HM Briggs Library Web Toolbar

Access library and other research resources quickly from your browser using the free Briggs Library Toolbar! The toolbar is compatible with Mozilla Firefox, Internet Explorer and Safari. The toolbar is very easy to install and updates quickly with a built-in refresh option. The toolbar is also easy to uninstall if you wish to remove it from your browser. The HM Briggs Library Toolbar provides searching and one-click access to:

* Library Catalog
* Library Databases
* Journals List
* Electronic and Paper Reserves
* Google Scholar
* Archives & Special Collections
* Government Documents
* Library Research Tools such as: Interlibrary Loan, Citing & Copyright, Distance Library Services, Renew Books Online.
* The main SDSU Web Page

Try it out today: http://lib.sdstate.edu/services/toolbar.html

Laura M. Wight, Associate Professor & Information Literacy Librarian

American History Video Collection added

Briggs Library was the lucky winner of a free subscription to the American History in Video collection from Alexander Street Press. The free subscription is for one year so we will have this collection through June 2010. We encourage everyone who has an interest in history or in watching videos to take a look. All you need is a computer and internet access (the faster the access, the better). According to Alexander Street Press there are more than 1470 titles in the collection. Content comes from commercial and governmental newsreels, archival footage, public affairs footage, and important documentaries.

Examples of videos available in this collection include a United News Release video from 1942 about American bombers taking off and landing from a secret Australian air base (as an Australian American, I found this particularly interesting); a documentary on Amelia Earhart including footage of her from the History Channel; and PBS’ Summer of Love documentary. There is something for everyone so take advantage of the collection now!

This database is linked in our Articles and Databases List under American History Video or click here.

~Elizabeth Fox, Digital Information Services Librarian

Mountains Beyond Mountains

 If you like to read and then discuss what you’ve read, consider the book Mountains Beyond Mountains by Tracy Kidder.

 This fall students in twenty-five sections of freshman opportunities and orientation courses, such as General Studies 100, will be reading the book, a biography of Dr. Paul Farmer.  Farmer, a world leader in public health and medical anthropology, founded Partners in Health, an organization which has provided health care to disadvantaged populations throughout the world, conducted ground-breaking research, and influenced policy in world health organizations.

 The book focuses on Farmer, a fascinating individual, who Kidder describes as “a man who would cure the world,” but it also invites discussions of broad and varied topics like public health, poverty and wealth, land use, and the responsibilities of the individual.  

 This fall you’ll find plenty of students who have read the book, but if you can’t wait contact Tim Nichols, Dean of the Honors College, at 605-688-5268, about a summer reading group. 

 To further advance study and discussion, Dr. Farmer will speak on campus on November 19, 2009, as the Griffith Honors Forum lecturer. 

 Ready to get started?  The library has two copies of Mountains Beyond Mountains (BOOKS/UPPER LEVEL R154.F36 K53 2003) and the University Bookstore has copies for sale.

 If you are interested in further investigation of the topics addressed in the book, the library has many resources available.  Search the library’s catalog to find records for books and government documents; search databases, such as EBSCOhost Megafile and ProQuest, for articles in newspapers, magazines and journals.   Also consult the library’s Topic Guides for research guidance in a particular subject area.  Librarians are available to help you research—consult with us in-person at the Information Desk, send an e-mail, a text message, or set up an appointment. 

 Happy reading!

 Linda Kott
Information Services Librarian

National Anxiety and Depression Awareness Week

Believe it or not stress and anxiety can be a good thing.  If you’re worried about your electricity being turned off, you’ll likely pay your utility bill on time.  If you’re worried about passing your classes, you’ll likely put in some study time. 

 

However, sometimes fear and anxiety go past normal levels and people have trouble coping.  Helping people who experience overwhelming levels of fear and anxiety is the focus of National Anxiety and Depression Awareness Week, May 3-9, 2009.

 

Freedom from Fear, a national non-profit mental health advocacy organization, sponsors the week and urges anyone experiencing debilitating anxiety or depression to seek help.  The organization’s Web site can be found at www.freedomfromfear.org and their toll free number is 1-888-442-2022.

 

Resources for SDSU students include Student Health and Counseling Services which offers by-appointment and crisis counseling.  Their offices are located in the Wellness Center or call (605) 688-6146.

 

National Anxiety and Depression Awareness Week, coincides with finals week at SDSU.  If you’re in the library studying, check out a display on this issue located in the hallway to your right when you come in the door.

 

If you need more information about depression or anxiety, you will find hundreds of relevant books in the Briggs Library catalog.  In addition, thousands of relevant magazine and journal articles can be found using databases listed on the library research databases page.  EBSCOhost Megafile and ProQuest will each provide a great selection of both magazine articles written for the general public and scholarly research articles written for more scientific purposes.  For even more comprehensive scientific coverage, PsycINFO and Medline would be excellent choices.  You will find that digital versions of many of the articles will be available from these databases. 

 

Best wishes to all students for a healthy and successful finals week.

 

Linda Kott

Information Services Librarian

Chemistry Database Gets New Interface

For all you chemistry researchers out there, we now have access to SciFinder Scholar via the web. SciFinder Scholar provides comprehensive bibliographic access to the scientific literature of chemistry and related disciplines. Access is limited to SDSU faculty, staff, and students due to licensing restrictions.

SciFinder Scholar provides the SDSU community with quick and easy access to a wide diversity of research from many scientific disciplines. Faculty and students can explore:

• CAS database content created by scientists
• References from over 9,500 currently published journals and patent information from more than 50 active patent issuing authorities
• Important discoveries that span the scientific century back to 1900
• The latest scientific breakthroughs almost as soon as they are published with references added daily and some patent information as recent as two days ago
• Complete coverage of chemistry and the life sciences including biochemistry, biology, pharmacology, medicine, and related disciplines
• The world’s largest collection of organic and inorganic substance information

To access this database, a user must create a free account. These accounts can be created here. Remember, this account must include an SDSU e-mail account. We only have one concurrent user for all the South Dakota universities.

