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Library Catalogs & [Other] Databases. Jennifer Nabzdyk, MLC Roberto Gallardo & Chance McDavid, E-BEAT Technology Academy: Session 4 January 14, 2013. Overview. What is a Database? Common Features Access Points Basic Searching vs. Advanced Searching Boolean Searching Truncation/Wildcards
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Library Catalogs & [Other] Databases Jennifer Nabzdyk, MLC Roberto Gallardo & Chance McDavid, E-BEAT Technology Academy: Session 4 January 14, 2013
Overview • What is a Database? • Common Features • Access Points • Basic Searching vs. Advanced Searching • Boolean Searching • Truncation/Wildcards • Library Catalogs • Learn-A-Test • MAGNOLIA • Background • OCLC’s WorldCat • Ebsco Databases • Reader’s Advisory-Novelist • Elementary-Primary Search & Searchasaurus • Topic-Consumer Health Complete, Legal Collection, Garden, Landscape & Horticulture Index, etc.
What is a database? • “A large, regularly updated file of digitized information (bibliographic records, abstracts, full-text documents, directory entries, images, statistics, etc.) related to a specific subject or field, consisting of records of uniform format organized for ease and speed of search and retrieval and managed with the aid of database management system (DBMS) software.” -ODLIS • Simply – Digital collection of information that can be searched.
Examples of Databases • Library Catalogs • Academic Databases • Credo Reference • EBSCO • Primary Search • Novelist • Consumer Health • Search Engines • Google • Yahoo • Bing
Basic vs. Advanced Searching • All Words vs. Specific Phrases • Unwanted Words or Word Combinations • Language Limitations • File/Format Type Limitations • Year Limitations • Domain Limitations* *Search Engines
Boolean Searching • What is Boolean Searching? Boolean searches allow you to combine words and phrases to limit, widen, or define your search. • Boolean Operators: AND, OR, and NOT • The Boolean search operator OR is the default setting of any search engine
Boolean Searching OR – More results will be found because dog or cat are in the descriptions AND- Less results will be found because both dog and cat are in the descriptions • Cat – 334 Results • Classified as murder : a cat in the stacks mystery • Scratch the surface : a cat's lover's mystery • The cat sitter's pajamas • Cat OR Dog -744 Results • Classified as murder : a cat in the stacks mystery • Scratch the surface : a cat's lover's mystery • The cat sitter's pajamas • A dog named Boo • Dog eat dog • The redhead from Sun Dog • Home-prepared dog & cat diets • Cat to the dogs • Raining cat sitters and dogs • Dog – 441 Results • A dog named Boo • Dog eat dog • The redhead from Sun Dog • Cat AND Dog – 31 Results • Home-prepared dog & cat diets • Cat to the dogs • Raining cat sitters and dogs
Truncation/Wildcards • Truncation — a symbol added to the end of the root of a word to instruct the database to search for all forms of a word. • Librar*= Librarian, Library, Libraries, Librarians, etc. • Wildcards — a symbol used to represent any character. Wildcards can usually be used at the end of a word or within a word. You can use this symbol to search variant spellings of a word. You can use more than one pound sign to stand in for more than one character. Each pound sign represents 0-1 characters. • Example: Wom#n = Women, Woman, etc.
Library Catalog Exercise Go to a library catalog and list the number of results for the following: • Conduct a search using the term “computer” ________ • Conduct a search using the term “technology” ________ • Conduct a search using the Boolean phrase “computer AND technology” ________ • Conduct a search on using the Boolean phrase “computer OR technology” ________ • Conduct a truncation search using the term “computer” ______
MAGNOLIA • What is it? • Background • Providers • OCLC – WorldCat • Credo – Credo Reference • Ebsco- Consumer Health Complete, Primary Search, Searchasaurus, NoveList
EBSCOhost Features • Search Multiple Databases At A Time • Email • Print • Save • Cite
