For the moment, there is a two-week loan period.

If there is any other assigned reading for T2 and T3 (other than textbooks), please let me know.  The iPod collection will defintiely grow in the future, and audiobook choices may expand into more recreational reading.

I hope you enjoy this service.

Titles listed singly:

Multi-resource databases (articles, video, websties, and more)

• Biography in Context (formerly the Biography Resource Center)
• Global Issues in Context
• Opposing Viewpoints in Context
• Science in Context
• Student Resources in Context
• U.S. History in Context
• World History in Context

Also

• Academic One File
• Literature Resource Center
• LitFinder
• Books and Authors
• Health and Wellness Resource Center
• Business and Company Resource Center
• RDS Business Suite
• Health Reference Center Academic

And the familiar resources

• Contemporary Literary Criticism Select
• Educator’s Reference Complete
• Expanded Academic ASAP
• General Business File ASAP
• General Reference Center Gold
• InfoTrac K-12 Junior Edition
• InfoTrac K-12 Student Edition
• Kids InfoBits
• Massachusetts History Online
• New York Times
• InfoTrac One File
• Gale Virtual Refence LIbrary

Concentrated periodical collections in

• Nursing & Allied Health
• Psychology
• Diversity Studies
• GLBT Life & Issues
• Environmental Studies and Policy
• Fine Arts & Music
• General Science
• U.S. History
• World History
• War & Terrorism

So, in plain English, what’s this got to do with Worcester Academy and you?

Well, Massachusetts is now providing a new bunch of databases (through Mass tax dollars).  These are available to all Mass residents from schools and public libraries.  There are a lot of databases from Gale and ProQuest!  In addition, these links can be found in the Netvibes Tabs labeled “State Databases A-Z” and “State Newspapers.”

The database links will open automatically while you are on campus.  If you are online elsewhere (remote access), you will need your WA Library card number or WA password to use them.

And remember, public libraries have these, too!  Google your public library, bookmark the database page, and enter your public library card number from wherever you are!

And furthermore, what’s this got to do with Worcester Academy and you?  You can help spread the word.  There are a lot of residents out there who do not know this is available — teachers, school kids, neighbors.  This is great stuff from the Commonwealth!

Click the “Information Services” tab

and scroll down a bit to the “Library Resources” link

Well, of course you can borrow or download from your public library.

You can purchase audiobooks online.

But there are many audiobooks that are free!  Mind you, these are not the newest, hottest titles.  But for any old classics, old titles, or old publication dates (like GREAT EXPECTATIONS by Dickens or THE ODYSSEY by Homer), I recommend that you start with these sites:

LibriVox

Gutenberg: Audio Books Project

Audio Books for Free

These books can listened to in iTunes (and transferred to your iPod).

To download from Librivox:

• Go to the website and click “Librivox Catalog.”
• Search for a title or author and click the title you want.
• From the list of links, right-click (CTRL+click) “Zip file for the entire book.”
• Click “Save File As…” and save to your desktop.
• After the zip file has downloaded, click the zip icon.
• This will unload the zip file into a folder containing all of the book’s chapters.

To download from Gutenberg or Audio Books for Free:

• Search for a title or author and click the title you want.
• You will see clusters of files or a list of files.  These are clusters of chapters or single chapters.
• To obtain the whole book, right-click (CTRL+click) each file in the cluster or list.
• Click “Save File As…” and save to your desktop.

To upload the chapters to iTunes:

• Open iTunes
• Under the FILE menu, select “Add to Library.”
• Locate the file(s) on your desktop and click “Open.”
• All chapters will be uploaded into your library.
• From there you can listen to the book through iTunes or transfer the chapters to your iPod.

Tips:

Most voices are human/real; some are computer-generated.

With short story compilations, you can choose to download the whole compilation or separate stories.

You can also open  iTunes and simply search for a title.  You may be surprised at what comes up for free.

• For example, my search for TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD brought up a podcast for the novel’s Celebrity Read in Mecklenburg County.
• All chapters are there FOR FREE.  You have to download each chapter separately, which takes time!

• Classroom VOD (Facts on File)
  • Authorized users: current WA students and employees.
  • Content from this resource may not be posted anywhere on the web.
  • Content is from Films for the Humanities and Sciences (FFH&S),

Web resources:

• PBS Frontline
  • “American public television’s flagship public affairs series”

• PBS Newshour with Jim Lehrer
  • Transcripts and video segments

• PBS Nature
  • Nature and wildlife programs

• PBS NOVA
  • Science programs

• PBS American Experience
  • History programs

• The History Channel
  • Note: These clips contain commercials.

• TeacherTube
  • Instructional, more educationally focused videos than You Tube
    

These are found in the Gale Virtual Reference Library.

