Some new features: (Highlights from Workshop April 15th, 2009)
Ebsco now has a search widget available to directly link a library’s website to an Ebsco Search which can be anywhere on a homepage. They are recommending libraries add this feature as it greatly increases database traffic.
They also now have a One Search Feature instead of searching multiple databases each with its own separate search interface you can search them all as well as the catalogue at the same time. Burnaby Public Library has added this feature and it works very well. Libraries can have their databases linked and set up to do this automatically.Search Options - under “Search Modes” you can now chose Smart Text Searching.
• SmartText Searching - You can copy and paste chunks of text (up to 5000 characters including spaces) to search for results. SmartText Searching leverages a technology that summarizes text entered to the most relevant search terms then conducts search. This search mode is not available for all databases.
When you click the SmartText Searching radio button, the Find field grows to indicate that you can enter as much text as you want. Type in text, or copy and paste text from an article (or other source) into the Find field, select any of the limiters or expanders, and click Search.
SmartText Searching will run the search using the citation's abstract and a new Result List will display. If no abstract is available, SmartText Searching will run the search on the article title. If SmartText Searching is not available in the database being searched, Find Similar Results searches the article's subject headings or descriptors.
This is great if you are searching for where a piece of text originates or if you want to find text with similar content.
• Apply Related Words is also a new feature. If you click on this Expander it will let you broaden the scope of your search to include true synonyms and plurals of your terms.
Example: A search for Neoplasm with the Apply Related Words expander applied would also search for Tumor, Tumour, Tumors, Tumor's, Tumours, and Tumour's.
• Also search within the full text of the articles - Select this option to search for your keywords within the full text of articles, as well as abstract and citation information. This applies only to words not qualified by a field code.
To create a search using an expander:
1. In the Find field, enter your search terms.
2. Select the expander you want to use from the Search Options section of the search screen.
3. Click Search. The Result List appears.
Searching within a PDF article.
PDF’s can be long. To search for your term/words within the document click on the binoculars and in the box that pops up type in the text needed. This will take you to those terms.
Images can now also be found in HTML documents.
Publications
If you are looking for a particular type of publication- click on Publications (top of Search Page). Choose a database. Click [By Subject and Description] enter you interest field such as politics. It will then bring up those publications that deal with that subject matter.
Limit your results
You can also limit your search results as shown. Use the slide to narrow the date field.
Preferences – recommendations (Preferences are found at the top of the Search Page)
• Autocomplete Search Suggestions – recommend that this is [on]
• Format recommend [brief]
• Results per page – recommend [50]
Personal Folders
You can create personal folders that travel with you when ever you log into Ebsco. Here you can save articles, information, book titles etc. You can share these folders with others. From your personal folders on the folder you wish to share click on [share]. You can choose whether you wish people to see it one time (static list) or see updates when you add them. They cannot add any content as the folder belongs to you – so they have read only capabilities.
However if you want people to be able to add content to folders – such as a folder on the “History of North Vancouver” then create a folder called Reference Desk and have sub-folders within it and share the login & password with other co-workers. They can then add content and build the information base.
Journal Alerts
You can add journal alerts, so you know when a new journal that you are interested in has been added. It will email you to let you know. You can also create an alert for someone else from your folder but be wary –as it’s from your personal folder only you will be able to update it. So if you do this for a patron you will have to be the one to alter it if they chose to stop the alerts.
Updates to Novelist
Quill & Quire will be coming on-line with Novelist. They will be included in its review section.
Novelist can be linked to library catalogues so users can easily see what books in Novelist the library holds.
They are busy tidying up the links to author on the database.
Some New Data bases Ebsco will be offering soon:
• Multilingual Health Databases
Health information is now available in multiple languages. This simple tool will bring none English Speakers into the library and onto library websites.
• Novelist Select
NoveList Select delivers the high quality content from the NoveList suite of products (recently ranked as the most frequently used resources and number one in terms of content in a national study) directly to library catalogs.
• Librarians and patrons can view a list of similar/recommended books from right within the catalog for over 4 million titles
• The top subject headings for the recommended titles are also displayed so that users understand why a particular title is being suggested.
• Links to Recommended Reads lists, Author Read-alikes, Book Discussion Guides, and additional NoveList feature content are displayed in the catalog results.
NoveList Select will be available for all major integrated library systems including Innovative Interfaces, Sirsi/Dynix, and Polaris
- Consumer Reports.org
Now it's possible to have a direct link from Ebsco and a library’s webpage to Consumer Reports- EbscoHost Integrated Search
In just a few months, EBSCOhost Integrated Search will be made available. This will be a true one-stop research environment that has thus far eluded the library world.
Until now federated search products have struggled to offer the kind of unified search experience that users want. Our research shows that many customers who are using federated search products are unhappy with four essential components:
1.) Search Quality
2.) Search Speed
3.) Customer Service
4.) Cost
Because the recently revitalized EBSCOhost interface is the essence of EBSCOhost Integrated Search, it leverages the EBSCOhost features and functionality, eliminates unnecessary end-user confusion (and training), offers a single point for all usage reports, gives fast response times, and provides a cost effective search solution. EBSCOhost Integrated Search allows librarians to use the power of EBSCOhost to search not only all of their EBSCO products, but also ALL other electronic resources including those from other database aggregators, OPACs, publisher packages, and virtually any other electronic resource.
EBSCO will not charge for EBSCOhost databases to be included in this service, and as a result, the number of connectors will be reduced when pricing. Due to this, customers of multiple EBSCOhost databases may find the service to be affordable relative to other options.
- Art and Architecture Complete
Art & Architecture Complete™ is the definitive research database for the study of art and architecture. This database provides full-text coverage of more than 230 periodicals and more than 100 books. In addition, Art & Architecture Complete offers cover-to-cover indexing and abstracts for more than 620 academic journals, magazines and trade publications as well as for over 140 books. The database also provides selective coverage for more than 135 additional publications. - Historical Abstracts
Historical Abstracts covers the history of the world (excluding the United States and Canada) from 1450 to the present, including world history, military history, women's history, history of education, and more - essential for libraries supporting upper-division and graduate research.
This authoritative database provides indexing of more than 1,700 academic historical journals in over 40 languages back to 1955. History and social science researchers have used Historical Abstracts to discover significant and groundbreaking work for more than 50 years. No other history research tool matches its scholarly standards or comprehensive coverage.
- Biography Reference Center ™
Biography Reference Center™ will offer a comprehensive collection of more than 200,000 full text biographies, including the complete full text run of Biography Today and Biography Magazine, as well as thousands of narrative biographies that are not available in other databases.
In addition to keyword searching, users can also locate biographies of interest by browsing more than 20 genre categories, including actors, authors, composers, explorers, figures relevant to U.S. & world history, inventors, musicians, Presidents of the United States, current world leaders and many others.
- EbscoHost Integrated Search
