MCLS Blog » MeL

Fun Library Video Promotes Databases

Ruth Dukelow — Wed, 06 May 2009 15:58:24 +0000

This promotional library video was produced by St. Johns County (Fla.) Public Library for National Library Week. I like it because it makes the concept of “database” easily understandable to library patrons in an entertaining format – especially the whirlwind summary of the databases that this library has to offer.

At four minutes, it might be a bit long to hold the attention of casual Internet-surfers (anything over two minutes and you lose them), but perfect for a captive audience at a library program or school visit. It is a fun concept – maybe someone in Michigan could produce a shorter version for a lightning tour of MeL databases? Any takers?

MeL Users Day photos

Brian — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 14:20:08 +0000

See the photos from MeL Users Day, or check out MLC’s other Flickr sets.

Pecha Kucha to be featured at the 5th Annual MeL Users Day on April 13

Ruth Dukelow — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 18:03:30 +0000

Online registration is now available for the Fifth Annual MeL Users Day 2009. To liven things up this year, we are introducing a new segment of Pecha Kucha presentations.

Pecha Kucha — also known as “w00tSlam” or “Lightning Round” — is a presentation format based on the triad: “Be brief! Be brilliant! Be gone!” In the 20×20 Pecha Kucha format, each presenter is allowed a slideshow of 20 images, each shown for 20 seconds. This results in a total presentation time of 6 minutes 40 seconds before the next presenter is up.

In addition to six Pecha Kucha presentations, this year’s MeL Users Day agenda includes an open discussion time, conventional break-out sessions, and a peek at what’s in store for MeL in the future.

MeL Users Day 2009 will be held at the Lansing Center on April 13, 2009. For detailed information on MeL Users Day, see MLC’s News & Announcements web page: http://mlcnet.org/cms/sitem.cfm/news__announcements/mel_users_day_2009/

To register online, see: https://members.mlcnet.org/workshops/viewcourse.html?id=195 For assistance with registration, please contact Heather Thomas at MLC (thomash@mlcnet.org).

Enhancements to LearningExpress!

Suzanne — Tue, 30 Dec 2008 14:57:06 +0000

LearningExpress has added sections on career planning and preparation, job search skills, and resume writing and interviewing skills. These should be valuable to your patrons in this economic climate.

LearningExpress will also release a new interface sometime in January. Watch the meldatabases listserv for announcements.

Remember, training on all MeL databases is free to any Michigan library staff. Just contact MLC.

Consumer Reports — Now with No Embargo!

Suzanne — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 16:37:11 +0000

The Michigan eLibrary and Gale are extremely pleased to announce that the partnership with Consumers Union of the United States, Inc. has been revised to continue to offer Consumer Reports titles in full-text – but now with no embargo. Through this newly revised license agreement, users will no longer have to wait 90 days to read current issues of Consumer Reports titles on MeL.

Consumer Reports titles can be found in the following MeL resources: General OneFile, Academic OneFile, Health Reference Center Academic, Business & Company Resource Center, General Reference Center Gold, among others. Full-text for current issues is available without embargo for current MeL users beginning now!

This is an exciting opportunity to introduce your patrons to a very popular resource and to show them all the great things that MeL has to offer!

MLC adds three new MeL Databases trainers

Suzanne — Thu, 05 Jun 2008 15:10:36 +0000

The Michigan Library Consortium is pleased to announce that we have recently added three new MeL Database trainers:

Elaine Erickson
Director
Ironwood Carnegie Library
Ironwood (western UP)

Kevin McDonough
Reference and Electronic Services Librarian
Northern Michigan University
Marquette (central UP)

Karen Becknell
retired from Lamphere Schools
residing in Farmington Hills (Detroit metro area)

Each of these new trainers is enthusiastic and skilled, and each will bring unique experiences to our training program and give us better geographic coverage.

Welcome aboard to all!

MLC provides free training for the MeL databases under contract to the Library of Michigan. For information on scheduling free MeL Database training for your library staff, contact MLC.

Gale Adds Nature Publishing Group to Academic OneFile

Suzanne — Thu, 08 May 2008 14:28:26 +0000

MeL is pleased to announce that Gale has entered into an agreement to offer 41 journals from Nature Publishing Group, including their flagship publication, Nature, through Academic OneFile. These journals, which will carry a 12 month embargo and have an extensive backfile, will be made available in full-text with images over the next few weeks. Click here for more information about Nature Publishing Group.

Here are the titles that will be added to the Gale databases by the end
of May:

Bone Marrow Transplantation
Cancer Gene Therapy
European Journal of Clinical Nutrition
Gene Therapy
Genes and Immunity
International Journal of Impotence Research
International Journal of Obesity
Journal of Exposure Science and Environmental Epidemiology
Journal of Human Hypertension
Journal of Perinatology
Lab Animal
Leukemia
Molecular Psychiatry
Nature
Nature Biotechnology
Nature Cell Biology
Nature Clinical Practice Cardiovascular Medicine
Nature Clinical Practice Endocrinology & Metabolism
Nature Clinical Practice Gastroenterology and Hepatology
Nature Clinical Practice Nephrology
Nature Clinical Practice Neurology
Nature Clinical Practice Oncology
Nature Clinical Practice Rheumatology
Nature Clinical Practice Urology
Nature Genetics
Nature Immunology
Nature Medicine
Nature Methods
Nature Neuroscience
Nature Protocols
Nature Reviews Cancer
Nature Reviews Drug Discovery
Nature Reviews Genetics
Nature Reviews Immunology
Nature Reviews Microbiology
Nature Reviews Molecular Cell Biology
Nature Reviews Neuroscience
Nature Structural and Molecular Biology
Oncogene and Oncogene Reviews
Prostate Cancer
The Parmacogenomics Journal

MeLCat and NoveList now work together!

Suzanne — Tue, 06 May 2008 16:59:19 +0000

All MeL accounts for NoveList now have a link from each record to MeLCat.Â Users can look up a book in NoveList, then click on the MeLCat link to find out which MeLCat library owns it.

In addition, any library that wants to display a link to its own online catalog can contact the MeL databases support staff at:

meldatabaseshelp@mlcnet.org

MeL can help you find the truth

Suzanne — Thu, 01 May 2008 14:18:20 +0000

How does the public distinguish fact from fallacy? How can we help people deal with the age of information overload and misinformation. Why do we need to get students and faculty and the public using MeL?

This is an article about information literacy in today’s world. It’s well worth reading and well worth sharing, so please feel free to forward to as many folks as you’d like to!

Rave reviews for MeL Databases Training!

Suzanne — Wed, 27 Feb 2008 18:15:45 +0000

These are just a few comments from recent classes taught by the MeL Databases trainers:

It was great!

Great chance to be exposed to these resources, opens up a lot of possibilities.

Lots of tips regarding how to do specific things!

WOW – so useful! Great presentation, easy to follow, allows for self-education.

Great overview — this introduced me to many new features (and I consider myself a regular user).

So much available – I learned a lot.

Great exposure for our staff!

And the BEST kind of reaction — “I went right back to my library the next day and could use a database I learned about to help my patrons!”

For information on scheduling a free class for your staff, contact Suzanne Robinson at MLC.