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by Judy Wait, Pine Ridge School
In our Library Media Center we use First Search as another research tool
for our students and staff. I especially like it because I trust the
authority of it as a highly approved and reliable resource. In our
small LMC I have the authorization number and the password on tiny slips
of paper available near each computer so our students and staff can
simply click on the link for First Search from our web site and then use
the slips to insert the needed info. I very much appreciate having this
very reliable resource made available through Library of California.
There is no way a very small library, such as ours, could otherwise
afford to have this important research tool available.
by Ande Schweiker, Mariposa County Public Library
Now that the Mariposa County Library System is a member of the Library of California’s Heartland Region, we provide our library users a higher level of service. Significantly, we now have access to OCLC FirstSearch. This service includes WorldCat, which provides bibliographic and holdings information of items in libraries worldwide in a clear and comprehensive format. Even obscure journals and rare books are easy to find.
OCLC also gives us access to a variety of databases that store a huge number of directories, indexes, bibliographies, abstracts, and articles. The full text of many articles is online. We have found specific full text online articles for our patrons. Our ability to search across all of these collections is a resource beyond any we could directly access before. And we can now quickly narrow any search by format, such as those libraries holding microform copies. We use this feature heavily, as a large number of our patrons engage in genealogical and historical research. We are really only beginning to explore the extent of the OCLC databases and what they offer us.
Conducting searches ourselves produces immediate results, eliminating days of waiting for answers to our holdings queries sent to SJVIS. The time it takes from the point of patron request to the delivery of materials to the patron has been greatly reduced, which keeps our patrons happy. Access to library materials worldwide gives the users of our small rural library system more of the resources and services available in a large urban library system.
HEALTH INFORMATION FOR HMONG AND CHINESE POPULATIONS
http://library.med.nyu.edu/patient/hicup/
"The Frederick L. Ehrman Medical Library, New York University School of Medicine and the NYU Downtown Hospital are pleased to announce the debut of HICUP: Health Information in Chinese Uniting Patients, Physicians and the Public."
"HICUP is an outreach effort between the librarians and health educators from the Ehrman Medical Library, New York University School of Medicine and the NYU Downtown Hospital to provide physicians, patients and the public with quality-filtered, online, consumer health information in Chinese. HICUP contains NYU Downtown Hospital's patient education documents, as well as links to existing consumer health information in Chinese currently available on the Web. This unique service integrates patient education materials with consumer health information to provide a comprehensive, online library of health information devoted to the needs of our Chinese speaking patients, their physicians and the public. The NYU Downtown Hospital health educators, literate in Chinese, review each link and patient education document for readability, accuracy and authority. All links are signed and dated by the reviewer."
They would appreciate comments and suggestions after you take a look at the
site. Please contact them at hicup@library.med.nyu.edu
LITERACY STATISTICS
National Literacy Information and Communication System (LINCS) is a cooperative electronic network of the national and regional divisions of the National Institute for Literacy and other organizations which provides a focal point for adult literacy resources.
Under the Facts and Statistics section, there's a link to The State of Literacy in America (http://www.nifl.gov/reders/reder.htm). This database provides estimates of the number of adults in every city, county, Congressional district, and state with low literacy skills. The report combines 1992 National Adult Literacy Survey (NALS) data and 1990 Census data. This is the most current set of data, but the National Assessment of Adult Literacy is planning to conduct a new survey in 2002 that provides an indication of the nation's progress in adult literacy since 1992. (See http://nces.ed.gov/naal/).
Click on the Western/Pacific LINCS page and you are able to connect to the
State Literacy Resource Center of California which also provides literacy
statistics by county (http://literacynet.org/cgi-bin/hubiv/sra/sra.cgi).
The user is able to retrieve statistics based on literacy characteristics
and habits as well as age, sex and race for all California counties.
COMICS
http://www.comics.org/
The Grand Comic-Book Database. Described as a "resource for fans, hobbyists and collectors, with no commercial objectives," this database may one day include "data for every comic book ever published."
One of the common questions we get from Heartland members is "How can I get a book from X library?" For the rules of conduct on lending and borrowing among Heartland libraries, you’ll have to wait for outcomes from the Interlibrary Loan and Resource Sharing Committee. But for a glimpse of the future look of ILL in Heartland, read on.
