LIS 60630

Electronic Resource Exploration

Name:_Michelle Hamilton_______________________

Go to www.infohio.org. If you are off campus you may need to put in a user name and password.

If you are prompted to enter a username and password to access an InfOhio resource or database,
the Username is: infohio, password is: works.

Click on Students & Parents at the top of the home page. Once on the Students page scroll down
and click the Get Everything button. Scroll down and take a look at the databases available for
free to all children in the State of Ohio and their caregivers. The resources listed in this section
will all be available through InfOhio.

Assignment 1
Go to the Science Online database (click on the By Subject option at the top of the page
and select Science. Once on the Science page scroll down to find Science Online).
Choose a search topic:____Jupiter______________________________
Use a term popular with students and investigate the materials available.
A. Summary of Results -- What did you get? Did you get what you expected? Was it
easy to use? Value of results?
The search produced 409 results total and the top five results were all encyclopedia
entries that were about the planet. The other results, at least on the first page, were
all encyclopedia and dictionary entries about topics related to Jupiter (its moons,
satellites etc.). The search function on this database was very easy to use and
produced many very valuable results.

B. Try out the Advanced Search option. Note the options you chose and your search
results. How could the advanced search option be used with youth to assist them with
their research?
For an advanced search, I searched the term Jupiter again but I limited the
database to only search for articles and I limited the type of articles searched to
only encyclopedia entries. For youth who are searching broad topics, an advanced
search engine helps them conduct a more pointed search. For example, this search
engine informs users about using Boolean operators to direct their search. It also
helps users limit their search to one specific resource like an encyclopedia or
dictionary.
C. What other features do you find that would assist in teaching youth information
literacy skills?
This database provides users with various diagrams, timelines, experiments, and
videos they can explore to find more information about a topic. They also offer
articles that will assist users in evaluating online resources, avoiding plagiarism,
citing sources, and everything that involves writing a successful research paper.
These are important tools for youth because the majority of their information
enquiries are related to academics and their successful completion of assignments.
Assignment 2
Return to the Resources page on INFOhio and access various World Book Web
resources (Click on the Resources By Subject option on the top of the page and select
English/Language Arts. Once on the page scroll down to find World Book resources) to
find information on an issue/topic that students would research (environment, drugs,
smoking etc.)
A. Search in World Book Student. Did you get what you expected? Was it easy to use?
Value of results?
The topic I decided to search was the Greenhouse effect. The search produced 68
encyclopedia articles and 27 special reports but a few of the other articles pulled up
by the search were about other environmental topics where the Greenhouse effect
was only mentioned. The search engine was simple to use but deciphering the results
and finding the relevant information was a bit difficult. There were a few good
results that were included under the heading “encyclopedia articles” but most of the
results under this heading weren’t of value because the topic was only mentioned in
relation to another environmental issue. In order to produce more relevant and
descriptive results a more advanced search seems to be required.

B. Repeat the search, this time using only World Book Kids for results. Did you get
what you expected? Was it easy to use? Value of results?
This search engine was very easy to use but I did not get the results I expected. The
topic only produced four articles and only two were related to the environment. Out
of the two related to environmental issues only one directly addressed the topic of
the Greenhouse effect.

C. Go to World Book Advanced. What options are available to assist students with
developing research skills?
World Book Advanced assists users in using Boolean operators and the Lexile
measure to limit their search results. This resource also lets users search a variety of
text options (resource guides, tables, and websites), images, sounds, and videos.
Results can also be filtered by date and this is very important when students are
searching for current information.

