New titles, trials, tutorials, tricks, a toolbar, a testimony, a tour and some dancing

In this issue: new stuff in the Library @ Mohawk, more ways to find copyright-free materials for your courses, an indispensable dictionary toolbar, another great report on our students and technology, some solid avian flu resources and a little dancing.

1. New stuff in the Library!
a.) New Titles Galore!
Check out the latest titles added to the Library @ Mohawk collections! Our New Titles list has just been updated to show you all the new stuff added since last summer along with call numbers so that you can find these goodies right away!

b.) New Trials
For a limited time you can try out some databases that we have on trial: Mosby�s Nursing Consult , ScienceDirect College Edition and Reviews.com. (All require username and password that you can get from the friendly library staff at any location and no remote access is available for trials.) Mosby�s Nursing Consult contains comprehensive drug info, nursing reference books, journals and customizable patient handouts. ScienceDirect provides access to over 1800 titles in the fields of science, medicine and technology�high-quality, peer-reviewed journal articles and authoritative reference works exclusive to ScienceDirect and not available anywhere else online. Reviews.com from the Association for Computing Machinery “aims to provide access to current research, theory and applications in all subdisciplines of computing via the review medium. CR compiles expert, unbiased critical reviews of current publications of note in computing.” Take �em for a whirl and let us know what you think�keep them on the Library island or vote them off?

c.) New Tutorial
Heard about social bookmarking and need a quick primer? Check out the new tutorial just added to the BRAIN_blog tutorials (lower right corner of this page). It features a quick roundup of the 4 most popular social bookmarking tools out there.

2. More tricks for finding copyright-free material
This month, Google added a new usage rights filter to its advanced search that lets you search for materials that are free to use, share or modify. (Click on Advanced Search on the Google home page, then look for the drop-down next to Usage Rights that is set by default to �not filtered by license�.) This is a great tool to use when looking for materials to steal, er, borrow from for development of course materials. Yahoo! also offers this type of search through their Advanced Search interface. Look for �Creative Commons Search� and tick off the box to find the free stuff. The Creative Commons web site lets you search for this type of material using Yahoo! or Google. Creative Commons also offers a delightful little search page just for us in Education! Just look at that lovely search box that lets you search for materials you�d like to use commercially or otherwise. And take a gander at those nifty links to MIT free courseware, Public Library of Science, and more! The sheer unadulterated usefulness of it all! (Sheepishly wondering what Creative Commons is but afraid to admit it? Quick�see this BRAIN_blog posting (bullet #2) and no one will ever know you didn�t know!)

3. A world of words has just opened before my very eyes
Merriam Webster has joined the toolbar game and released their very own toolbar. Look up words instantly, research better words using the thesaurus and in just one click, access the Word of the Day! Oh joy, oh bliss. Let the rejuvenation of this tired, insipid prose begin!

4. The future�s so bright…
Another great report in the �getting to know our students� department� College students are wired for the future! According to the study The Internet Goes To College: How Students Are Living In the Future With Today�s� Technology (from the Pew Internet and American Life Project), nearly 79% of students agree or strongly agree that Internet use has had a positive impact on their college academic experience. Among the advantages cited: better communication with their professors, 24/7 availability and ease and selection of research. Check out the report for the full scoop.

5. Now is the time on BRAIN_blog when we dance
Ordinarily, dear reader, we dedicate this space to resources that are of the strictest research quality and academic interest. I break with this practice now to bring you a resource that is recreational in nature but cannot go unmentioned. Pandora is a musical tool that is just too groovy to be missed and well, it also gives a sense of the direction that online recommender and social tools are going (recall the book recommender system we discussed a while back.) Enter an artist or song and Pandora looks for similar artists and songs. It also explains why it chose particular artists and songs to recommend. If you don�t like a song that has been recommended you can give a thumbs down to guide the tool to find music more to your liking. The music is instantly streamed. Sadly, only a trial is available for us up here in the Great White North�but they are working on opening access for us too!
Ok, time to stop dancing. Ahem. Back to our regularly scheduled programming.

6. Avian flu resources
Nothing better than some solid information to help quell the tide of fear. Check out this great resource list on avian flu gathered by the folks at one of my favourite blogs, Resourceshelf.

7. Information Discovery Tour
Wee reminder that next Wed., (23rd) at 12 noon, in room i204, the information discovery tour leaves the virtual station! Come out for a whirlwind 1 hour tour of new stuff at Google, Yahoo and MSN, alternative search engines, and tools for managing mounds of information. See you there!