Monday, April 28, 2008

Google vs. Medline

I chose the topic essential tremors since my father has them and a customer just came to the desk with the same condition. I found that in 2 seconds, google brought up info on the topic and Medline was one of the listed items. Once in Medline, I found it to be equally as quick to find information. I believe I got equal information from each.

I would start with Medline first because it gave more official sites. there were more.gov and .org sites than in the top ten of Google. For basic information Google would be O.K. but for more official info I would choose Medline.

Thursday, April 10, 2008

Search Tools- google

The Google tutorial has been a great help to quick search. I am already trying to use different options that it offers. I need a good deal more practice in order to feel comfortable with it. I did show a customer the book and scholar section for the paper the daughter was doing.

I'm looking forward to using the math converter for some measuring units I need converted.

Daniel Pink's book

I completed the book Whole New Mind. I found it thought provoking but question the premise that what was accomplished in the past was left brained and it is now time to think outside the box and be right brained. I would think that Bill Gates, etc. think outside the box and used their right brain to take all that their left brain could do to make the companies and millions that they have. Grant it it opened the door for left brained thinkers but after the tutorial about google it would seem that the computer world lives room for much right brain thinking. Saying all this, I would like to think that right brain thinkers would begin to be valued more in school systems. I would love to see more art, music, storying, and less test directed schooling. It makes for a well rounded person and produces less robot thinking and fitting the mold thinking.
The book did challenge me to think about right brain ideas to keep work in the USA and in light of the library.

Just recently The news reported that the GRID may be taking over for the internet. Could this be the next direction of the left thinker combined with the right brain thinker?

Wednesday, April 2, 2008

Great Books- LATI project.- Reference books

Yesterday I attended Great Books. I was in 2 Young Adult book groups and one Juvenile book group. It is always enjoyable to hear the variety of opinions and thoughts on the books. The speaker was Bruce Coville who touched on the reluctant reader which just happens to be my LATI project topic. I read some great young adult books that were for older young adults not young teens. Anything But Ordinary was one of the books about high school seniors going to college and coming of age. Another book that was very funny was I Love You Beth Cooper. It was about a high school valedictorian who instead of giving his prepared speech declared his love for Beth Cooper- high school cheerleader etc.

On my own for the branch I work in I read the teen book The Boy in the Striped Pajamas It is another Holocaust approach and story. It reads quick but is tragic.

I'm trying to pace myself on the reference books, but am behind at the present time. My goal is to catch up this next week.