Saturday, March 1, 2008

Thing # 17 - ELM Productivity Tools

There is so much information in each of these tools - it is mindblowing.
How can they be applied to my everyday work?
While I am at the reference desk, there are often questions related to gathering information for a chosen topic. Introducing these databases to students and showing them all the features that can be applied is one of our responsibilities as librarians. Hopefully, they will try them out and learn to be good researchers by utilizing all the wonderful database tools available.

How can these database tools facilitate collaboration?
Librarians can team-teach and/or team research on topics. More information can be found when people work together, and more points of view will add richness and dimension to the information gathered.

How can these tools benefit our patrons/students?
If students will take the time to learn how to make notes and save lists while doing their research in these databases, they won't be as likely to lose their articles or citations, as sometimes happens... it will be all there waiting online for them! It is our responsibility as librarians to encourage and show our students how to use the many helpful facets of these databases. Doing so will help them to be more efficient and agile online researchers.

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