First, a little history. In 2000 the Library of California set aside funds for regional "telecommunications" grants. These grants supported efforts within the LoC regional planning groups to test ways to connect its member libraries for resource sharing. In Fall 2000 the Heartland Planning Group entered into an agreement with the San Joaquin Valley Library System to implement their grant. The key parts of the Heartland Telecommunication project were the purchase and testing of software and servers to support a virtual catalog and an automated ILL system. A group of test libraries signed on for the project, Alliant International University (formerly known as CSPP), Bakersfield College, Cerro Coso Community College, College of the Sequoias, Taft College, Community Medical Library, St. Agnes Medical Center, Valley Children’s Hospital Library, and the public libraries of SJVLS. These libraries were selected because they had one of the key components already in place, a Z39.50 server. CSU Fresno agreed to test the connections between a similar project in the CSU system and the system under development by Heartland.
| Z39.50 server: Z39.50 is a key component of the Library of California’s plans for automating resource sharing. Every library runs its own library automation system-- Dynix, GEAC, Follett, Sagebrush, SIRSI, etc. Think of each of those systems as speaking their own language-- making it impossible for them to speak directly to each other. Z39.50 is like a universal language that they can all speak. If a library has a Z39.50 server it can translate the local language into Z39.50, something other library catalogs and the virtual catalog can understand. |
The telecommunications project involved the creation of a virtual catalog and the implementation of the Resource Sharing System (RSS). The Heartland Virtual Catalog is intended to provide a single site for searching the catalogs of the member libraries. It uses Z39.50 to send search requests to selected catalogs, and brings back the results. Instead of hopping from web catalog to web catalog, it allows you to do your searching from a single website. The Heartland Virtual Catalog is still in beta release, but you can go ahead and take a peek. Just go to the Heartland web page and follow the link.
The second component of the telecommunications project was the implementation of Epixtech’s Resource Sharing System. RSS is intended to automate the ILL process. Like the virtual catalog, RSS can do Z39.50 searches of local library catalogs, locate an available copy, and send a request to the owning library. It automates the communication back and forth between lending and borrowing libraries. As many of the LoC regions have discovered, implementing these types of automated ILL systems is a slow process. After many false starts, Heartland hopes to have the test group using RSS fully by October, with expansion of the program to additional libraries to take place after that.
By now you’re probably thinking that’s all well and good for the future, but what about the book I need today? While you’re waiting for the nifty technology and the ILL guidelines, remember that if you need an item from another Heartland participating library, you can always use the old reliable technology of the telephone and ask the library directly if they will loan you the item.
After logging into your personal workstation account or any other non-public account, it is not a good idea to leave your computer unattended. It's almost the same as leaving your car door open with the keys in the ignition. Why? Leaving your computer logged-in may allow other users to access your e-mail or other services which should only be accessible by you. Someone could sit down and inadvertently or intentionally take your computer for a joy ride. Hopefully, this would never happen, but it's always better to be reasonably cautious.
One way, and perhaps the least convenient way Windows NT users can prevent unauthorized users from accessing their account is to close all your open programs, select the "Start" button on the Windows NT taskbar, choose the "Shutdown" option, select "close all programs and log-on as a different user," and finally click on the "Yes" button. This will shut-down any programs you have open and return to the Windows NT log-on screen.
There is a way to secure your workstation if you don't want the hassle of closing all of the programs and projects that you have open on your computer. Press and hold the "CTRL", "Alt", and "Delete" buttons on your keyboard so that the "Windows Security" screen opens. From this window, select "Lock Workstation." Now your workstation is locked and password secure. Only you or an administrator will be able to access your computer. If you want to log back into your workstation, simply press and hold the "CTRL," "ALT," and "Delete" keys. You will then be prompted to enter your password in order to access your account.
If you want to use this method to secure your computer you should still take the time to SAVE any files or work. Even though you are locking your work, that won't protect that 20 page grant proposal in the event of a power outage or some other failure. Regularly saving your work is always a good idea and locking your workstation is not a substitute for this.
If you want to feel even more secure, the "password protected" feature in your Windows screen saver settings is a good backup system. You can setup your workstation so that every time the screensaver runs, your workstation is automatically locked. This way if you haven't secured the computer and are away from your computer longer than you expected, you can have the peace-of-mind that the computer will eventually lock itself. Of course a longer "wait time" for your screen saver means you will have less security. In other words, your computer will be left vulnerable for a longer period of time. However, users probably won’t appreciate an extremely short "wait" period. If your screen saver is set to run after only a minute of inactivity, you could turn away for only a moment and then be required to log onto the computer. This would only agitate you. When using the screen saver "password protected" feature, you'll want to adjust the "wait" time according to your own security needs.
