Well, I finished earlier than I expected (or at least everything that I need to worry about), so I am off until the 2008.
Though I am not overly enthusiastic about the seasonal events, I leave you with the Pogues' and Kirsty MacColl's collaboration: "Fairytale of New York". Why am I posting this video if I am indifferent to the season? Simply because it is a damn good tune.
Season's greetings and happy New Year!
Thursday, December 20, 2007
Monday, December 17, 2007
Busy month before the semester break...
It has been a hectic month, but the end in nigh.
On top of regular duties, I was sent to a conference in Edmonton, Alberta for the second Canadian Campus Card Workshop. College administration wanted to gather information about the “smart card” concept. Admittedly, I had some trepidation about attending since it was outside my normal experience, but it turned out to be more interesting and informative than I initially suspected. The consequence was a 30 page report to administration (which I wish I could post) and a new page on our library site that informs people about the campus ID cards functions. [The new page can be viewed by clicking here.] I have to give kudos to John Younk, of the University of Alberta’s ONEcard office, and his counterparts from the National Association of Campus Card Users (NACCU), for a well organized and presented program.
A few last minute classes on the Modern Language Association’s (MLA) style of citation were added into the mix, too. It was fortunate that I created a PowerPoint presentation beforehand, and was not forced to use the old overhead projection sheets. The classes were not too bad (for me anyway). It was definitely different, since most of my instruction is in the American Psychological Association’s (APA) format.
A couple of additional Web chores were thrown in before my holiday break begins. The University of Lethbridge is having trouble resolving a security certificate issue with the library system’s server alias, so I will have to alter all links in the online catalogue and our own site. So long, “eureka.uleth.ca”! Hello, “darius.uleth.ca”! Once the “darius” server name is employed, everything should be fine for all parties involved.
The final chore before I leave will be overhauling the databases’ section of our website. It is not dynamically structured yet, so I have to recode about 35 pages to meet my new layout requirements. It is not overly hard, but it can be time consuming. There will be 6 new databases being added in the New Year, so I will have to leave room for them. Hopefully the URLs will be waiting in my mailbox when I return in January.
In the meantime, it is back to work.
On top of regular duties, I was sent to a conference in Edmonton, Alberta for the second Canadian Campus Card Workshop. College administration wanted to gather information about the “smart card” concept. Admittedly, I had some trepidation about attending since it was outside my normal experience, but it turned out to be more interesting and informative than I initially suspected. The consequence was a 30 page report to administration (which I wish I could post) and a new page on our library site that informs people about the campus ID cards functions. [The new page can be viewed by clicking here.] I have to give kudos to John Younk, of the University of Alberta’s ONEcard office, and his counterparts from the National Association of Campus Card Users (NACCU), for a well organized and presented program.
A few last minute classes on the Modern Language Association’s (MLA) style of citation were added into the mix, too. It was fortunate that I created a PowerPoint presentation beforehand, and was not forced to use the old overhead projection sheets. The classes were not too bad (for me anyway). It was definitely different, since most of my instruction is in the American Psychological Association’s (APA) format.
A couple of additional Web chores were thrown in before my holiday break begins. The University of Lethbridge is having trouble resolving a security certificate issue with the library system’s server alias, so I will have to alter all links in the online catalogue and our own site. So long, “eureka.uleth.ca”! Hello, “darius.uleth.ca”! Once the “darius” server name is employed, everything should be fine for all parties involved.
The final chore before I leave will be overhauling the databases’ section of our website. It is not dynamically structured yet, so I have to recode about 35 pages to meet my new layout requirements. It is not overly hard, but it can be time consuming. There will be 6 new databases being added in the New Year, so I will have to leave room for them. Hopefully the URLs will be waiting in my mailbox when I return in January.
In the meantime, it is back to work.
Tuesday, November 27, 2007
AAQ: Events Between 1973-1981
Hello and thank you for using the Ask A Question service.
Your inquiry is: “What was going on economically, historically, politically, and in business during 1973-1981?”
This is a very broad inquiry and it is not possible for us to deliver a complete answer that will satisfy all of your possible needs via this service. We suggest is using a chronology if you want a broad overview of world events during this time period.
