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Thing 9 - Databases and Search tools

I have yet to explore the Search Tools portion of this assignment, but I had to stop and post this comment. After exploring NovelNY and the Gale and Ebsco Databases, I decided to add a few more search tools -- and maybe a cool widget -- to our Library Databases page. LIttle did I know that this would turn out to be an all-day activity!!
  1. First I had to make room in the grid of databases.  Our web page tool (SchoolCenter) apparently did not like me messing with the pretty layout, as it added more cells than I did, rearranged them, and resized them.  
  2. When adding a widget, once must edit in html.  This then changes a SchoolCenter page to always being edited in html.
  3. When attempting to add some text to the page in Advanced Editor (non-html), the new widgets decided that this was apparently an affront to their code, and reformatted to elimate the search boxes.
  4. I tried to add a Gale widget, but this really threw everything out of kilter.
  5. Back to step one.
I now have a widget to search Ebsco databases at the top of the Database page, but it threw the FactCite link down three boxes, and this was the tool that the upcoming class was set to use.  I am leaving it this way, though, and hoping that it will behave better another day.

I did find these cool links to NovelNY databases, which list what is available in an easy-t-read format:

http://novelnewyork.org/pfriendlydatabases.php
http://novelnewyork.org/factsheets/noveldb.pdf
http://novelnewyork.org/databases.php

Tomorrow I move on to Search Tools.  We have made Custom Google Search engines, and even used a widget for those, so I am eager to see what else we can try with the students.

Comments

pollyalida said…
Your persistence is commendable !!! :) Many web page tools do just what you had happen. If you add code in the HTML view, then switching to Visual editing mode turns that code to mush. Annoying to say the least!
March 13, 2013 at 3:49 PM
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