Ohrstrom Blog » Spotlight On

Spotlight On: Historical Newspaper Collection Timelines

Lura Sanborn — Tue, 03 Feb 2009 13:46:22 +0000

Lura Sanborn – Reference Librarian

Looking for a quick collection of newspaper articles related to significant events in U.S. history? Try using the Timeline feature in the Historical Newspaper Collection database.

First, access the Historical Newspaper Collection database through the Ohrstrom Library website by clicking HERE.

Once at the Historical Newspaper Collection website select the “Timeline” tab near the top of the screen:

Choose your time and topic:

Select the subtopic of your choice:

And behold, a list of newspaper articles about that particular subject:

Fantastic!

Spotlight On: Biography Resource Center

Lura Sanborn — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 11:00:31 +0000

Lura Sanborn – Reference Librarian

Ohrstrom Blog is celebrating the inauguration of Barack Obama as our 44th President with the following database search tip:

Interested in comparing the legacies of past presidents? Check out the reference articles available in Biography Resource Center, one of Ohrstrom Library’s online database resources.

Simply visit the Library’s website and select Biography Resource from the database menu:

Now, conduct a biographical facts search by clicking on the link:

Click on: Category Browse

Now choose: American Presidents

Select & Compare!

Recreational Reading: Spotlight on EBSCO NoveList

Lura Sanborn — Mon, 15 Dec 2008 16:28:41 +0000

Lura Sanborn – Reference Librarian

Are you looking for a great recreational read over the break but have already devoured everything by your favorite author? Would you like to find books of a similar nature written by different authors? If so, try searching NoveList through EBSCO and you may discover new favorites.

1) Click HERE to visit Ohrstrom Library’s website and select EBSCO from the database menu.

2) Then select NoveList (over to the right, see below).

This database will allow you to find author “read-alikes” specific to your subject criteria.

3) Conduct a search of your favorite author.

4) Select a title retrieved from your search. Then, click on “Find Similar Books” (over to the right under the book image).

5) Select the subject headings that are important to you and then hit the search button.

6) Review your results to find something that sounds like an interesting read. Many of the books listed in NoveList have excerpts from the first chapter available to read online – click the “First Chapter” link at the end of the book listing to test drive your selections. You can also go back to the search list and make adjustments to your keyword selection to find new results.

7) Check Ohrstrom’s WebCat to see if the book is in our collection or make a request via Interlibrary Loan. Enjoy reading your new discoveries!

Reading up on Current Events: Spotlight on CQ Researcher

Lura Sanborn — Fri, 12 Dec 2008 11:00:25 +0000

Lura Sanborn – Reference Librarian

Interested in spending some of your time during the break to catch up on current events? This news database accessible through the Ohrstrom Library website is a valuable source of information about current events.

CQ Researcher – Use this database to read reports covering the hottest social issues in the U.S. Considered an unbiased source of reporting, these topical essays provide overviews, time-lines, in-depth news and often, expert pro/con opinions. Recent topics include: Reducing Your Carbon Footprint, Declining Birthrate and Financial Bailout. You can access CQ Researcher HERE (remember to log in to the VPN first if you are off grounds).

Tip: After selecting a report, use the Issue Tracker feature (on the right of the page as shown above) for previously published reports of a similar nature. For example, the current Financial Bailout article includes Issue Tracker linkage to reports from the 1930’s concerning the banking industry.

Reference Book Spotlight: The Greenwood Library of American War Reporting

Lura Sanborn — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 19:24:03 +0000

Lura Sanborn- Reference Librarian

The Greenwood Library of American War Reporting – David A. Copeland, General Editor, Greenwood Press, 2005.

Find it in Ohrstrom at: REF 973 C79

Check out volume three of this set while working on your Civil War project. Volume three provides mini-collections of newspaper articles about particular Civil War events (i.e. Dred Scott, John Brown, Battle of Gettysburg). All articles were originally published during the Civil War – so, primary sources!

Browse the table of contents in the front of volume 3 for the topic of your choice, and/or, use the index in the back of volume 5 to pinpoint additional articles.
HELPFUL FOR: Humanities IV, history scholars, newspaper buffs, Civil War addicts.