To search for a chronology, go to our homepage > select: Books & Audiovisuals (under the: Search for: header) > select: Basic Keyword (under the Search by: header). Enter the word chronology in the search box, and click the Search button. You will get 90+ hits with this search. You can narrow your search by linking chronology with words such as: business, economy, history, politics, science, Canada, etc. You will link terms by using AND (e.g., chronology AND Canada [Note: capitalization is not required] > this search will locate all titles with the words chronology and Canada in their records – which are presently 14).
Some generic titles that we can recommend include: Timelines of World History (Call #: D 11 T43 2006; Reference Collection), Chronology of World History (Call #: D 11 M44 1999 v. 4; Reference Collection), This Day in Business History: Great Corporate Tales, Commercial Milestones, Colorful Titans, Captivating Quotes, and Calamitous Blunders for Every Day of the Year (Call #: HC 51 F72 2006; Circulating Collection), and The Fitzhenry & Whiteside Book of Canadian Facts and Dates (Call #: FC 24 M94 2005; Reference Collection; greater Canadian content).
Thank you again for using the Ask A Question service. If you need more help, please use the service again or see the Information Desk in the Vera Bracken Library (Phone #: (403) 529-3867; Toll Free Phone #: 1 (866) 282-8394 (Ext. 3867)).
AAQ #: 39655
Your inquiry is: “What was going on economically, historically, politically, and in business during 1973-1981?”
This is a very broad inquiry and it is not possible for us to deliver a complete answer that will satisfy all of your possible needs via this service. We suggest is using a chronology if you want a broad overview of world events during this time period.
To search for a chronology, go to our homepage > select: Books & Audiovisuals (under the: Search for: header) > select: Basic Keyword (under the Search by: header). Enter the word chronology in the search box, and click the Search button. You will get 90+ hits with this search. You can narrow your search by linking chronology with words such as: business, economy, history, politics, science, Canada, etc. You will link terms by using AND (e.g., chronology AND Canada [Note: capitalization is not required] > this search will locate all titles with the words chronology and Canada in their records – which are presently 14).
Some generic titles that we can recommend include: Timelines of World History (Call #: D 11 T43 2006; Reference Collection), Chronology of World History (Call #: D 11 M44 1999 v. 4; Reference Collection), This Day in Business History: Great Corporate Tales, Commercial Milestones, Colorful Titans, Captivating Quotes, and Calamitous Blunders for Every Day of the Year (Call #: HC 51 F72 2006; Circulating Collection), and The Fitzhenry & Whiteside Book of Canadian Facts and Dates (Call #: FC 24 M94 2005; Reference Collection; greater Canadian content).
Thank you again for using the Ask A Question service. If you need more help, please use the service again or see the Information Desk in the Vera Bracken Library (Phone #: (403) 529-3867; Toll Free Phone #: 1 (866) 282-8394 (Ext. 3867)).
AAQ #: 39655
Monday, November 26, 2007
AAQ: Square Footage of Medicine Hat Meat Shops
Hello and thank you for using the Ask A Question service.
Your inquiry is: “How do I find out how many square feet are in all of the meat shops in Medicine Hat?”
There are two methods to collecting this data.
METHOD 1:
The first method is to call each meat shop (which you listed in your initial inquiry) and ask them directly.
METHOD 2:
If you know the building addresses, the second method is to contact the City of Medicine Hat’s Planning, Building and Development Services department. You will need to get permission from that office to browse any available public plans/records for the particular building that the business is located in, so call ahead before you go to their offices.
Thank you again for using the Ask A Question service. If you need more help, please use the service again or see the Information Desk in the Vera Bracken Library (Phone #: (403) 529-3867; Toll Free Phone #: 1 (866) 282-8394 (Ext. 3867)).
AAQ #: 39606
Your inquiry is: “How do I find out how many square feet are in all of the meat shops in Medicine Hat?”
There are two methods to collecting this data.
METHOD 1:
The first method is to call each meat shop (which you listed in your initial inquiry) and ask them directly.
METHOD 2:
If you know the building addresses, the second method is to contact the City of Medicine Hat’s Planning, Building and Development Services department. You will need to get permission from that office to browse any available public plans/records for the particular building that the business is located in, so call ahead before you go to their offices.