D. What are the advantages to having three choices of search interfaces?

Users have a choice of which search interface to use and can choose the one with
which they are the most familiar. Also, users can compare and contrast which
interface provides the most valuable results and choose the one that provides the
most relevant sources.
Assignment 3
Go back to the INFOhio Resources page. Use the Biography Reference Bank database (Click
By Subject and select Social Studies) to answer two questions you create—which might be asked
by youth.
A. Question #1__ Who was appointed to by the Second Continental Congress to be in
command of the Continental Army?
____________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
Answer:__ George Washington
__________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
B. Question #2_ Which scientist developed the Gramophone (forerunner of today's record
player) and the light bulb? _____________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
Answer:___Thomas Edison
________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
C. What information literacy features does this database include?
This database has an advanced search option where users can filter their search results
using Boolean operators, dates, and a place of origin. When a resource is chosen, there is
also a toolbar that appears on the right side of the screen with an option to see the many
ways the resource can be cited. Before the user views the main resource, this database
provides a detailed record of what the resource is about and where the resource came from.
This will help the user make a completely informed choice about which resources are
relevant and which they should use for their information.

Assignment 4
Go back to the INFOhio home page.
A. Select another resource of your choice.
Resource I chose: _Science Reference Services_____________________________________

B. How could you use this resource in reference work?

The main page of this resource is a simple layout of science categories that a patron may
enquire about when visiting a reference desk. This database also has a section labeled
“reference shelf” that includes lesson plans, worksheets, a research guide, and even citation
help. These tools can be provided to patrons to help them understand more about their
possible topic and improve their information literacy skills by providing assistance with
citations. The advanced search option is very helpful for librarians because there are a
variety of ways to filter the search results. For example, this resource lets the user filter
results using Boolean terms, document type, publication type, and even Lexile reading
level.

Assignment 5
Create three student reference questions. Identify which database would be the best source for
answers.

A. Question 1: ___What are the names of Jupiter’s moons?

____________________________________________________________
Ganymede, Io, Callisto, and Europa. The Science Reference Services database would be the
best source for the answer.

B. Question 2: _Who was King George III?

______________________________________________________________
The ruler of England during the Revolutionary War. The Biography Reference Bank would
be the best source for this answer.

C. Question 3: __What are amphibians?

______________________________________________________________
Cold-hearted vertebrates that live part of their life in water and the other part on land. The
Science Online database would be the best source for this answer.

Assignment 6
Go back to the INFOhio homepage. Select the Educators & Library Staff tab at the top of the
page.
Review the tools/resources available.
A. Do you think parents/librarians/educators are aware of the INFOhio resources?
I think that librarians/educators are aware of some of the more utilized INFOhio resources
like Academic Search Premier and the different variations of World Book. However, I do
not think that parents are aware of the various resources available for youths.

B. What are your ideas for marketing/utilizing these research databases to assist parents and
students in developing information literacy skills?
One way to advertise these resources is to print various flyers and posters to hang on the
walls of an information institution. By providing a bright colored flyer to patrons, they will
have a step by step guide, at hand, to finding and accessing these resources for relevant
information. This will also help the parents of youth improve their information literacy
skills and pass the knowledge on to their children. Another way to advertise these databases
would be to develop a workshop or program to instruct parents in using these databases to
assist their child in meeting their information needs.
C. Why is it important for public librarians to know about these resources available to children
and parents?
It is important for librarians to inform children and parents about the importance of using
appropriate resources to meet their information needs. By sharing these resources with
parents and young patrons, a librarian is providing users with ways to improve their
information literacy skills.

Assignment 7: Explore Online Encyclopedias

SECTION A
Go to Grolier Online at: http://go.grolier.com/freetrial or
https://digital.scholastic.com/site/launch/SCHGO?ucn=637920947

User id: groliergo3

Password: lemon

(all lower case)

Choose your own topic that would be appropriate for children in Grades 1-6.
Topic: ___Rocks and Minerals__________________________
Value of results?
Results of this search topic are extremely valuable and there are many resources for the
information. It is especially helpful to be able to filter the results based on Lexile reading
level.

Choose your own topic that would be appropriate for teens in Grades 7-12.
Topic:_World War II________________________
Value of results?
Results are somewhat valuable but out of 1530 pages of results the only articles that
directly address my topic are the first five.

What article enhancements are available with the traditional print article?
The main search page to the website provides web links, images, videos, and other
additional information that is relevant to the search topic. When you click on an article, it
has a table of contents that let you explore the entire entry and narrow your search for
information. Articles also have a read aloud option as well as accompanying images or
maps. This resource also provides the user with various ways to cite the information they
found in this article and there is even an email link to send this information to someone
with the click of a button.

