There is no other way to put it, YOU (whoever you are) have spoken!
Here are the winners of the first round…
Science Direct (by 7 votes)
JSTOR (by 11 votes)
Scopus (by 6 votes)
Academic Search Complete (by 10 votes)

Now for round 2!

Cast your votes and cast them soon because ONLY TWO can compete for the title of…. well…. I guess,

THE MOST DEMOCRATICALLY VOTED BEST DATABASE AT ALFRED UNIVERSITY

(that’s some serious schools spirit with the purple, even if it’s not grammatically correct)
 
Before you vote make sure to take a look at what these databases have to offer.
(seriously though we’ve got google analytics on this thing and I can tell)



 
 
OK, it’s voting time!
[polldaddy poll=8783604]
[polldaddy poll=8783609]
 

The Final Four are set and so is our bracket. These eight, elite databases, are about to battle it out for #1
Let’s see the matchups!

       VS          
 
Overview:
This matchup was completely unexpected! With LexisNexis unexpectedly taking the eighth seed, they look to be a underrated opponent.
Heard around the water cooler:
“I was shocked, I mean, an eight seed? What were they thinking?! If anything I’d have to give em at least a five seed. ” – Anonymous AU Librarian
“I just started laughing. I mean ya, LexisNexis is a great database, but have you seen its interface? No competition bro.” – Scholes student worker
See their stats —> Click on their Logos above to check them out  —-> VOTE
[polldaddy poll=8769280]
 
 
 
    VS   
Overview:
Talk about DRAMA! We’ve got two MAJOR fan favorites here. While both cover completely different areas, this should be a close matchup.
Heard around the water cooler:
“Man… (shakes head) how do I choose? Why would they put these two in the same bracket? I’m going to need another cup of coffee ” – Engineering/History double major 
“This AGAIN just verifies that the selection committee pulled an all nighter before choosing matchups….. seriously though ” – Herrick student worker
See their stats —> Click on their Logos above to check them out  —-> VOTE
[polldaddy poll=8769299]
 
 
 
    VS   
Overview:
Read all about it! Newspaper Source Plus vs Scopus! Again another hard matchup, but an interesting one since Scopus is the new database in town.
Heard around the water cooler:
“Not only would I bet the game, I say Scopus takes it all. I mean who reads newspapers? Plus, h-index is the new black.” – Overheard in Macmahon
“Just because I’m an Engineer doesn’t mean I HAVE to vote Scopus, does it? I mean NSP’s got my hometown newspaper, and I’m from ALBUQUERQUE.” – Scholes Librarian
See their stats —> Click on their Logos above to check them out  —-> VOTE
[polldaddy poll=8769315]
 
 
 
     VS    
Overview:
The two heavyweights battle it out here in a matchup that could have possibly been for the championship, a lot to look forward to here.
Heard around the water cooler:
“Great! Two of my favorite databases against each other in the first round!? Think I’ll just flip a coin.” – Herrick student worker
“Wait what? That’s legit.” – AU Liberal Arts & Science Faculty Member
See their stats —> Click on their Logos above to check them out  —-> VOTE
[polldaddy poll=8769325]

Here at Scholes March Madness is in full swing so in the spirit brackets we’ve decided to provide our own bracket of sorts. We’ll break down the numbers and analyze the data over the course of March Madness, each week matching up a couple of our databases in a resource showdown. Stay tuned for the matchups!!!!
Official NCLA (National Collegiate Library Association) Sanctioned MADNESS

Let’s introduce the teams and provide some stats….

Name: “The Freshman” –SCOPUS
Temporal Coverage: 1995-Present
Journal Titles: 21,000
Publishers: 5,000
Books: 70,000
Conference Papers: 6.5 Million
Patents: 24 Million
Coach: Elsevier
Claim to Fame: “The largest abstract and citation database of peer reviewed literature: scientific journals, books and conference proceedings”

Name: “Quarter” –ScienceDirect
Temporal Coverage: 1823-Present
Journal Titles: 2,500
Articles: 13,000
Full Text: Yes
Books: 26,000
Coach: Elsevier
Claim to Fame: “Home to almost one-quarter of the world’s peer reviewed full text scientific, technical and medical content”

Name: “Coverage” –Academic Search Complete
Temporal Coverage: 1887-Present
Indexed Journal Titles: 13,780
Full Text Journals: 9,000
Full Text Peer-Reviewed Journals: 7,850
Coach: EBSCOhost
Claim to Fame: “The world’s most comprehensive, scholarly full-text database for multidisciplinary research”