Thank you again for using the Ask A Question service. If you need more help, please use the service again or see the Information Desk in the Vera Bracken Library (Phone #: (403) 529-3867; Toll Free Phone #: 1 (866) 282-8394 (Ext. 3867)).
AAQ #: 39606
Friday, November 23, 2007
Update & AAQ
It has been an extremely hectic few weeks, hence the rarity of my posts. For now, you will have to be content with knowing that I am simply posting my latest AAQ and will be writing my report for the Campus Card Frontier conference that I recently attended. More about everything later.
Hello and thank you for using the Ask A Question service.
You are inquiring about how to make sure that students, in their learning groups and in the classroom environment, can reach an academic goal.
We cannot give you an absolute solution for this inquiry, since there are many different paths to success, but we can direct you to resources that might assist you in discovering a method that suits your needs.
The first step would be to build a list of keywords that could be used to perform searches. Since we are looking to maximize performance in the student, then we could employ terms such as: student (pupil, learner), education (academics, teaching, instructing, etc.), classroom, goal (performance, achievement, success, maximization, achievement, motivation, etc.), manage (direct, lead, supervise, organize, etc.) and group (team, “group dynamics”, etc.). Please note that our primary terms are listed and followed by alternate terms in parenthesis. We will mix and match these different terms to maximize the possibility of locating the best possible set of resources.
A good place to start would be the library catalogue. You can select Books and Audiovisuals from our homepage, or go to: http://eureka.uleth.ca/search~S2. The best search option to begin with is the Basic Keyword search. If we were to enter the: “classroom and success”, “classroom and achievement”, or “classroom and management” [each in a different search], you are sure to find a number of titles that might assist you in answering your inquiry. To discover more about maximizing success in groups, you might also want to search for titles that are related to managing group dynamics. Though they might be related to business or management fields, the theories/methods could also be applied to the academic setting.
If you need additional resources, you can also employ our large collection of online databases/periodical indexes. These tools will search journal, magazine, and newspaper articles for the latest articles related to your search parameters.
From our homepage, select Journal, Magazine, and Newspaper articles. The best place to start would be the databases under the Education heading – ERIC is the most comprehensive of that list to start. You will need to select the On Campus or At Home link to access the resource – if you are at home, be sure that your library privileges are up-to-date, otherwise access will be denied. Please be aware that ERIC is not the only database you can use, try some of the other education related databases or any of the General/Multidisciplinary databases to maximize your results.
ERIC and other related databases are quite sophisticated and offer many search options. You will want to employ search terms from your previous book search, and apply those same terms to your journal search. We cannot give you a full list of all options that you could employ here, so we recommend that you visit us at the Vera Bracken Library’s Information Desk (or your closest library) for assistance with these resources. Each database will also provide “Help”
pages and some, such as ERIC, will have video tutorials in the help section.
If the article is not available on line, consider using the Interlibrary Loan Service or the Find It services to acquire the article.
Thank you again for using the Ask A Question service. If you need more help, please use the service again or see the Information Desk in the Medicine Hat College Library (Phone #: (403) 529-3867; Toll Free Phone #: 1 (866) 282-8394 (Ext. 3867)).
AAQ #: 39418
Hello and thank you for using the Ask A Question service.
You are inquiring about how to make sure that students, in their learning groups and in the classroom environment, can reach an academic goal.
We cannot give you an absolute solution for this inquiry, since there are many different paths to success, but we can direct you to resources that might assist you in discovering a method that suits your needs.
The first step would be to build a list of keywords that could be used to perform searches. Since we are looking to maximize performance in the student, then we could employ terms such as: student (pupil, learner), education (academics, teaching, instructing, etc.), classroom, goal (performance, achievement, success, maximization, achievement, motivation, etc.), manage (direct, lead, supervise, organize, etc.) and group (team, “group dynamics”, etc.). Please note that our primary terms are listed and followed by alternate terms in parenthesis. We will mix and match these different terms to maximize the possibility of locating the best possible set of resources.
