WELCOME METALIB and SFX! TO THE 50 MINUTE IL SESSION

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WELCOME METALIB and SFX!
TO THE 50 MINUTE IL SESSION

• What Students need to know about SFX and Metalib
  in the context of the 50 minute information
  literacy session.
• Eluna 2006, Knoxville, TN
• Marcia Henry
• mhenry_at_csun.edu
• 818-677-3012

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IL in 50 minutes

• Search strategies keywords, boolean
• Types of Information
• Databases many and different
• How to find the items retrieved
• The Information you need to cite

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Several portals to information
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Some goals for IL

• Provide opportunities for active engagement with
  subject content
• Challenge students to think critically
• Reflect on their processes for finding and using
  information. (Rockwell, p. 18)
• IL is the ability to find, evaluate, analyze,
  integrate, communicate, and use information to
  solve problems, create new ideas, make informed
  decisions, and turn data into meaning. (Rockwell,
  p. 22)

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Federated Searching in IL?

• Reasons why some librarians do NOT teach
  federated searching (Lampert)
• Loss of specialized features such as limiting to
  peer-reviewed
• Suspicion of precision and recall
• Too time consuming to teach in 50-minute session
• Too confusing to students
• Overlooks specialized databases

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Why MetaSearch? (MetaLib)

• Learn how to use MetaSearch to create your own
  personal list of resources, e-journals, search
  strategies, research alerts AND search up to ten
  (10) databases simultaneously.

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Why MetaSearch? (MetaLib)

• Ask questions about a database
• Its coverage?
• Thesaurus (Controlled Vocabulary)?
• Questions to ask about MetaSearch
• What is My Space?
• How to save search strategy?
• How to Set up an Alert?
• Questions to ask about SFX Find Text
• Did it capture information about article
  correctly?

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Metalib is helpful when you want to

• Search several databases simultaneously
• Identify likely databases
• Identify useful subject headings
• Save your search strategies

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Search word(s), decide fields, select databases
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Possible retrievals-0 means?
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Related search different retrievals
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Rank retrievals
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Subject headings -One citation in several
databases -1
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1 citation in several databases -2
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1 citation in several databases-3
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Tips to optimize Metalib retrieval

• Search several databases using a focused search
  strategy
• Search words in title if you want to compare
  retrieval numbers equitably
• Review subject headings in databases that offer
  subject headings

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Offer students tips on identifying types of
information-(Faust)
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Metalib record
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SFX menu to help find
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Quick links into the Resourcethis record is
missing helpful subject headings

• Resource   ABI/Inform Global (ProQuest) Title
    Speech recognition software as an assistive
  device A pilot study of user satisfaction and
  psychosocial impact Author   Robert DeRosier    
  Ruth S Farber Citation   Work 2005 25(2) 125
  Year   2005 External   http//proquest.umi.com/p
  qdweb?did902666321 Fmt2 VInstPROD
  VTypePQD RQT309 VNamePQD

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Native interface still valuableand easy to reach
from Metalib record
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Sometimes full text in Metalib record itself
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Sometimes SFX Find text advises but does not
deliver missing issues, missing articles

• Report misdirects
• Filling out an error form should improve the
  knowledge database
• Filling out an error form puts you in touch with
  a librarian who just MIGHT be able to deliver the
  article

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• Less time searching for information and more
  time using it--that's the goal of federated
  search technologies for learners
• Multimedia Internet_at_Schools, Jan-Feb 2005 v12
  i1 p19(4) The top five priorities for school
  libraries and their districts. (The Pipeline)
  Stephen Abram.

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Metalib retrievals
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Basic Search Strategies What Is a Database?
Indexes/Abstracts (Woodley)

• Collection of records composed of fields which
  are searched for words and phrases using Boolean
  Logic. For example

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MetaSearch retrievals from different
databases-SUBJECT HEADINGS vary amongst databases
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Quick way to demonstrate subject indexing IF
available
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Lets ponder in 50 minutes

• Will the students learn more by teaching just one
  database?
• Can Metalib be considered the one and only
  database?

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Select List of Readings

• Faust, Judith. Teaching Information Literacy in
  50 minutes a week The CSUH Experience. Journal
  of Southern Academic and Special Librarianship,
  voll 2(30, Spring 2001. Available at
  http//southernlibrarianship.icaap.org/content/v02
  n03/faust_j01.htm
• Lampert, Lynn. Fear and Loathing of
  Implementation Examining the instructional
  issues surrounding the rise of federated
  searching. Presentation at the California
  Clearinghouse for Library Instructions Spring
  2006 Workshop Challenges to instruction in the
  age of Federated Searching and Google. Available
  on the web at http//library.csun.edu/llampert/ccl
  i/lampertccli06.ppt
• Rockman, Ilene F. The Importance of Information
  Literacy. Available at
• http//media.wiley.com/product_data/excerp
  t/78/07879652/0787965278.pdf
• Woodley, Mary. Starting your researchSpring
  2006. Available at http//library.csun.edu/mwoodl
  ey/AIS.ppt

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Conclusions

• Metalib can identify databases with retrievals
  and point out other search terms
• Metalib can connect you to the native interfaces
• Metalib can introduce students to databases they
  may never consider otherwise
• SFX may NOT deliver-opportunity to reinforce key
  parts of a citation.

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And lets be aware that

• Databases may not be available
• Awareness of several possible search headings in
  various databases offers many more search
  possibilities
• Subject headings may contribute to students
  decision to obtain an article.