What's New Library Blog - LaGuardia Community College Library Media Resources Center

Browser Comparisons

I'm not sure if browser comparison articles (like this one), which come out every few months, are really that helpful.
But I think it's a nice reminder that there are other browsers besides Internet Explorer (like Opera and Firefox). They're free to try, fun to explore, and you could end up finding the perfect browser.
And isn't browsing in comfort what the holidays are all about?

posted by Steve in the Library on Monday, November 28, 2005

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving!
Firstgov.gov, the US government's Web portal, has a nice Thanksgiving page.
It features a ton of information, from air travel tips, to recipes, to teacher resources.
It's shockingly comprehensive.
So enjoy the four-day weekend!

posted by Steve in the Library on Wednesday, November 23, 2005

"Black Friday"

The Times has an article on the relatively recent trend of people posting "Black Friday" circulars online.
"Black Friday" is the official start of the holiday shopping season. It's when retailers launch their big sales.
By posting the circulars online now, people can plan their purchases based on price, rather than running from store-to-store on the day the circulars are released.
According to the Times, the retailers are mad about this.
The funny thing is, I suspect they'll soon embrace these sites as a way to get free publicity for their sales and stores.
There's always a balance of power with information. Right now, the scales are tipping toward consumers, but the retailers will figure out a way to make these "Black Friday" sites work for them.

posted by Steve in the Library on Thursday, November 17, 2005

Be Careful What You Post

CNET has a very interesting story about how teens post too much personal information online.
The article specifically mentions MySpace.com, the networking site that seems to be exclusively composed of personal statements and pictures.
I'm not sure teens have the self-control to regulate what they put online. It might be better if the networking services do more to protect the privacy of its members.

posted by Steve in the Library on Tuesday, November 15, 2005

New Nursing Database

The Library is pleased to announce we now have access to CINAHL Plus with Full Text.

To access it, visit the Library home page (www.lagcc.cuny.edu/library), then click on Online Research Journals, then click on Nursing and Allied Health, and then click CINAHL Plus with Full Text.

Besides the full text content, CINAHL Plus also has Evidence-Based Care sheets and Quick Lessons, which are overviews of diseases and issues.

This should be very helpful for anyone working with health issues.

If you have any questions or comments about CINAHL Plus with Full Text, please let me know (sovadia@lagcc.cuny.edu).

posted by Steve in the Library on Friday, November 11, 2005

Library Workshops

We're right in the middle of workshop season here and I haven't been doing the best job of promoting them here.
You can see the full schedule here: http://www.lagcc.cuny.edu/library/programs.htm.
Coming up today: SEARCHING NOT SURFING: EFFECTIVE STRATEGIES FOR SEARCHING THE WEB!
It starts at 3PM in the Library classroom.

posted by Steve in the Library on Wednesday, November 09, 2005

Updated Home Page

We updated our home page so it now features links to Blackboard, NetMail (student email) and GroupWise (faculty email).
You can see the home page here: http://www.lagcc.cuny.edu/library.
If you're a student, and you haven't checked your NetMail yet, you might want to take a peek. A lot of important information gets emailed there.

posted by Steve in the Library on Monday, November 07, 2005

The Economics of Textbooks

The New Yorker recently had an interesting article on the economics of textbooks.
Apparently, students are pretty good at keeping costs down. Many buy textbooks from Europe, where they cost less. And students are reluctant to buy a book that is about to be replaced by a new edition, since the book is about to lose all of its resale value.
That's a pretty good move.
But don't feel too bad for textbook publishers. According to the article:

College students now spend more than five billion dollars a year on textbooks, while states spend another four billion on books for elementary and high-school students. And the revenue is not being spread around: five publishers account for eighty per cent of new college-textbook sales in North America.

posted by Steve in the Library on Thursday, November 03, 2005

Microsoft Offering Online Versions of Software

Just a quick thought on Microsoft offering online versions of its office software.
It doesn't really have to do with libraries, but it does have to do with information technology.
If Microsoft makes enough software available in your browser, rather than on your computer, there's really no reason to have Windows.
Most people, when considering the switch to Mac or Linux, worry about the software issue. Will they still be able to do what they did on their Windows machines? Will they be able to trade files with other people? But if key programs, like Microsoft Office, are available from any kind of Web browser, I think people are going to have a much easier time making the switch away from Windows.