A good place to start would be the library catalogue. You can select Books and Audiovisuals from our homepage, or go to: http://eureka.uleth.ca/search~S2. The best search option to begin with is the Basic Keyword search. If we were to enter the: “classroom and success”, “classroom and achievement”, or “classroom and management” [each in a different search], you are sure to find a number of titles that might assist you in answering your inquiry. To discover more about maximizing success in groups, you might also want to search for titles that are related to managing group dynamics. Though they might be related to business or management fields, the theories/methods could also be applied to the academic setting.
If you need additional resources, you can also employ our large collection of online databases/periodical indexes. These tools will search journal, magazine, and newspaper articles for the latest articles related to your search parameters.
From our homepage, select Journal, Magazine, and Newspaper articles. The best place to start would be the databases under the Education heading – ERIC is the most comprehensive of that list to start. You will need to select the On Campus or At Home link to access the resource – if you are at home, be sure that your library privileges are up-to-date, otherwise access will be denied. Please be aware that ERIC is not the only database you can use, try some of the other education related databases or any of the General/Multidisciplinary databases to maximize your results.
ERIC and other related databases are quite sophisticated and offer many search options. You will want to employ search terms from your previous book search, and apply those same terms to your journal search. We cannot give you a full list of all options that you could employ here, so we recommend that you visit us at the Vera Bracken Library’s Information Desk (or your closest library) for assistance with these resources. Each database will also provide “Help”
pages and some, such as ERIC, will have video tutorials in the help section.
If the article is not available on line, consider using the Interlibrary Loan Service or the Find It services to acquire the article.
Thank you again for using the Ask A Question service. If you need more help, please use the service again or see the Information Desk in the Medicine Hat College Library (Phone #: (403) 529-3867; Toll Free Phone #: 1 (866) 282-8394 (Ext. 3867)).
AAQ #: 39418
Friday, November 2, 2007
MHC Library Quotes #4
A discussion about the state of modern stamps...
"Did you see that the U of L is on a stamp?" - male staffer #1
"No, really?" - male staffer #2
"Yes, they have a picture of the main building."
"Oh, the old U-Hall?"
"Yeah, that's the one."
"I heard that you can get custom stamps made in the States now. You can send in a photo and you will get a book of stamps that you can use. There might be something like that in Canada even."
"Really? Ooo, you can pretend your the Queen."
"Umm..., or not."
[Laughter]"Oh, that's right sorry."
By the way, you can can get custom made stamps made to order in Canada. Navigate to: http://www.picturepostage.ca, and begin creating your custom stamps.
"Did you see that the U of L is on a stamp?" - male staffer #1
"No, really?" - male staffer #2
"Yes, they have a picture of the main building."
"Oh, the old U-Hall?"
"Yeah, that's the one."
"I heard that you can get custom stamps made in the States now. You can send in a photo and you will get a book of stamps that you can use. There might be something like that in Canada even."
"Really? Ooo, you can pretend your the Queen."
"Umm..., or not."
[Laughter]"Oh, that's right sorry."
By the way, you can can get custom made stamps made to order in Canada. Navigate to: http://www.picturepostage.ca, and begin creating your custom stamps.
Friday, October 26, 2007
AAQ: Facebook's Revenue
Hello and thank you for using the “Ask A Question” service.
You are inquiring about how Facebook makes its money.
Facebook’s primary revenue appears to be from advertising via “Facebook Flyers”, “Facebook Polls”, and banner advertising. You can find more information about these services at: http://www.facebook.com/advertise.php. Additional sources of revenue come from strategic partnerships that Facebook makes with other companies such as Microsoft. You can read the latest press releases from Facebook at: http://www.facebook.com/press.php. The company’s Factsheet lists additional investors in the business, though neither the Factsheet nor the Statistics profiles of the company list any financial data.
At present, Facebook is still a privately owned company, and as such, is not obligated to disclose any financial information to the public. The company has not, to our knowledge, released any sort of financial information, so any revenue earnings are speculative – though their recent partnership with Microsoft suggests that the company is valued at $15 billion. Two recent articles from the Wall Street Journal Online suggest that this price/valuation is over inflated: http://blogs.wsj.com/deals/2007/10/24/facebooks-stratospheric-earnings-multiple/; http://online.wsj.com/article/SB119323518308669856.html?mod=hps_us_whats_news.