In order to turn this feature on, use your mouse to right-click anywhere on your desktop (not on an icon or program). This should bring up a window with a small list of options, including "properties." Select "properties" and the "Display Properties" window will open, offering you many ways to adjust the way your monitor displays information. For this "password protected" screen saver feature, you want to select the "screen saver" tab at the top of the properties window. This will display the options for adjusting your Windows screen saver. Under the box where your screensaver name is listed (starfield simulation, etc.) there is a small check box next to the words "password protected." Use your mouse to "check" this box, or use your keyboard's tab key and space bar to "check" this box. Also select the number of minutes you want the computer to wait before it runs the screen saver. Select the "apply" button and then select "OK." Your computer's screen saver will now automatically lock your workstation every time the screen saver runs.
Hopefully these simple tricks will help you have a more secure computer.
by Kathleen Smith, San Joaquin Valley Information Service
Do you have a photo or detailed description of the California Traveling Library that brought books to the Miles Grocery store in Exeter from 1909-1910? This question was posed by the Exeter Friends of the Library in preparation for a mural being designed for that library.
My initial assumption was that the California Traveling Library would include some sort of vehicle that ferried books around the state stopping at various locations. Although this was one model of a traveling library, I learned that California’s was patterned after a model used in New York, which was more of a "deposit station".
I was able to verify the fact that the Traveling Library did actually come to Exeter using two sources. The staff of the California History Room at the Fresno Public Library pointed me to John Mangini’s Exeter Now - Then (1976). I also did a search using www.google. (exeter california library) and found supporting evidence at the Carnegie Libraries site (http://carnegie-libraries.org/california/regions/centralvalley/exeter.html).
I searched our local catalog with terms such as "traveling libraries", "bookmobiles" and "state library". Whether it was one of these searches or a moment of serendipity, I found the following title which contained an entire chapter on the history of traveling libraries, although it focused solely on traveling libraries in the Midwest and East. (Bostwick, Arthur E. The American Public Library. New York: D. Appleton & Company, 1923. p. 15-17; 114-121.)
Meanwhile I searched the California Index on the Los Angeles Public Library’s Regional History page (http://www.lapl.org/elec_neigh/index.html) and found an article describing the history of California’s traveling libraries specifically. (Wood, Raymund F. The Traveling Libraries of California. Westerners. Los Angeles Corral. No. 125, March 1977, p.13-15.)
With the help of this source, I discovered that the California Traveling Library was actually a collection of fifty books chosen from various fields of knowledge with some fiction and children’s books included as well. The fifty volumes were packed into a sturdy wooden box, along with copies of a pamphlet or finding list, which listed each book in the box by author and title with a short description. The box was then shipped anywhere in the state "on application of five taxpayers." This rotating collection of books was set up in the E.H. Miles general store for people to come and borrow.
Of course I checked with the California State Library since they were the ones that started the whole thing when in 1903 a Dept. of Traveling Libraries was formed to handle agency demand for books and periodicals. It later became a division in the Extension Dept. in 1905.
Their online catalog shows they hold a complete set of the original pamphlets or finding lists that detail the books sent in each box as well as cumulative circulation statistics from 1904-1912. I did not request the statistical report because it does not include specific counties or cities. The librarian at the State Library did check in early copies of the News Notes of California Libraries and found the Traveling Library Division had a regular column.
Using the Online Archive of California web site, I found two mentions of traveling libraries at the Bancroft Library at U.C. Berkeley. They hold a fabulous California history collection. Unfortunately, no photographs or additional information were discovered in a set of personal papers which mentioned traveling libraries.
I have access to certain library literature databases as a graduate student and was able to discover a very comprehensive article describing the history of the traveling library movement in the U.S. (Passet, Joanne E. Reaching the Rural Reader: Traveling Libraries in America, 1892-1920. Libraries and Culture, Vol. 26, No.1, Winter 1991, p.100-118.) It contains a very extensive bibliography on this subject.
I was never able to locate a photograph of the California Traveling Library in Exeter or anywhere else in the state, but several of the articles contained photos of a "50-book" traveling library from other states.
by Chad McCully, SJVIS
In my initial search for the author of this quote I used the Google search engine to find matching or similar phrases on various web pages. I was promptly immersed in a deluge of contradictory information. Most of the pages that I visited attributed credit to a variety of different authors. Only a few pages were in agreement on the identity of the author and just as few agreed on the actual phrasing of the proverb.
