consumer friendly and similar to that which you would expect to find in a package insert.

Task 5:

I went into the interactive tutorials and chose to look at Psoriasis. The tutorial contained 64 slides which covered the topic in great detail. The information was put across fairly simply for easy understanding and clearly explained more complex parts. It was fairly repetitive, but in some respects this may have been necessary to fully explain the topic.


Task 6:

I think that this is a great site aimed at educating the public on health issues. The information is put across in a straight-forward manner, is comprehensive and is fairly easy to understand. The good thing about this site is that it appears to be a trustworthy site. The fact that the URL has a .gov domain and the information is conveyed in a professional manner was re-assuring, particularly since the information is health information and you need to be confident that this it is correct. The interactive tutorials are a good ides to help those people with limited reading skills and also those with sight problems. People visiting this site may be getting the information to better understand a disease condition that they or a family member or friend may have been diagnosed with. Some people may also have symptoms and try to confirm a suspected diagnosis from information on the site - although self-diagnosis may be dangerous and I don't think that this was the intention of the site.