Thank you again for using the “Ask A Question” service. If you need more help, please use the service again or see the Information Desk in the Medicine Hat College Library (phone #: (403) 529-3867).
AAQ #: 38146
You are inquiring about how Facebook makes its money.
Facebook’s primary revenue appears to be from advertising via “Facebook Flyers”, “Facebook Polls”, and banner advertising. You can find more information about these services at: http://www.facebook.com/advertise.php. Additional sources of revenue come from strategic partnerships that Facebook makes with other companies such as Microsoft. You can read the latest press releases from Facebook at: http://www.facebook.com/press.php. The company’s Factsheet lists additional investors in the business, though neither the Factsheet nor the Statistics profiles of the company list any financial data.
At present, Facebook is still a privately owned company, and as such, is not obligated to disclose any financial information to the public. The company has not, to our knowledge, released any sort of financial information, so any revenue earnings are speculative – though their recent partnership with Microsoft suggests that the company is valued at $15 billion. Two recent articles from the Wall Street Journal Online suggest that this price/valuation is over inflated: http://blogs.wsj.com/deals/2007/10/24/facebooks-stratospheric-earnings-multiple/; http://online.wsj.com/article/SB119323518308669856.html?mod=hps_us_whats_news.
Thank you again for using the “Ask A Question” service. If you need more help, please use the service again or see the Information Desk in the Medicine Hat College Library (phone #: (403) 529-3867).
AAQ #: 38146
Monday, October 22, 2007
AAQs - X2
Two AAQs greeted me upon my return, and here they are...
AAQ 1 - EVENTS PLANNING AND NAICS
Hello and thank you for using the “Ask A Question” service.
You are inquiring about how many people spend money on events planning in Medicine Hat, Alberta, and what the NAICCS code for events planning?
Admittedly we are stumped by your first question. We are not sure what you mean by “events planning”. Are you referring to private, public, corporate, or governmental affairs? Are you referring to catering companies, concert promotion, etc.? To our knowledge, there is no statistical source that would tell how many people spend money on events planning in Medicine Hat, Alberta, Canada.
We will also assume that you are referring to the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) when you are inquiring about an events planning code. Unfortunately we could not find a sufficiently generic term that would encompass “events planning”. For example, “Promoters of arts events, with facilities” has a code of 711311, “Promoters of sports events, with facilities” has a code of 711319, “Promoters, sports events, without facilities” has a code of
711329, “Catering for dining room and banquets” has a code of 72232, and “Wedding planning services” has a code of 81299. All of the aforementioned services technically fall under the broader heading of “events planning”. Perhaps you need to refine your terminology or focus on a specific planning service. To this end, we suggest that you discuss this matter with your instructor.
For more information on the NAICS, refer to the “North American Industry Classification System” book in the Vera Bracken Library’s reference collection – call number: HF 1041.5 N67 2007.
Thank you again for using the “Ask A Question” service. If you need more help, please use the service again or see the Information Desk in the Medicine Hat College Library (phone #: (403) 529-3867).
AAQ #: 37913
AAQ 2 - BOOK REVIEWS FOR THE BLACK DONNELLYS BY THOMAS P. KELLEY
Hello and thank you for using the “Ask A Question” service.
You are inquiring about how to locate books reviews for “The Black Donnellys” by Thomas P. Kelley.
The library has created a handout to assist you in this very matter. If you go to the Vera Bracken Library’s homepage (www.mhc.ab.ca/library), you will find a link that says “How to Guides & Handouts” – under the “Online Assistance” heading on the right-hand side of the page. Under the “Classroom Handouts” section of this page, you will find a link that says: History 231 – Canada, Origins to 1867. Review this document and follow some of the suggested tips and tricks. There are a number of books, online databases, and websites for you to review in this document. Consider consulting your instructor or a library Information Clerk for assistance.
Additionally, if you are not sure how to write a book review, read the “How to Write a Review” handout for some ideas. This handout is also located on the “How to Guides & Handouts” Web page – under the “Essay Writing Guides” heading.
Thank you again for using the “Ask A Question” service. If you need more help, please use the service again or see the Information Desk in the Medicine Hat College Library (phone #: (403) 529-3867).