On many web sites, the author was listed as anonymous, while other sites explained the quote as a proverb of China, of India, or even of Ireland. Depending on what web page I visited, it was claimed to be a Jewish Proverb, a Yiddish Proverb, an "ancient Persian" or "old Arab" proverb, and a gospel singer's song. Credit for this quote is also given to various individuals, including Confucius, Gandhi, St. Augustine, Mark Twain, the comedian Stephen Wright and the political commentator and author, Dave Berry. Contemporary self-help gurus, Denis Waitley and Dale Carnegie also get credit. The results of my search only reaffirmed what most good researchers know: information found on the Internet can often confuse and mislead more than it enlightens.
Despite the shortcoming of my web search, I could not find a version of this parable in any of the print sources, including Bartlett’s. In returning to my web search, however, I found a site that proved useful, thereby vindicating the Internet as a research tool. STUMPERS-L is a message board for reference questions that have "stumped" librarians. This site can be visited at the following address: http://www.cuis.edu/~stumpers/
The first clue I found at "Stumpers" was a reference to a print version of the verse. It is described as an "Old Arabian Proverb" and is reproduced here:
"I thought I was abused because I had no shoes until a met a man who had no feet." -- J.M. Braude, _Speaker's Encyclopedia of Stories, Quotations and Anecdotes, p. 338, no. 2320 (1955).
It was helpful to finally discover some reference to a print source. However, what I found next was even more valuable. One "post" discussed "The Gulkistan" or "The Rose Garden," a book written by Shekh Muslihu’d-Din Sadi of Shiraz during the first half of the thirteenth century (1184-1292AD). In this collection of Sufi verse and stories, Sa’di includes the following tale. It should be noted that this is an English translation from the original Persian text:
(From Virginia Tech’s web-page) http://www.vt.edu/vt98/academics/books/shirazi/gulistan 1258 THE GULISTAN OF SA'DI by Sheikh Muslih-uddin Sa'di Shirazi
I never lamented about the vicissitudes of time or complained of the turns of fortune except on the occasion when I was barefooted and unable to procure slippers. But when I entered the great mosque of Kufah with a sore heart and beheld a man without feet I offered thanks to the bounty of God, consoled myself for my want of shoes and recited:'A roast fowl is to the sight of a satiated man Less valuable than a blade of fresh grass on the table And to him who has no means nor power A burnt turnip is a roasted fowl.
After finding this source online, I was able to find a copy of "The Rose Garden" in our own collection. This provided a much older and perhaps original source for the proverb. It would seem that the contemporary versions of this saying are inspired by the author, Shekh Muslihu’d-Din Sadi.
For your entertainment, I have included a list of various ways that different web sites attributed credit. Many of these sites incorrectly give credit to authors and historical figures. Others are variations attributed to contemporary personalities:
"I had the blues because I had no shoes until upon the street, I met a man who had no feet." --Attributed to Denis Waitley (author of several self-help books that can be found in library collections and Amazon. References to a specific book were not made).
"I had the blues because I had no shoes, Until upon the street, I met a man who had no feet." --Attributed to Dale Carnegie (another self-help author who has penned many books)
"I had no shoes and I pitied myself. Then I met a man who had no feet, so I took his shoes." --Attributed to Dave Barry (political author)
"I was sad because I had no shoes, until I met a man who had no feet. So I said, ‘Got any shoes you're not using?’" --Widely attributed to Steven Wright, (stand-up comedian).
"I complained because I had no shoes; until I met a man that had no feet." --Attributed to Mark Twain (I checked several sources on Mark Twain Quotes, and this quote was not present.)
"I was complaining that I had no shoes till I met a man who had no feet." --Attributed to Confucius (I checked in several sources and didn’t find that Confucius said anything remotely similar. Most quotes attributed to Confucius are more directly rhetorical and instructional than this phrase)
Remember what Ghandi [sic] said, "I was sad because I had no shoes. Then I saw a man who had no feet." --Attributed to Gandhi in a church newsletter
"I complained I had no shoes until I met a man who had no feet." --Attributed to St. Augustine (Like Confuscious and Gandhi, quotes actually attributed to Augustine share little similarity to the phrase in question.)
