DATABASES: DATABANKS :
EDUCATION :
LIBRARY SCIENCE :
INFORMATION LITERACY: The Discussion of What Do We Call Our Databases:
One Piece of the Puzzle Consider
The Discussion of What Do We Call Our Databases:
One Piece of the Puzzle to Consider
WEBBIB0708
On the publically archived Libref-l there was considerable thought given to how
pages linking to library provided databases should be named and described. It
seems to be of large concern in many libraries that students and users do not
know what the term database means in the context of bibliographic databases and
searchable full text periodical aggregation tools like JSTOR and MUSE.
LIBREF-L
Archives of LIBREF-L@LISTSERV.KENT.EDU
Discussion of Library Reference Issues
<http://listserv.kent.edu/archives/libref-l.html>
Information literacy has for quite a while been a strong concern in library and
academic circles for quite a while now, a number of years. One question that
could be asked is what is the specific content taught or imparted under this
rubric. What connections are made, in particular, between information literacy
and database searching skills? How much and how deeply is the use of database
searching taught in the information literacy teaching environments. A little
bit of Googling here may provide for some room for thought on this matter.
News Archives News Articles - Timeline Results 1 - 10 of about 3,220 for
"INFORMATION LITERACY".
<http://tinyurl.com/6dplro>
News Archives News Articles - Timeline Results 1 - 10 of about 734 for
"INFORMATION LITERACY" and (database OR databases). (0.12 seconds)
<http://tinyurl.com/5m4cer>
Discussion of databases occurs in less than one third of the news reports that
discuss information literacy as archived in Google News Archives.
In the last month there were only two information literacy stories archived in
Google News regarding information literacy in combination with the term
database(s).
Information literacy without the term was found in 39 articles, however.
This is the occurance of the word database in one of the two articles:
"The organization also is looking to get funding from the state in order to
develop an informational database for all of the states students. The
organization also did a study that showed how much of an effect library media
programs can have on students."
This librarian encourages lots of talking
President-elect Janz says sharing ideas key for school library group
By PETER KROWIAK
Herald Writer
Friday, June 13, 2008 12:16 PM CDT
Morris Daily Herald
<http://www.morrisdailyherald.com/articles/
2008/06/13/news/446bmorlibrarytalking.txt>
A shorter URL for the above link:
The results for information literacy in Google
Web Books Scholar Results 1 - 10 of about 1,680,000 for "information
literacy". <http://tinyurl.com/3q68av>
The results for information literacy and database(s) in Google Web Results 1 -
10 of about 376,000 for "information literacy" and (database OR databases).
<http://tinyurl.com/43t457>
The results for information literacy in Google Scholar
Scholar All articles - Recent articles Results 1 - 10 of about 26,800 for
"information literacy". (0.34 seconds)
<http://tinyurl.com/3ed868>
The results for information literacy and database(s) in Google Scholar
Scholar All articles - Recent articles Results 1 - 10 of about 10,300 for
"information literacy" and (database OR databases). <http://tinyurl.com/4tqdzq>
Books fare much better in this ratio:
Books Showing: All
1 - 10 of 994 on "information literacy". <http://tinyurl.com/476t7v>
Books Showing: All
Books 1 - 10 of 615 on "information literacy" and (database OR databases).
<http://tinyurl.com/4mhv64>
Google Government
U.S. Government Search Results 1 - 10 of about 15,300 for "information
literacy".
<http://tinyurl.com/547jxh>
U.S. Government Search Results 1 - 10 of about 5,000 for "information
literacy" and (database OR databases). <http://tinyurl.com/446ycp>
Now in case some teachers say that I am using Google for the research to prove
my points when I should be using databases, here are the results for this
topical dichotomy from a group of EBSCO databases.
-----------------------
S1 information w1 literacy
View Results (12677)
S2 (information w1 literacy) and database*
View Results (534)
Searching: Academic Search Premier, America: History & Life, Business Source
Premier, CAB Abstracts, CINAHL, Communication & Mass Media Complete, EconLit,
Education Research Complete, ERIC, Health Source - Consumer Edition, Health
Source: Nursing/Academic Edition, Historical Abstracts, History Reference
Center, Hospitality & Tourism Complete, Library, Information Science &
Technology Abstracts, MasterFILE Premier, MEDLINE, MLA International
Bibliography, Newspaper Source, Professional Development Collection,
PsycARTICLES, PsycINFO, RIPM - Retrospective Index to Music Periodicals, Social
Work Abstracts
-----------------------
It has been reported that a significant population, particularly in rural
areas, will not have access to television via the air waves, even with a
converter, when all digital television broadcasting begins. The federal
government also unrelately has been considering universal broad band access to
the internet recently. Public libraries provide access to databases through
state programs in many if not most or all states such that any public library
member can access full text databases at home 24/7 if connected to the internet
including full text content from those databases. If a universal broadband
program is adopted, it is not inconceivable that once DTV kicks in, if there is
universal broadband at some point thereafter, more people may have the
potential of accessing the internet than have the potential of viewing
television via the airwaves without a cable of dish connection.
