Today's Science

Today's Science by Facts on File is a well-produced, fascinating database for students and others interested in science.  The site is geared toward students, with a topic index and a resources index (including a science fair guide and research paper guide).  For the non-student and the student, what was appealing was the section "Conversations with Scientists," in which scientists described their research, why they are interested in their subject, and how they spend their day.  A glaciologist, Ian Joughlin of the University of Washington, recommended taking lots of math and science, as well as english classes.  He "keeps sane" by visiting Greenland and Antarctica every year. Among the others profiled were a neuroscientist who studies the brain and a gerontologist who studies whether calorie restriction can extend lives.  The interviews can be viewed by type of scientist.  This could be inspiring and helpful for young science students.

The body of the colorful site consists of articles on current topics, such as "Diagnosing Disease with DNA."  The articles are full of color photos and graphs, as well as video, and have the added feature of links to the scientists' articles discussed.

For science news presented in an attractive package, Today's Science has much to recommend it.  Home-schooled and other students will find much to like about this site.

--Harry C., Reference

Teacher Reference Center--a Shortcut for Busy Educators

While St. Louis County Library offers excellent databases for academic research, such as Academic Onefile and Academic Search Elite, teachers have their own specialized database.  This database, Teacher Reference Center, allows users to search 280 peer-reviewed journals and obtain either full text or abstracts or articles.

The database features multiple search methods, by boolean search, keyword, whole word, and SmartText search (allows for the search for an entire extract of material).  Teacher Reference Center permits users to search for images, such as graphs and photographs.  A search for "assessment and quizzes" yielded an August 2007 full text article on the value of weekly class quizzes from Assessment and Evaluation in Higher Education.  The article concluded that regular quizzes made students more efficient in reviewing their notes from the previous class.

With the growth of online degrees, the Teacher Reference Center allows education students and teachers to conduct research from their home computer or mobile device.  The flexible search methods of the database and its narrow focus save time for educators.

--Harry C., Reference

Value Line update

The Value Line access issue has been resolved. The platform has been updated. Value Line has created videos tutorials for navigating the new site: http://www.valuelinepro.com/videos.

If you need additional assistance, contact the Reference Department at x2050.

Value Line Access Issues

A note from Value Line: 

Please note that we rolled out our new digital upgrade last night and we are currently experiencing some technical issues. There is a chance that you may not be able to access the site or you may have usage issues.

Please know that we are aware of this and we are working quickly to rectify the situation.

We will update you when we have more information.

Thank you for your patience and we apologize for any inconvenience.

Business Insights Database

Gale's Business Insights Database provides an excellent resource for those interested in learning a company's history, its ranking among peers, and its historical earnings.  Unlike real-time sites like Google Finance or Yahoo Finance, the Business Insights database provides a larger, long-term perspective.  Users can search for a company by name or ticker, industry or topic.  They can compare companies.  For example, the site allows a comparison among multiple companies, by name or ticker symbol.  Comparing medical equipment companies Baxter International, Stryker, and Medtronic in a sales graph shows that Baxter used to be first in sales but was eclipsed recently by Medtronic.  The site also allows the user to generate very specific rankings, such as top manufacturers of dialysis equipment.  Another interesting feature was the rankings tab for companies.  For example, Express Scripts was listed as number 2 pharmaceutical brand, after Pfizer.

Business Insights Database, when used in conjunction with other databases such as D & B Key Business Ratios and Morningstar Investment Research Center, is a powerful tool for analyzing a company on its own or among its peers.

--Harry C., Reference

Value Line Accessibility

We are currently having accessibility issues with Value Line. The vendor is working to resolve the issue. In the meantime, to access our subscription, hover over Research Hub and choose the category you wish to access. If we subscribe, the link will work. 

Value Line maintenance

Message from Value Line: On June 28th, Value Line will be upgrading some of our online services.  Customers who access online the Investment Survey (both the Standard and the Small & Mid-cap Editions), the Value Line 600, and Research Center will NOT be able to access their subscriptions on June 28th and June 29th.  This maintenance window may last as long as 18 hours starting at 10AM ET, June 28th.  We thank you for your patience while we work to continually upgrade your online experience.