Alkek Library News

Video Tutorial for Company Research on Orbis

Orbis is an incredibly powerful database that lets you search:

1) hundreds of company financials metrics

2) custom search queries

3) international public and private companies

NEW Streaming Media Database: Films on Demand

Alkek Library is excited to share the news about adding Films on Demand a streaming media database. Video collections include Career & Job Search, Technical Education, Guidance & Counseling, Family & Consumer Science and a growing collection of individually selected titles in various fields. Many titles are purchased and some are available via the subscription to the database for 3 years when at that time we wil review the most heavily viewed videos to determine whether or not to purchase.

At this time there are over 160 purchased titles that can be found by searching the catalog. Here is the list.

Facuclty & Departments can help the library develop a strong streaming media collection by submitting requests for more titles at the selection site:  http://films.com/digitallanding.aspx. The search interface allows you to limit to streaming media type. Submit new titles by using the Collection Development order request form.

You can also Create personal login to save favorite video segments or playlists with custom URLs for use in lesson plans or TRACS. See the User Documentation for more information.

Films dealing with the following subjects are included in the database:

• Anthropology
• Archaeology
• Area Studies
• Art & Architecture
• Communication
• Criminal Justice
• Education
• English & Language Arts
• Geography
• History
• Music
• Philosophy & Religion
• Political Science
• American Government
• Psychology
• Sociology
• Social Work
• Women's Studies
• World Languages

New Interactive Resource: SimplyMap

SimplyMap lets non-technical users create professional quality US maps for use in presentations, research reports, business plans, or websites.With a single click of a mouse you can update your map in seconds to display different datasets. Data variables can be viewed at the State, County, ZIP Code, Tract and Block Group levels, and you can customize every aspect of your maps, from colors and boundaries to the number of data categories.

Data sets include the 2000 census, current census estimates and five year projections, plus Experian SimmonsLOCAL® and Nielsen Claritas PRIZM® Data Packages.

Take a look at the Getting Started with Simply Map and Quick Reference Guide then give it a try today!

New electronic resource: The Johns Hopkins Guide to Literary Theory and Criticism

Alkek Library is pleased to offer online access to The Johns Hopkins Guide to Literary Theory and Criticism. 

"A superlative work of reference that can be read for information, and not just another overview. It provides a comprehensive historical survey of ideas and scholars from Plato to modern times, examining developments in other disciplines which have shaped literary theory and criticism." — Shelley Walla, Literary Review

Users can do keyword searching or browse by entry or topic. The online edition includes entries from all print editions of the Guide.

 

New Database: Imaging Consult

Imaging Consult is a new resource available via Elsevier that contains high quality conventional radiography, MRI, and ultrasound images along with procedures and reference material for imaging specialties.

Subspecialties included in Database:

• Brain and Spine Imaging
• Breast Imaging
• Cardiac Imaging Chest Imaging
• Gastrointestinal Imaging
• Head and Neck Imaging
• Interventional Imaging Musculoskeletal Imaging
• Obstetric and Gynecologic Imaging
• Pediatric Imaging

Other features include:

• Searching by modality or anatomic region
• Grouping images by diagnosis, modality, anatomic region, gender or age
• Enlarging image for quick review
• Downloadable images

Imaging Consult includes rapid & in-depth information with links to full-text articles to read more on the subject, and also links to PubMed and MD Consult for supporting evidence. The database also includes a Normal Variant Gallery which includes the relative normal variant for each diagnostic topic.

Take the Guided Tour of Imaging Consult

If you browse the database by topic, you can see which entries have a Quick Facts or Procedures entry.

New Database: Counseling and Therapy in Video

Counseling and Therapy in Video is a growing streaming video collection for the study of counseling, human services, psychotherapy, and psychology. The collection allows you to watch consultations, counseling sessions (both authentic and acted), demonstrations, interviews, and lectures in topics such as education, family and relationships, and substance abuse. Over 40 types of therapies are shown or discussed, including cognitive behavioral therapy and group counseling. All clips come with synchronized full-text transcripts. When complete, the database will include 400 hours and more than 330 videos.

