Reference: Requests and Suggestions

Do you want the Library to purchase a new book, CD, video or other material? We have an online form (located at the Suggestions link on the Library's home page) where you can request a title or leave a comment about the library. If you are requesting a book or video be sure to include your contact information so you will be notified when the item comes in.

If you are faculty or adjunct faculty, you can submit your purchase requests directly to the Library Liaison or Library Representative for your Department. Check the Funds, Representatives and Library Liaisons list to find your library contact.

Internet: Search Engines

Ever feel there's more than one way to Google? A quick glance at the Search Engine Watch website will give you an idea of the widening field of search engines, but another breed of web searching tools are bringing helpful features into play, such as categorized or contextual searching, customizable search results, and website previews. Two search engines making headway are:

exalead allows you to customize search results according to geographic region, contextual searching, and categorized entries. You can also arrange your search results to show only website thumbnail previews, text-only display, or all three. You can also search for images, audio, video, and RSS (Real Simple Syndication) based on your results.

previewSEEK provides the same functionality as exalead, with additional functions such as saved searches, dictionary lookup, and a real-time search keyword search viewer of what people are searching.

Events: Brown Bag Luncheon

Please join Albertsons Library and International Programs for the next International Connections Brown Bag Luncheon Seminar, to be held in the SUB Lookout Room on Wednesday, February 22, 2006 , from 12:30 to 1:30 pm.

Corrine M. Henke, from the International Programs Office will present her thoughts and experiences gained from traveling the world for business and pleasure. She will give travel tips, ideas to pack better, and blend in with the locals. In addition, she'll distribute travel resources, packing lists, and demonstrate a well packed bag. Visit the International Connections website for future presentations.

Reference: Statistical Abstract of the U.S.

The U.S. Government publishes the Statistical Abstract of the United States each year, filled with data on the social and economic conditions of its citizenry. You can find this publication online at the U.S. Census Bureau website as well as historical versions dating back to 1878.

To find print copies of this handy book in the library, check at the Reference Desk's Ready Reference collection. The Statistical Abstract provides a thorough statistical analysis of the entire nation, subdivided according to numerous social strata and state rankings. Check the index to find the information you need, but keep in mind the numbers given refer to tables rather than page numbers.

Library Closed for Presidents' Day

The library will be closed for the Presidents' Day holiday on Monday, February 20th. Voyager, the Albertsons Library Catalog, will be unavailable on the morning of February 20, from approximately 8:00 AM until Noon, for a software upgrade.

To look for Library holdings while Voyager is unavailable go to the Article Indexes and Databases page and choose WorldCat to conduct your search. If the record indicates a Boise State University record, check the bottom of the bibliographic record for the "Class Descriptors:" to find a partial Library of Congress and/or Dewey call number.

Events: Potato Sacks Exhibition

The Library has on exhibit twenty-four burlap potato sacks. These sacks are part of Professor Tom Trusky's collection of sample potato sacks given by Idaho potato companies, and served as inspiration to the graphic artists who illustrated the 1985 “All Idaho” issue of Cold-drill.

The sacks will be on display on the second floor of the Library through February 2006. Visit the library's Special Collections website for the online exhibit.

Staff Picks: RedLightGreen Book Search

In the quest for sources which tell us of the existence of published materials, everyone develops her or his own favorites. One of the resources I like to use is the free web site http://www.redlightgreen.com .

This site claims to search a database of over 120 million items. There are links to libraries which have online catalogs (including Boise State's), links to booksellers which may have the book for sale, indications of multiple editions and other such features. There is also a feature which allows the user to build his or her own bibliography for e-mailing or printing AND, it even offers a choice of bibliographic style manual for the results list (APA, Chicago, MLA and others). One may search by keywords in the author, title and subject fields of bibliographic records ("card catalogs") of thousands of libraries in the US and Canada.

Using this resource is an excellent way to learn of the existence of books. It is NOT an index of the contents of periodicals/journals, and is not even a very good listing of periodical/journal titles. But, it is another possible resource. See the WorldCat database, for a different approach to this same subject. Or go to the Library's home page, click on Article Indexes and Databases and scroll down the page to WorldCat.

Adrien Taylor, Reference Librarian

Reference: Style Guides, et al.

In the Library’s mini-reference area on the first floor one can find several aids for students. Here you can find guides to writing book reports, research papers and the most common bibliographic style manuals, such as the APA and the MLA guides.

Titles in this mini-ref collection may be checked out for two weeks. Here, too, you can find books on resume and cover letter writing and suggestions on how to conduct a job search. Also on hand are paper-back dictionaries and thesauri for use while in the Library.

There are mini-ref areas on each of the four floors of the Library, with the one on the first floor being the largest. This is just one of the ways the Library tries to make information and material easily available for students. But, there is no substitute for asking for assistance when you need it. The staff is always eager to help.

Adrien Taylor, Reference Librarian

Events: Faculty Author Recognition

Albertsons Library is proud to host the first annual Faculty Author Recognition reception to honor Boise State University faculty members who have published a book, article, or creative work between September 1, 2004 and August 31, 2005.

The university community is invited to a reception on Thursday, February 9, 2006 from 3:00 to 5:00 pm in the McCain room, second floor of Albertsons Library. A display featuring the books and articles published by faculty will be available for viewing on the first floor of the Library. The bibliography and author list are available online at: http://library.boisestate.edu/faculty/

Staff Picks: Bioethics Resources

One of the things which impresses me the most about reference resources is when a single source meets a multiple need. Two such titles are the five-volume set Encyclopedia of Bioethics (call number ref QH 322 E52) and the Bibliography of Bioethics (call number ref QH 332 B5) which is now up to volume 31. These are great resources for a variety of needs, from Freshman English papers to graduate research in a variety of subject fields.

Both titles explore the faceted range of topics when biology and ethics intersect: Euthanasia, Abortion, withholding medical treatment, fetal tissue research, AIDS, Animal experimentation, assisted suicide, human experimentation, and many more. Each title covers these topics in a thorough and neutral point-of-view manner

In the Encyclopedia one finds articles which discuss such topics from multiple points of view (medical, ethical, religious, legal, and moral). The Bibliography is equally inclusive and comprehensive and presents the bibliographic information about significant recent developments in each of the areas covered.

These are great places to start on a topic and can be either the only resource consulted, or the spring-board to much more extensive coverage. Both books are located in the main reference collection of the library.

Adrien Taylor, Reference Librarian