Name: “Compendex” –Engineering Village
Temporal Coverage: 1884-Present
Engineering Disciplines: 190
Publishers: 1,998
Journals: 3,800+
Trade Magazines: 117
Conference Proceedings: 80,000+
Databases Include: Compendex, NTIS, Chimica, GeoRef (12 in all)
Coach: Elsevier
Claim to Fame: “Engineering Village is the definitive “go to” resource for engineering information for academia”

Name: “The Non Profit” –JSTOR
Publishers: 900+
Disciplines Covered: 500+
Full Text Journals: 2,000+
Primary Resources: 2 Million+
Coach: Ithaca
Claim to Fame: “We Collaborate with the academic community”

Name: “Jr” –LexisNexis Academic
Temporal Coverage: 1790-Present
Newspapers: 3,000+
Magazines: 2,000+
Full Text Sources: 15,000+
Legal Research Coverage: Federal & State
Coach: LexisNexis
Claim to Fame: “Powerful, easy, vetted”

Name: “Newsboy” –Newspaper Source Plus
Full Text News Articles: 58 Million+
Newspaper Coverage: 1,200+
Media Coverage: TV & Radio broadcast transcripts
Coach: EBSCOhost
Claim to Fame: “Today’s news today”

Name: “The Quest” –ProQuest Central
Subject Areas: 160+
Full text Dissertations: 50,000+
Market Reports: 43 Industries
Coach: ProQuest
Claim to Fame: “The Ultimate cross-disciplinary research tool”

As some of you know, Scholes Library experienced a bit of “disaster” last week.  A weather related radiator issue caused a small flood on our ground floor (Engineering Area).  Library staff were at the ready and all library materials were saved by our prepared and quick-thinking staff.  We were assisted by an all-hands-on-deck call to dedicated physical plant staff who stopped the fooding and worked quickly to dry us out.  We are extremely grateful and proud of our prepared and quick-thinking college staff who suffered little more than “wrinkled toes” from the flooding and clean-up.
From this unfortunate event springs a wonderful opportunity for Scholes Library.  As we prepare to put the space into functional order we are able to dream a little.  Do we really need these book stacks?  Have many of these titles and journals been replaced by electronic content?  Are there a better uses for this space that could address an immediate study need?  Can we use this opportunity to build a space in Scholes Library that will foster creativity and bring classroom learning to life?
Know that your library is looking to turn this unfortunate event into a innovative library space that will be designed for comfort and productivity and …..  YOU CAN HELP.  What are your thoughts?  What are your needs?


What would you like to see in our disaster turned opportunity renovated library space?
If you have any thoughts, please forward them to Engineering Librarian Trevor Riley at riley@alfred.edu or Director Mark Smith at msmith@alfred.edu

Hi everyone! Just a quick note to let you know that students and staff now have full complimentary access to NYTimes.com and NYTimes mobile apps, thanks to our school-wide subscription.*
We encourage you to take advantage of The New York Times to enrich your educational experience.
NYTimes.com covers a variety of topics with quality and depth through breaking news articles, blogs, videos and interactive features. In addition, you will be able to share content on social networks, save articles of interest, subscribe to email newsletters and set up personalized alerts. Your access to NYTimes.com is available from any location, on or off campus.
Activate your Pass for free access to NYTimes.com by clicking here and following the simple instructions. You may also wish to view this short video.
 
* Users must have a valid email address from Alfred University. Mobile apps are not supported on all devices. Does not include e-reader editions, Times Premier content or digital versions of The New York Times Crossword. This program provides only select access to The New York Times Archive and does not replace database services to which your institution may currently subscribe. Other restrictions apply.

I am Melanie Miller, the newest staff member at Scholes library and the one word I would use to describe myself is curious.
When I announced to my friends and family that I had obtained my dream job in a library, I was met with mixed reactions.  Some said, “What a perfect place for you to be! You can read all day.”  Riiiiighhhttt…
But I was surprised when some started putting on their aluminum foil hats and telling me that libraries won’t exist in the future.
It’s an argument we’ve all heard before.  “No one reads books anymore. (Insert favorite e-reader brand here) is amazing.”  Or my personal favorite, “What can a library have that you can’t find on the internet?”

In the year leading up to me obtaining my dream job, I took some on line courses as a way to satisfy my ceaseless curiosity.  I learned what librarians and library staff throughout the world already know: Libraries are about more than just books.  Libraries are about information, and our rights to access information.  Even though I have been a patron in various libraries nearly my entire life, this isn’t something I was ever conscious of.  I wanted books and articles to finish a paper or for entertainment.  I had the freedom to enter the library and access whatever information I needed to.
To me, there is no better time for libraries to exist than today.  We live in a world where we have access to so much information, but not all of it is quality.  There is an abundance of information at our fingertips, but how do we discern its accuracy, interpret its meaning and apply it to our lives?
The role of libraries has never been more valuable.  To be responsible citizens and good students (even long after we’ve obtained a degree), we need access to quality information.  We could argue that there is more information available to us than ever before, and that is not a trend that will go away. How do we use all of this stuff?