Considering using these videos in class? You can create both video clips and playlists to single out scenes or scenarios of interest to you.

New Database: Lexis Nexis Datasets

Lexis Nexis Datasets includes information for researchers to build statistical sets and tables from a multitude of sources.  Options on the main page include: Find a Table, Customize Data and List of Links.

Find a Table allows the user to search the row-column headings & titles of published tables. The search can be built around Geographic, Demographic, Economic, Frequency of data from Local, U.S. and International sources.

The Customize Data option is more interactive. The user builds their table based in the criteria they select. Some of the choices include: In the News, Key Economic Indicators, Browsing by Subject or by Source (with breakdowns within each subject) .

Some of the Subjects include:
Banking, Criminal Justice, Law, Education, Energy, Food, Health, Industry, Population, Transportation (and more.)

Sources Include:
Department of Agriculture, Health, Homeland Security, Bombay Stock Exchange, National Cancer Institute, (and more.)

There are options for the look of the graph (line, trend, bar, etc) Layout options, users can calculate using a calculator or statistical analysis and there are also multiple ways to export the data: Excel, PDF, Delimited Text, XML and more.

List of Links is an annotated list of government websites including government agencies & services, university sites and non-government services.

Help and information can also be found on the Lexis Nexis training wiki.

ASTM Standards Now Available Online

Online access to over 12,000 active ASTM standards covering metals, petroleum, construction, the environment, and more available in .pdf format.  Search all standards or Browse by interest area. You can also enter the alphanumeric number e.g. A961 for the standard you search.
View the ASTM Standards by Category.

By setting up an alert, you can track changes to standards for broad or targeted coverage.

Select by:

• All ASTM
• Industry Segment
• ASTM Committee
• Individual ASTM Standards

You can also track changes to new ASTM publications or journal papers.  This is an example of a Standard alert email which is sent weekly. Book and journal tracker alerts are sent monthly.

New Database: Pop Culture Universe

Pop Culture Universe is a full-text database that includes American and world popular culture, past and present. You can choose to do the quick search or use the more advanced search options which enables you to limit your search to people, places, time period, or subjects.

Subjects include: 

• Arts and Visual Culture
• Business and Advertising
• Ethnic and Group Culture
• Fashion and Appearance
• Film
• Food and Drink
• Literature * Music
• Politics
• Recreation and Leisure
• Religion and Spirituality
• Sports
• TV and Radio
• Technology and Media

Search results  include tabs which link you to the full-text article, biographies, and/or images, if available. When you click on an entry, first you will notice information about where the entry originally appeared. There are also tools on the right side of the entry that can be used to cite in MLA or Chicago style, email, print, or "permalink" the article/entry into a course site, etc.  Another cool feature is a link to the American Heritage College Dictionary, Fourth Edition in case you need a definition.

Pop Culture Universe contains 390 books, 5,450 book chapters, 18,282 encyclopedia entries, and 8,165 images. Decade overviews from 1920s to 2000s. Lesson plans are included in the Teacher's Corner.

New Database: SMART (Scientific and Medical Art Imagebase)

The Alkek Library recently added a new resource for the Texas State community: SMART: Scientific and Medical Art Imagebase

"The Scientific & Medical ART (SMART) Imagebase is a collection of 18,500+ high quality illustrations and animations depicting anatomy, physiology, surgery, diseases, conditions, trauma, embryology, histology, and other health science topics.

SMART Imagebase users may download images for educational, non-commercial use in lectures, presentations, slide shows, web sites and more. Common types of visual presentations include PowerPoint™ shows, handouts, poster sessions, and interactive Flash animations."

Database features include the ability to browse narrated animations, reference monographs, and interactive images in all body regions and systems.  Most medical specialty areas are covered.

The database also allows the user to bookmark the page, image, or animation to websites such as Digg, Delicious, Google Bookmarks and more.

To access SMART, go to the library's main databases page and find it under the Subjects:  Physical Education and Recreation or Health and Medicine. It is also located under S, ALL, and What's  New.