Thing 9: Databases

    I am very lucky in that I have a school district that allows me to purchase several great databases. The first thing I want to mention is a plus for PebbleGo. If you are an elementary librarian looking for good solid information for your youngest students (grades K-4) PebbleGo has several wonderful databases for your to try: Animals, Earth and Space, Biographies, and now, Social Studies.  We love them.
   I did a couple tutorials within the Gale group. I  looked at a couple resources I might need to consider going to battle to add. I am not thrilled with the resources we have that support our Fine Arts projects, especially in the field of music research for middle school age students. So, if anyone has recommendations, please let me know. 
    What I did the most was to look over Google and the searching tips for use with a couple of classes starting research projects where Google would be used a lot. I did two screencasts related to this. One was on Boolean searching that I linked to our OPACs. And the second was on tips for searching with Google. I have that one for now on the library's main web page, but I am not sure that is the best place for it.
Here are the two:
Boolean Searching
Google Searching Tips

    I know I will spend more time with some of the information found related to this topic.  There are so many great tools we have been able to use. Of everything I have done, I have loved a lot of these tools which I know I would not have taken the time to explore on my own. Getting to know Twitter for professional use and developing screencasts are two things that have helped me so much and without this course would have been on a back burner for sure, if I had discovered them at all. ScoopIt has become my other "always open window". I use it constantly to save and review all sort of things. Polly, thank you so much for all of this!!