Author: Kimberly

Database of the Month: OED Revisited

Kimberly

The Oxford English Dictionary (OED) started life more than 150 years ago. That is staying power!

The OED is a source for investigating the meaning, history, and pronunciation of 600,000 words— past and present—from across the English-speaking world.

Ten years ago, a Bentley Librarian first highlighted the OED for a Database of the Month post. I am revisiting this database because some additional features and content is now available.

Ever wondered how words become a part of the OED? This Interactive Graphic explains the process of how OMG became an entry. Every three months, the OED continues to evolve and publishes changes/revisions/additions to its contents.

One of this resource’s biggest strengths is its inclusion of the Historical Thesaurus. Dictionary entries are arranged by meaning throughout time. Looking at the history and development of words over time allows you to discover what a specific word meant in the time that a particular text/novel was written.  This helps to give you context and prevent any misunderstanding of the author’s meaning.

You can use the OED to look for a quote to include in your writing. Quotes are included from many disciplines including economics and business.

Aggregate, adj. and n. (2012 September). Oxford English Dictionary. Oxford University Press. Retrieved from OED Online database.

Explore their “Word of the day” (located in the sidebar on the right) or sign up for their Word of the Day newsletter to improve your vocabulary one day at a time

Look up a spelling! Using the * symbol helps you discover new words and word variants to use in your writing, keyword searching and online scrabble games. Col*r brings up all words that start with COL and end with an R.

Helpful OED staff created some excellent how to videos (each between 1 to 3 minutes) to quickly learn searching techniques and interpreting your results.

The OED is as relevant now as it was 10 years ago. Start exploring or re-exploring today.

Database of the Month provides a very brief introduction to useful library databases, highlighting key features you should know about. If you would like more information about this resource (or any of the library’s databases), please contact us for research assistance. If you would like a demonstration of these resources for a class, please schedule a research instruction class using the instruction request form.

Try Libby! New OverDrive App Now Available.

Kimberly

You can now access Bentley’s OverDrive collection in Libby, an alternative app for ebooks and audiobooks.

Libby offers many enhancements, including:

  • An updated, streamlined interface,
  • A unified shelf for all loans and holds across multiple libraries,
  • Improved multi-library support for users who also enjoy digital books from their public library.

Of Note: the OverDrive app and website are still available—Libby simply offers an alternative for those who would like to give it a try.

Please speak with a Reference Librarian if you need assistance with this new interface.

Database of the Month: Academic OneFile

Kimberly

Academic OneFile is a multidisciplinary database providing millions of articles from scholarly journals and other authoritative sources with extensive coverage in key subject areas, such as biology, chemistry, criminal justice, economics, environmental science, history, marketing, political science, and psychology.

To make the most of this database, view the Resource Guide (3 pages in pdf)

In addition here are three tips for the Bentley researcher: Topic Finder, Word Count and Cite.

1. Topic Finder:

Use to generate a visual representation of your search results by topic and subtopic. Topic Finder organizes results based on the frequency of occurring terms, allowing you to hone in on targeted keywords, envision connections between topics, and create new research paths. Use Topic Finder if you’re having trouble coming up with a research topic, when you have an idea for a topic and want to investigate related topics, or when you want to narrow your search results.

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On Display: New & Notable Nonfiction

Kimberly

Need an idea for a research paper? Just want the latest on a topic? Here is the display for you.

These books were chosen by our reference librarians to showcase titles that may have escaped your notice when they were originally added to the shelves. You will recognize some of these titles and authors from the bestseller lists, while others were chosen based on recommendations from professional and scholarly review sources or are on topics currently in the news.

Stop by the lobby at any point between August 5th to September 22nd and browse the display, or view the list online here. We will continue to add new books that catch our eye as they arrive, so check back often!

Bentley Community Learning Conference Book Talk

Kimberly

Book Talk titles available now at the Bentley Library. These titles will be discussed during the upcoming Bentley Community Learning Conference (Tuesday July 23rd & Wednesday July 24th). 

Visit the HR Learning & Development page to learn more about the upcoming conference or register for a session of interest.

Audie Award Winners and Finalists Available!

Kimberly

The Audies – the Oscars of the audiobook industry – are awarded annually by the Audio Publishers Association. Many of the 2019 award-winners and finalists are available at the library and the library staff have conveniently pulled together this content for you to checkout and enjoy over Spring Break and beyond.

On the display table in the library lobby, there is a collection of 2019 award-winners and finalists available on compact discs. The CD offerings will be highlighted until Thursday, March 7th, when they will be reintegrated with the Popular Audiobook collection on the main floor.

We’ve also created an online Audie Awards Display of OverDrive downloadable titles for you. As you pack up to go home for the break, remember the OverDrive collection is available for you to enjoy, anywhere, 24×7 on any device. Not familiar with OverDrive? Take a look our OverDrive page.

To view the complete list of the Audie Award winners and finalists, visit the Audio Publishers Association. Comment on this post to share your own recommendations.

Are we missing a title you think we should have in the collection? If so, just fill out the Suggest a Purchase form.

Finding Quality Sources: Research Help

Kimberly

Have a paper or project due soon, and need information to complete it? Drop in to:

Finding Quality Sources: Research Help

Bring whatever you are working on to a reference librarian and get immediate expert assistance in finding the information you need, whether it be articles, statistics, company information, or books. You will walk away with the source or two (or three) that you need!

When:

  • Monday, February 25th 2:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.
  • Tuesday, February 26th   2:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.
  • Wednesday, February 27th 11:00 a.m. to noon
  • Thursday, February 28th 5:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.

Where:

Research Instruction Center (RIC), Room 11, on the lower level of the library.

No RSVP necessary – just drop in to the library’s classroom (room 11) anytime during the sessions.

Don’t forget, librarians also provide research help 7 days/week at the Reference Desk. Visit, email, call, text, or IM/chat with a librarian whenever the Reference Desk is open.

OverDrive has Business Titles!

Kimberly

Our OverDrive downloadable collection contains lots of bestselling fiction & biographies, but did you know that we also have over 400 popular business titles? Past and current favorites include: This is Marketing by Seth Godin, The Creative Curve by Allen Gannett and When: The Scientific Secrets of Perfect Timing by Daniel Pink. The collection includes both ebooks and audiobooks, and they display from most popular to least.

If you would like more information about OverDrive (or any of the library’s resources), please contact us for assistance.