~Elizabeth Fox, Digital Information Services Librarian

Read Sports Illustrated, Other Publications Online

 

The sports fans at my house love Sports Illustrated.  Recently, they have enjoyed the coverage of the Olympics and articles to help with their fantasy football leagues.  The library has Sports Illustrated in print format from 1954 to the present.  You will find the most current issues in the Popular Periodicals area on the main level.

 

SDSU students, staff, and faculty who can’t make it to the library can also read Sports Illustrated online, through our electronic databases.

 

To read Sports Illustrated via EBSCOhost, use the following directions.

·         On the library’s homepage (http://lib.sdstate.edu/) use the link to EBSCOhost.  (Click here or here for information on off-campus access.)

·         Once you’ve accessed the EBSCOhost database, click on the Publications link at the top of the page.

·         Enter Sports Illustrated in the “Browsing:EBSCO MegaFILE – Publications” search field (the lower field).

·         Click on the Sports Illustrated link, then on the year you want to access.  At this point you will see links to specific issues, open one and enjoy the articles.

 

Not a sports fan?  Read publications on other subjects as well.  Use the same procedure to search for other titles, or search the list of publications by subject and description.  EBSCOhost is also an excellent resource for searching by topic across many titles.

 

Linda Kott

Information Services Librarian

 

Briggs Library’s Catalog for Books is Down Aug 11-15

The library system that is used throughout the state of South Dakota is being upgraded to a new and improved version during the week of August 11-15. That means that our catalog will not be available for searching that week. We have access to another database that contains our book collection as well as those of many other libraries that you can search if you are in need of books during this week. The Books link under the Find category on our homepage will link you to that database. You can use a more advanced search in the same database by going to the Articles and Databases link next to the Books link and going to WorldCat Advanced on the Articles and Databases page. If you have questions, please contact the information desk at 688-5570 or blref@sdstate.edu.

~Elizabeth Fox, Digital Information Services Librarian

Did You Know …. Documents Databases Rock!

Did ya know? Do ya care? Of course you should. Yes indeed, the Information Highway can be a bit easier to navigate with government databases just a few keystrokes and clicks away. Federal government information is available not only from agency web sites, but also from a multitude of federally sponsored databases, or search engines. Interested in medicine? Try the National Library of Medicine! Search tools include MedlinePlus, Clinical Trials, DailyMed, and PubMed. Topics covered range from basic consumer information to scholarly scientific and medical research. And oh yes, much is available full text online. BONUS!!!!!!!!!!

If you’re interested in energy topics, try the Department of Energy’s Information Bridge. Scientific and technical information is at your fingertips. From 1991 forward, many full text documents and bibliographic citations of the Department of Energy’s research reports literature awaits your discovery.

For a number of federal databases related to the presidency, legislature, and judiciary, try GPO ACCESS! GPO Access is one stop shopping for the US Code, Federal Register, Code of Federal Regulations, Core Documents of Democracy, Bills, Laws, the Catalog of Government Publications and much, much more.

Some government databases are only available in the library or on campus. Our most recent addition is the Homeland Security Digital Library. Want flood information? Check it out with your friendly Documents Librarian. Want technical reports, try the NTIS. The National Technical Information Service links to bibliographic records and full text (when available) to over 240,000 reports from 1961-2000. Ask for assistance in the Documents Office or at the Information Desk.

For more government search engines check out “Finding Government Information: Federal Databases“.

Happy Surfing! AND Rock On!

Vickie Mix, Documents Librarian

Blackwell Synergy Journals move to Wiley Interscience

Briggs Library subscribes to many journals through the publisher Blackwell. Blackwell is joining with another publisher, Wiley and Sons so the Blackwell journals will soon be available through the Wiley Interscience interface. Unfortunately, there will be a period during which these journals are not available electronically. Friday, June 27 at 8:00 p.m., the Blackwell electronic journals will not become available. Saturday, June 28 at 4:00 a.m. the Wiley journals will become unavailable as well. Sunday, June 24 at 8:00 p.m. both Wiley and Blackwell journals will be available again through the Wiley Interscience interface. We will be changing our links for Blackwell journals on Friday but these new links are not expected to work until Sunday at about 8:00 p.m. Wiley and Blackwell are looking forward to the integration of their journals and to taking the best of both systems to create one that is better than either. For more information on this move, go to http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/aboutus/wiley-blackwell/transition_end-users.html.

~Elizabeth Fox, Digital Information Services Librarian

Current Contents Alert Service

Comment received from an SDSU faculty member on June 2, 2008:

I am a new SDSU faculty member. At my previous institution, we were able to set up our search preferences keywords with a research librarian and weekly or biweekly Current Contents digests in tagged format for import to reference software would be emailed to us. Is this a service that is available here? Would I be able to just transfer my search preferences from my previous university? Who would I need to meet with or speak to in order to get set up? Thanks.

Our Response:

This summer we are moving our Current Contents access from the SilverPlatter platform to the OvidSP platform. Both are owned by Ovid and they plan to discontinue the SilverPlatter platform in the future. We did not want to make this change in platforms during the fall or spring semesters. Therefore we choose to make the switch during the summer. We have asked Ovid technical support to make the switch for us, but it has not been accomplished yet. When the conversion is completed we will notify you.

The OvidSP platform enables researchers to establish their own “OvidSP Auto Alerts” to keep up to date on research topics. We can help you set that up after the switch is complete. – Clark Hallman, Head of Public Services