Go back to the Home page. Select one of the tabs on the left side (Jump to:) to see another
component of Grolier Encyclopedia.
Tab I selected:
World Newspapers
Value of component: This is a very valuable component that will let users keep up with
current events all around the world. While helpful for a social studies or current events
class, this resource will let users see how other countries report information and gain
knowledge about what is going on in other countries (economically, politically, etc.).
Go to Grolier Online for Kids. See link (Kids) upper right of homepage.
Topic I selected: Foxes

What features enhance this online encyclopedia for use with children?
The “Find it fast” option makes it possible to search all databases for the topic at the same
time. Results appear in a tab format where users can choose what tab fits their information
needs best. In order to narrow results further, there is a search within search option
available as well. The feature showcase is also a very useful tool that connects students to
multimedia presentations tied to school curriculum and current events.

SECTION B
Go to Scholastic BookFlix at: https://digital.scholastic.com/site/launch/bkflix?ucn=637920947

Userid: bkflix3

Password: lemon
(all lower case)
If you have trouble accessing bookflix go to http://bookflix.scholastic.com/browsercheck to make
sure your computer meets the technical requirements.)
Choose a category. Explore.
What interactive features are “kid friendly”?
The “watch a book” option makes it possible for users to see the stories in action because
the story is presented like a movie. Afterwards, the user can read a book that enhances
their knowledge about a topic. When reading a book, more complicated vocabulary words
are highlighted and if you hover the mouse cursor over the word it provides a definition.
Both the watch the book and read a book option allows a user to turn on a read along if
they would like the assistance. Also, there are links to websites that are related to the topic
of the books just read and games or puzzles to enhance the reading experience.

What resources would be most helpful to you in your work as a librarian?

As a librarian, the games and puzzles would be useful to pass on to users so that they can
use what they read to do these activities and enhance their information literacy skills. The
links to related websites are helpful because they are educational websites and will help
users locate more valuable information on their topic.

Assignment 8
Take a look at the Gale Virtual Reference Library at (it should be the fourth search result under
G): http://libguides.library.kent.edu/content.php?pid=347090&sid=2839471
Select one of the sources that would be appropriate for children or teens- for example the
Encyclopedia of World Biography or Countries of the World and Their Leaders. Conduct two
topical searches, one for a lower grade level and one for middle grade level.
A. How does the information found in the eBook differ from the information found in an online
encyclopedia?
The information in an eBook is presented in a different way when compared to how
information is presented in an online encyclopedia. An e-Book may have an index and a
table of contents that lists where the user can find their information. In addition, the
information is laid out in alphabetical order as opposed to the relevance of a search topic.

B. What are the advantages of the eBook information over the database information?
eBooks can be downloaded and this means that a user doesn’t have to have an internet
connection to access the information once the book is already loaded onto their device.
eBooks are also easily searchable. For example, once I located the pages where my
information was located there was a search bar available for me to enter a term in order to
search the specified entry.

C. How could teachers use eBooks in their assignments?

Since eBooks provide users with access to current, up to date, information, a teacher can
use this technology to have students keep up with current events. eBook technology can be
shared in an instant and teachers can use this feature to always make sure that students
have the appropriate materials needed to complete an assignment. The ability to record
sound files on an eBook is useful for passing along directions to an assignment and sound
files also make it possible for students to listen to the text being read to them.

D. What considerations would you make as you instruct students in the use of eBooks?
Teachers or librarians have to be careful when using eBooks to present information to
children because while all the advanced features are helpful to expand on the text, they also
create many distractions that interfere with reading comprehension. So, I would put a limit
on some of the special features the students are allowed to access. Also, it’s important to
realize that when using an eBook most of the focus is on the technological skills needed to
access the book instead of its content. So, I would make sure that a student was comfortable
and familiar with eBook technology before incorporating it into assignments.