posted by Steve in the Library on Wednesday, November 02, 2005

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		Browser Comparisons I'm not sure if browser comparison articles (like this one), which come out every few months, are really that helpful. But I think it's a nice reminder that there are other browsers besides Internet Explorer (like Opera and Firefox). They're free to try, fun to explore, and you could end up finding the perfect browser. And isn't browsing in comfort what the holidays are all about? posted by Steve in the Library on Monday, November 28, 2005 Happy Thanksgiving! Happy Thanksgiving! Firstgov.gov, the US government's Web portal, has a nice Thanksgiving page. It features a ton of information, from air travel tips, to recipes, to teacher resources. It's shockingly comprehensive. So enjoy the four-day weekend! posted by Steve in the Library on Wednesday, November 23, 2005 "Black Friday" The Times has an article on the relatively recent trend of people posting "Black Friday" circulars online. "Black Friday" is the official start of the holiday shopping season. It's when retailers launch their big sales. By posting the circulars online now, people can plan their purchases based on price, rather than running from store-to-store on the day the circulars are released. According to the Times, the retailers are mad about this. The funny thing is, I suspect they'll soon embrace these sites as a way to get free publicity for their sales and stores. There's always a balance of power with information. Right now, the scales are tipping toward consumers, but the retailers will figure out a way to make these "Black Friday" sites work for them. posted by Steve in the Library on Thursday, November 17, 2005 Be Careful What You Post CNET has a very interesting story about how teens post too much personal information online. The article specifically mentions MySpace.com, the networking site that seems to be exclusively composed of personal statements and pictures. I'm not sure teens have the self-control to regulate what they put online. It might be better if the networking services do more to protect the privacy of its members. posted by Steve in the Library on Tuesday, November 15, 2005 New Nursing Database The Library is pleased to announce we now have access to CINAHL Plus with Full Text. To access it, visit the Library home page (www.lagcc.cuny.edu/library), then click on Online Research Journals, then click on Nursing and Allied Health, and then click CINAHL Plus with Full Text. Besides the full text content, CINAHL Plus also has Evidence-Based Care sheets and Quick Lessons, which are overviews of diseases and issues. This should be very helpful for anyone working with health issues. If you have any questions or comments about CINAHL Plus with Full Text, please let me know (sovadia@lagcc.cuny.edu). posted by Steve in the Library on Friday, November 11, 2005 Library Workshops We're right in the middle of workshop season here and I haven't been doing the best job of promoting them here. You can see the full schedule here: http://www.lagcc.cuny.edu/library/programs.htm. Coming up today: SEARCHING NOT SURFING: EFFECTIVE STRATEGIES FOR SEARCHING THE WEB! It starts at 3PM in the Library classroom. posted by Steve in the Library on Wednesday, November 09, 2005 Updated Home Page We updated our home page so it now features links to Blackboard, NetMail (student email) and GroupWise (faculty email). You can see the home page here: http://www.lagcc.cuny.edu/library. If you're a student, and you haven't checked your NetMail yet, you might want to take a peek. A lot of important information gets emailed there. posted by Steve in the Library on Monday, November 07, 2005 The Economics of Textbooks The New Yorker recently had an interesting article on the economics of textbooks. Apparently, students are pretty good at keeping costs down. Many buy textbooks from Europe, where they cost less. And students are reluctant to buy a book that is about to be replaced by a new edition, since the book is about to lose all of its resale value. That's a pretty good move. But don't feel too bad for textbook publishers. According to the article: College students now spend more than five billion dollars a year on textbooks, while states spend another four billion on books for elementary and high-school students. And the revenue is not being spread around: five publishers account for eighty per cent of new college-textbook sales in North America. posted by Steve in the Library on Thursday, November 03, 2005 Microsoft Offering Online Versions of Software Just a quick thought on Microsoft offering online versions of its office software. It doesn't really have to do with libraries, but it does have to do with information technology. If Microsoft makes enough software available in your browser, rather than on your computer, there's really no reason to have Windows. Most people, when considering the switch to Mac or Linux, worry about the software issue. Will they still be able to do what they did on their Windows machines? Will they be able to trade files with other people? But if key programs, like Microsoft Office, are available from any kind of Web browser, I think people are going to have a much easier time making the switch away from Windows. posted by Steve in the Library on Wednesday, November 02, 2005