Hence for the growing internet using population and those who are students or
doing research within that population, if librarians and educators were quoted
more in press and publication discussing databases in the same or a nearby
breath as they were quoted discussing information literacy, it is less likely
that the word "database" would be a term that so many students and folks in
general need to look up in a foreign language dictionary. If libraries want a
return on this huge financial investment in databases, documentation and
publication in areas of information literacy and research skills should score
much higher for the inclusion of database searching skills in these
discussions. Indeed the development this week of the sale of Dialog, one of
the most powerful searching tools in its classic mode in my opinion, from
Thompson-Reuters to ProQuest may return the use of Dialog databases to the
Academic and Public library arenas, a presence not seen since the demise of the
CD-ROM databases for at least some academic and public libraries.
Database providers also need to consider the importance of their products
receiving greater public and student awareness. Lexis-Nexis and Westlaw are
free to law school students and in turn many lawyers pay to use these tools
after graduation in their law practices. If database providers such as EBSCO,
Cambridge Scientific Abstracts (CSA), OVID, ProQuest (a CSA subsidiary),
Wilson, and other databanks provided free or very low cost access to selected
databases in K-12 schools, the number of students starting college lacking an
knowledge of these tools might substantially decrease in numbers, particularly
with online training programs in the use of these tools geared to the K-12
level being provided in conjunction with such access. The formula is simple.
Make K-12 students more fluent in the use of databases, addict them to their
use in their college research work, watch the Lexis-Nexis and Westlaw formula
in law, work for databases in all fields in corporate, organizational,
govenment and education workplace arenas for those whose jobs require research
and information. If these thoughts make the providers of databanks cringe at
the thought of discounting their services to K-12 students, consider that
without full text access, JSTOR, MUSE, Science Direct and PubMed database
contents are already free to any user via Google Scholar at least in part if
not the whole of these databases. One must simply pay to access the entire
articles. The added value of direct database access through databanks includes
but is not limited to being able to do precise complex multi-step searching and
being able to send search results in bulk groups to a download storage device
or to send those results in email to ones email account rather than dealing
with search results in varying ways one at a time in any Google search results,
a very time consuming process.
------------------------
References
Centris, the media market research firm, is back with new data that claims 9.2
million American homes could experience problems with over-the-air digital
reception when the switch is pulled next February. The company says there are
more than 17 million households currently receiving analog signals and half of
those are located in challenging reception areas.
Ah, Back to Antennas Again!
by Frank Beacham, May 28, 2008
TV Technology
<http://www.tvtechnology.com/pages/s.0080/t.13710.html>
Universal Affordable Broadband for All Americans
<http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Net-Gold/message/21795>
FCC CONSIDERS FREE BROADBAND
<http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Net-Gold/message/23774>
Net-Gold Content Regarding Databases
<http://tinyurl.com/6a7pme>
Google "Omitted Results" Included
Net-Gold Content Regarding Information Literacy
<http://tinyurl.com/4w4hyq>
Google "Omitted Results" Included
DATABASES: DATABANKS:
ProQuest Will Acquire Dialog from Thomson Reuters
<http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Net-Gold/message/23936>
What Do CD-ROM Users Really Need?
Clever, Elaine Cox; Dillard, David P.
Information Services and Use
v. 11 no. 3 p. 141-53 1991
Physical Education Research--Computerized Databases
in an Interdisciplinary Field.
Clever, Elaine Cox; Dillard, David P.
Journal of Physical Education, Recreation and Dance
v. 64 no. 7 p. 67-72 September 1993
Librarians, Jelly Beans, and Google Book Search.
(cover story)
Dillard, David.
Online
March / April 2006 v. 30 no. 2 p. 20-21
HPER [health, physical education, and recreation]
for help: selection and reference tools for a new field .
Clever, Elaine Cox; Dillard, David P.
The Reference Librarian,
no. 33 1991 p. 143-50.
Teaching database research skills to students:
a view from the trenches
Dillard, David.
NFAIS Newsletter
March 2002 v. 44 no. 2 p. 6
Database Information Resource Tips for Athletic Trainers.
Dillard, David P.
Athletic Therapy Today
May 2004 v. 9 no. 3 p. 60-61
Some Fruits of Database and Search Engine Searching
<http://tinyurl.com/5cme4n>
Sincerely,
David Dillard
Temple University
(215) 204 - 4584
jwne@temple.edu
<http://daviddillard.businesscard2.com>
Net-Gold
<http://groups.yahoo.com/group/net-gold>
<http://listserv.temple.edu/archives/net-gold.html>
<http://groups.google.com/group/net-gold?hl=en>
<http://net-gold.jiglu.com/>
General Internet & Print Resources
<http://guides.temple.edu/general-internet>
<http://guides.temple.edu/general-country-info>
<http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Net-Gold/message/20309>
<http://guides.temple.edu/tourism>
<http://www.edu-cyberpg.com/ringleaders/davidd.html>
Educator-Gold
<http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Educator-Gold/>
K12ADMINLIFE
<http://groups.yahoo.com/group/K12AdminLIFE/>
Nina Dillard's Photographs on Net-Gold
<http://tinyurl.com/36qd2o>
Net-Gold Membership Required to View Photos
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