Assignment 9 – Overall evaluation

 A. Were you aware of these resources?
I was only aware of a couple of these resources and the others I have never accessed. I have
accessed the World Book encyclopedia before and I have used the database, Academic
Search Premier, in my research for school.
B. How could you see yourself using these types of resources in your work as a librarian?
These resources provide a wealth of relevant and valuable information to users. They are
all pretty simple to use and include many ways to filter search results. All of the electronic
resources explored here also have certain enhancements that will be helpful to youth and
librarians alike. So, as long as I have access to these resources, I will use them to help users
find information. Also, I will inform and instruct users on how to access these resources for
their personal information investigation. In addition, enhancements to information from
these resources like flyers, worksheets, or puzzles, will be shown to patrons and a link will
be provided on the library website.
C. In your opinion, would you purchase a subscription to Grolier online encyclopedia for your
library? Why or why not?
Yes, I would purchase a subscription to Grolier online encyclopedia because it provides
valuable information and is easy to use. There are many features, like text to speech and
filtering results by Lexile reading level, that make this resource easy for youth to use.
Additional links to resources like relevant images or maps, only adds to the value of the
information provided through this resource.

D. How does Grolier encyclopedia compare to World Book Resources available through
INFOhio?
Grolier encyclopedia is easier to use and has a lot more helpful features for youth. In order
to filter results through World Book there is an advanced search option where specific
criteria can be chosen or Boolean operators can be used. However, Grolier lets a user filter
search results right from their initial results page by providing tabs that let the user select
the Lexile reading level of who is accessing the information. In addition to this filter, there
is an advanced search option and, when an article is chosen, there is a table of contents to
direct the user to their information.

E. In your opinion, what are the most important features to consider when purchasing an online
encyclopedia subscription for your library? Please list a minimum of five essential considerations
and why you consider them “essential.”
1. Ease of use. If a resource is not easy to use it will make finding and accessing information
difficult for the user. The user will become discouraged and turn to easier and less valuable
information, like a google search, instead.

2. Resource filters by relevance ranking. This means that the most relevant and valuable
information will be listed first with less important results following after. Students need to
become better researchers and this tool will help them determine appropriate information.
3. Provides additional readings/sources. An online encyclopedia will provide valuable and
relevant information to a user, but they may need more resources before they end their
information search. If an online encyclopedia provides links to related readings and
sources, it will help users find additional resources that are high quality on a topic.

4. Export and Save Options. This feature will help students focus on becoming better
information consumers while interpreting key research concepts. This option will also make
it easier for users to compile a reference bibliography.

5. Citation Options. This will help instruct patrons in differing citation styles and
encourage them to use bibliographical citing software. Having this option in an electronic
resource will help users construct bibliographies for complex projects and assignments
throughout their academic career.

Reference: Harper, M. (2011). Chapter 6 (part two): Selection of nonfiction and non-print
resources. In Reference Sources and Services for Youth. New York, NY: Neal-Schuman
Publishers.

F. What factors and considerations will you have when developing your print reference collection
and your electronic collection?
All materials must pass this set of criteria to be included in my print and electronic
reference collection:
1. Authority: The creator of the resource must be credible and be a reliable source of
the information being presented.
2. Accuracy/Currency: All information presented in the resource must be accurate and
current. However, exceptions can be made for certain resources that are only
released every few years etc.
3. Appeal/Appropriateness: The resource must be user friendly and well organized. It
must also be presented in a way that is appropriate for the intended audience.
4. Physical Characteristics (for print resources mostly): The resource must be made
out of decent material and be durable.
5. Special Features: The resource is more helpful if there are additional features, like
suggestions for further reading, indexes, guides etc., included.
6. Potential: The resource must be compared to other resources on the same subject
and be determined to be the one that will fit user needs the best. For print resources,
there may be an electronic option which will be accessed more often and be more
worth the money to purchase.
7. Cost: The resource must be worth the money that will be spent to purchase it. So,
will this resource be relevant for a decent duration of time? Also, there may be a
cheaper option for this resource that will serve the same purpose and provide the
same information to users.
Reference: Harper, M. (2011). Chapter 6 (part two): Selection of nonfiction and non-print
resources. In Reference Sources and Services for Youth. New York, NY: Neal-Schuman
Publishers.