Spring 2018 Issue
New Databases
The Library’s collection continues to grow with the addition of five new databases. These new additions represent several fields of study and include a fantastic multidisciplinary video collection.
- Academic Video Online (AVON) offers a multidisciplinary collection of videos of all types, including documentaries, creative performances, news programs, commercials, counseling sessions, interviews, lectures, and more.
- Counseling and Therapy in Video: Volume V video collection introduces and improves understanding, recognition, and diagnosis of psychiatric disorders, as well as improves clinical competency.
- Digital National Security Archive (DNSA) provides access to over 124,000 declassified U.S. government documents central to U.S. foreign and military policy dating back to 1945. This collection is great for research in twentieth century history, politics, and international relations.
- GuideStar contains information on over 2.5 million nonprofit organizations registered as tax-exempt with the IRS, including financial, contact, mission, and leadership information.
- ReferenceUSA offers a broad range of U.S. business and residential data. ReferenceUSA helps users of all kinds search for jobs, research U.S. businesses, create marketing and small business plans, locate specific people, and more.
All recently added databases are currently highlighted on our Databases A-Z page, just look for the New/Trial Databases box on the right-hand side.
Database Searching Tips & Tricks: Subject/Thesaurus Tool
Looking for a way to improve your searching in the library databases? Take a look at the subject-specific thesaurus located within the databases to find a list of terms related to your topic. Use this database thesaurus option to brainstorm keywords related to your topic and build better subject searches.
For example, Business Source Complete is a business-specific subject database and its thesaurus includes subject terms in the business field. Subject terms are created by the database vendors using article content. Therefore, you can use the subject terms found in the thesaurus to create targeted searches on terms you want to find in research articles.
If you are unsure of what term to use when creating a search, use the database thesaurus to help you find subject terms related to the topic you are searching. Then create a search using these terms and limit to the “subject” or “subject term” field. When using the thesaurus, you are able to search for terms and add Boolean terms (AND, OR, NOT) to create a search directly from the thesaurus.
Next time you are stuck on a search, use the thesaurus inside the databases to help you brainstorm and create more targeted searches using terms and language found within the articles of that database.
Want more direction using this the thesaurus tool? Check out the following:
Doctoral Student Referral
If you have a doctoral student who is struggling with research, information literacy, or any other library related skill, please fill out the Student Referral Form. We will reach out to the student and do our best to assist them.
Library Lab Suggestions
Is there a research topic you feel your students are struggling with? Or an assignment that requires intense and in depth research? Perhaps there's a resource that students are struggling to navigate? Please provide us with some suggestions for library lab topics you'd like to see us cover and we'd be happy work with you to create it.
For Fun...
Housed in the Brooklyn Art Library, The Sketchbook Project is a crowd-sourced library that contains sketchbooks contributed by people from around the world. The project got its start in Atlanta, Georgia in 2006 and moved to New York City in 2009. You can view sketchbooks at the Brooklyn Art Library, online in their digital library or catch their mobile library tour.
Meet a Librarian
Get to know the Walden Library Librarians. A new Librarian will be featured in every newsletter!
Meet Emily Adams!
- What is your job at the library?
I am a reference and instruction librarian. Which means I get to answer student questions and teach them how to use the Walden Library.
- What do you like the most about working at the Walden Library?
I really enjoy presenting webinars where I get to teach students all the ins and outs of using the Library.
- What book or series are you reading now?
I am currently reading the 5th book in the Alcatraz vs. the Evil Librarians series by Brandon Sanderson. These are fabulous adventure stories where evil librarians have taken over most of the known world. In the latest book, Alcatraz has to infiltrate the Library of Congress to save his best friend. So much fun!
- What do you like to do in your free time?
I’m almost five months pregnant, so at this point, I take a nap whenever possible! I’m also working on a baby quilt for the little one. And, of course, I read whenever I have a free moment and can keep my eyes open.
- Anything else we should know about you?
I love rhinos! Especially baby rhinos – they’re just so funny looking that they’re adorable! Someday, I’d like to travel to Africa to see a rhino in the wild, but I’ll have to overcome my fear of being eaten by a crocodile first.
First Courses
During 2018, the liaison librarians will be doing an in-depth review of the first two courses that students take in each program at the masters and doctoral levels. For many programs, this includes a Foundations course such as Foundations in Doctoral Studies.
Many students find these first courses challenging as they adjust to returning to school and to meeting the expectations from their programs at Walden. During the review of the first courses liaisons will be looking for opportunities to build student’s information literacy skills at the beginning of their programs so these skills can continue to develop throughout their coursework. As these opportunities are discovered, liaisons will then identify the best way to teach these information literacy skills and ways to incorporate this learning into the courses.
We would love to hear from faculty about their foundations and first courses. Our goal is to partner with faculty so we can deliver library content that will benefit the students, while maintaining flow with existing course content. We will be reaching out to many of you as we review these courses during the year and you can always reach out to us at libraryliaison@mail.waldenu.edu.
The Library in Social Media
If you want more Library content during those long stretches between newsletters, you can catch up with us on social media!
Upcoming Library Labs & Webinars
Please feel free to share these Library labs with your students!
Faculty Feedback Corner
Please provide us with any suggestions about the newsletter or any other ideas you may have!
Contact Us
Please contact the Library at libraryliaison@mail.waldenu.edu if you have any questions, content ideas or are having difficulty accessing newsletter content.