AAQ #: 37920
AAQ 1 - EVENTS PLANNING AND NAICS
Hello and thank you for using the “Ask A Question” service.
You are inquiring about how many people spend money on events planning in Medicine Hat, Alberta, and what the NAICCS code for events planning?
Admittedly we are stumped by your first question. We are not sure what you mean by “events planning”. Are you referring to private, public, corporate, or governmental affairs? Are you referring to catering companies, concert promotion, etc.? To our knowledge, there is no statistical source that would tell how many people spend money on events planning in Medicine Hat, Alberta, Canada.
We will also assume that you are referring to the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) when you are inquiring about an events planning code. Unfortunately we could not find a sufficiently generic term that would encompass “events planning”. For example, “Promoters of arts events, with facilities” has a code of 711311, “Promoters of sports events, with facilities” has a code of 711319, “Promoters, sports events, without facilities” has a code of
711329, “Catering for dining room and banquets” has a code of 72232, and “Wedding planning services” has a code of 81299. All of the aforementioned services technically fall under the broader heading of “events planning”. Perhaps you need to refine your terminology or focus on a specific planning service. To this end, we suggest that you discuss this matter with your instructor.
For more information on the NAICS, refer to the “North American Industry Classification System” book in the Vera Bracken Library’s reference collection – call number: HF 1041.5 N67 2007.
Thank you again for using the “Ask A Question” service. If you need more help, please use the service again or see the Information Desk in the Medicine Hat College Library (phone #: (403) 529-3867).
AAQ #: 37913
AAQ 2 - BOOK REVIEWS FOR THE BLACK DONNELLYS BY THOMAS P. KELLEY
Hello and thank you for using the “Ask A Question” service.
You are inquiring about how to locate books reviews for “The Black Donnellys” by Thomas P. Kelley.
The library has created a handout to assist you in this very matter. If you go to the Vera Bracken Library’s homepage (www.mhc.ab.ca/library), you will find a link that says “How to Guides & Handouts” – under the “Online Assistance” heading on the right-hand side of the page. Under the “Classroom Handouts” section of this page, you will find a link that says: History 231 – Canada, Origins to 1867. Review this document and follow some of the suggested tips and tricks. There are a number of books, online databases, and websites for you to review in this document. Consider consulting your instructor or a library Information Clerk for assistance.
Additionally, if you are not sure how to write a book review, read the “How to Write a Review” handout for some ideas. This handout is also located on the “How to Guides & Handouts” Web page – under the “Essay Writing Guides” heading.
Thank you again for using the “Ask A Question” service. If you need more help, please use the service again or see the Information Desk in the Medicine Hat College Library (phone #: (403) 529-3867).
AAQ #: 37920
I am back...
Well, I have returned and it is time to review e-mails and other assorted goodness. Fortunately there were only 87 e-mails waiting for me – excluding regular notices that I set to be automatically deleted.
My goals this week include: (a) complete the History 331 pathfinder, (b) finalize the APA presentation for Health Studies 210 and its complementary Classroom Performance System (CPS) component, and (c) design signage for our upcoming Halloween event. All this while juggling the everyday components of my job – AAQs, staff communications, information/public services, troubleshooting, and Web work.
No small tasks here, now back to work.
My goals this week include: (a) complete the History 331 pathfinder, (b) finalize the APA presentation for Health Studies 210 and its complementary Classroom Performance System (CPS) component, and (c) design signage for our upcoming Halloween event. All this while juggling the everyday components of my job – AAQs, staff communications, information/public services, troubleshooting, and Web work.
No small tasks here, now back to work.
Friday, October 12, 2007
Holidays! Whoo Hoo!
Well, I am off for holidays. See you all back on the 22nd - where health studies, history, and political science classes will be waiting for me!
In the meantime, enjoy these holiday songs from the 1980s! [I could not pick out one, so I posted them all.] Cheerio!
Holiday (1986) - The Other Ones
Holiday Road (1983) - Lindsey Buckingham
Vacation (1982) - The Go-Go's
In the meantime, enjoy these holiday songs from the 1980s! [I could not pick out one, so I posted them all.] Cheerio!
Holiday (1986) - The Other Ones
Holiday Road (1983) - Lindsey Buckingham
Vacation (1982) - The Go-Go's
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