USAGE

* The books

• To see all of the titles, click “Show All.”
• Click the “+” next to a subject to see groups of books.
• “Hide All” will collapse the drop-down lists.

* Your choices of titles

• Search through the books all together or one at a time.

* Results

• Articles and book sources are listed as live links.
• The list can be sorted by Relevance, Document Type, Publication Date, or Publication Title.
• Articles can be viewed on your screen or saved as a PDF file (Note: You may need to log in to read any files while off campus.)
• In the left-hand column you can narrow your results by Document Type, Publication Title, or Subjects.

* Screen view features

• ReadSpeaker will read the article to you in English.
• Live links to the book’s Table of Contents, Index, and Illustrations are provided.
• There are options to email and download the article.
• The mp3 ReadSpeaker file can be downloaded.
• A citation tool is available.  Go to your Source Aid file and paste and import the citation.
• Read a translation of the article in Arabic, Simplified Chinese, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish.  No ReadSpeaker is provided for translations.

Meta Search Engines group many single engines into one, sort of like an integrated search.  Since many single engines specialize in certain types of information, you may find different results using these, than by using Google alone.

• Clusty – combines Yahoo, Bing, Ask, Open Directory, and others
• Dogpile – combines Google, Yahoo, Bing, and Ask
• Ixquick – 16 engines; does not record your IP address

Of course, if all else fails, use:

• Google Scholar -  “Google Scholar helps you find relevant work across the world of scholarly research.”
• Google.com – Our friend

And more types of search engines can be found here:

• Pandia Powersearch All-in-One List of Search Engines

To use these from your home, obtain an updated Worcester Public Library card. (Card number must begin with D78….)  The cards are free, but you need to retrieve the sticker in person. Here are the resources you can use remotely (that WA doesn’t have):

• African American History Online (Facts on File)
• American History Online (Facts on File)
• American Women’s History Online (Facts on File)
• Auto Repair Center (EBSCO)- vehicle ownership and maintenance
• Contemporary Literary Criticism, Something About the Author, Short Story Criticism, Children’s Literature Review (Gale)
• HeritageQuest.com  [Learn more]
• Job & Career Accelerator
• Learning Express Library – FREE Practice tests (PSAT, SAT, AP, TOEFL and more), exercises, skill-building course
• Marcive Web – catalog of US Government Publications
• Mergent Online – Business and financial data of companies around the world
• NetLibrary – Borrow online books for 2-3 weeks
• NovelistPlus – Find that perfect book in a specific genre, the next book in a favorite series, author read-alikes, book lists, and book discussion guides
• Prices for Antiques (p4a) -Antiques References
• Photofact Online – Owners manuals and service manuals for TVs, VCRs, radios, etc.
• PowerSpeak Languages
• ReferenceUSA – “The premier source of business and residential information for reference and research”
• Salem Health Database
• TumbleBook Library
• Tumble Readables
• World Cat

UNITED STATES GEOGRAPHY
“This interactive database offers teachers, librarians, and students an unbeatable combination of authoritative research sources, standards-aligned lessons and activities, and engaging current events features on all 50 U.S. states.”

AMERICAN HISTORY
“From the explorers of the Americas to today’s headlines, American History investigates the people, events, and themes of our nation’s evolution.”

AMERICAN GOVERNMENT
“American Government connects the issues of the day with the foundations of government and compares the political and economic systems of the United States with other countries.”

WORLD HISTORY: ANCIENT AND MEDIEVAL
“World History: Ancient and Medieval Eras covers human history in all corners of the globe—from prehistoric times to the beginnings of the Renaissance.”

WORLD HISTORY: THE MODERN ERA
“This database offers a comprehensive electronic library of historical reference materials and interactive curricular units, plus tools for enhancing lectures, creating research lists, developing student activities, and addressing different learning styles”

ISSUES: UNDERSTANDING CONTROVERSY AND SOCIETY
“This database helps students develop an in-depth understanding of how society shapes and is shaped by controversy—with authoritative historical context, expert perspectives, and carefully selected primary and secondary sources on the most enduring and timely issues of the day.”

UNITED STATES AT WAR
“This user-friendly database is an authoritative, easy-to-use, and appealing online resource providing comprehensive information on 14 conflict periods that have defined our nation from its earliest beginnings to today.”

ALSO:

eBOOK COLLECTION
“The new ABC-CLIO eBook Collection offers the same high-quality, authoritative, scholarly information librarians have come to expect from ABC-CLIO plus enhanced readability via a new reading pane, improved search and browse capabilities, and more.”  The collection contains encyclopedias, dictionaries, handbooks, and guides.