“But what about the internet?” they say. “I can find anything I need there.”  I say it depends on what your needs are.  Because if your needs are a macaroni and cheese recipe or what Kim Kardashian wore last week, sure, the internet will meet those needs.  But ask any of our students searching through our extensive journals for a research project, or signing out books for their thesis, or anyone inquiring about the history of the College of Ceramics and seeing the archives.  Can the internet meet those needs?  Libraries are more than books.  And if you ask me, the curious new administrative assistant at Scholes, no, the internet does not meet my curiosity needs.

When the Confucius Institute was established at Alfred University in 2008, Herrick Library received a collection of several thousand items about Chinese language, history and culture. The collection supports the Confucius Institute’s mission of teaching Chinese language and culture and furthering understanding of China today.

The collection is wide-ranging, including hundreds of Chinese films and television programs, books on Chinese philosophy and art, classics of Chinese literature, reference books on Chinese medicine, travel guides, and, my personal favorite, cookbooks.
There is extensive material for learning Chinese language, including textbooks, workbooks, CDs, software, and flashcards. Some language material is designed specifically for children.
 
You can find the Confucius Collection on the lower level of Herrick Library. Materials may be checked out of the library.



 
 
– Ellen Bahr

We wish everyone a very happy holiday season! May you all have a wonderful and restful winter recess. See you next year. 🙂
Best Regards,
Herrick and Scholes Library

Books are boring. Yes I said it, boring.

What is this librarian talking about? Has he never heard of Hemingway, Austin, Dr. Seuss? Where would we be without A Tale of Two Cities, Dune, or The Secret Garden? Does he not value job security? Heard of that quote by Thomas Jefferson “I cannot live without books?” MY GOD! Does he even know he’s librarian!?

Please, hear me out. I love books too. That better? First off, they’re way better than the movie. And who doesn’t love that smell, right? I could get lost in that smell…. I am a librarian you know.

Plus, ebooks (We’ve got a digital ton of these) are great right? Ctrl+f right through those things and find all the good stuff you came for. Seriously every time you open an ebook and hit those two little magical buttons you’re turning yourself into a real life index/Sherlock Holmes. I mean is there anything ctrl+f can’t find?
Ok maybe not one of those.

Anyways, now that I have told you all about how awesome books are let me get back to my original argument about the AWESOMENESS of trade magazines. (by now I would hope you had figured out that I was just trying to catch your attention with that boring books line)

It will all make sense soon.

TRADE MAGAZINES

What are they?

Trade magazines are periodicals that are developed for different professions, industries, trades, fields, etc.. They often share what’s happening within a field, review new research/techniques/trends to show possible impacts, provide a forum for discussion, and geared toward you.

Why should I care?

Trade magazines are great for a number of reasons. Many of them are associated with professional organizations. These organizations are all about supporting the their members and their field of study. They can provide job listings, information on grants, conferences, and other opportunities. In general, they are a great resource for keeping up on what is happening in your field. Besides all that, trade magazines are great for researching your next paper on recycling spent nuclear fuel,  3D printing in space, or wax fuel for safer rockets, etc..

You just blew my mind, where can I find them?

So glad that you asked! Depending on what you are looking for you can either find them in print at the library, through one of our databases, or online through the library’s subscription. Both Scholes and Herrick librarians can point you in the right direction. Just drop by and ask! If you want to learn more about trade magazines or any of our other awesome resources, find your personal librarian and drop them a line.

A short list by subject area

Accounting

• Main Street Practitioner (NSA – National Society of Accountants) library access

Art

• Art Bulletin (CAA – College Art Association) library access
• The Independent Artist newsletter (NAIA – National Association of Independent Artists)

Business Administration

• MWorld (AMA – American Management Association)

Chemistry

• C&EM (ACS – American Chemical Society)
• ChemMatters (ACS – Education Division)

Education

• American Educator (AFT – American Federation of Teachers)
• Education Matters ( AAE- Association of American Educators)
• PRISM (ASEE – American Society for Engineering Education)

Engineering (Ceramic)

• ACerS Bulletin (ACerS – American Ceramic Society)

Engineering (Electrical)

• IEEE Spectrum (IEEE – Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers)

Engineering (Mechanical)

• ME Today newsletter (ASME – American Society of Mechanical Engineers)
• Mechanical Engineering Magazine (ASME) Library access

Physics

• Physics Today (AIP – American Institute of Physics)

Psychology

• Monitor on Psychology (APA – American Psychological Association)

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