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.

Faculty: Share Your Work with Scholars @ Bentley

Jaimie

At a time when most academic work is moving online, it is important to ensure that quality research and resources are digitally available to the global scholarly community. To that end, the Bentley Library would like to remind faculty members that Scholars @ Bentley, the university’s institutional repository, is available to those who wish to share their work in an open-access, searchable database.

Items uploaded to Scholars @ Bentley become part of the Digital Commons research network, with persistent links and usage statistics available for each discrete work. Nearly 3.5 million items from over 500 institutions have been added to Digital Commons, creating a robust network of scholarship that is available to all.

Here are just a few examples of work that can be uploaded to Scholars @ Bentley:

  • Journal articles (Note: Many paywalled articles are eligible for posting in an open-access database if authors submit their manuscript version. Doing so has the potential to greatly increase the reach of your work and provide helpful resources for the growing online learning community.)
  • Presentations, lectures, or conference proceedings
  • Open educational resources such as lesson plans, workbooks, problem sets, digital models, etc.
  • Blog posts, academic essays or other unpublished work that you wish to share digitally
  • Datasets, A/V materials, and other research components in a variety of formats

Please email scholars@bentley.edu for more information about submitting your work. Library staff are available to assist you with each step of the process including copyright permission checks, ensuring that you are quickly & easily able to share your research online. 

Libraries in the time of COVID-19

Hope Houston
Image courtesy of St. Charles Public Library, Charles, IL

Libraries across America are caring for their patrons in so many ways. We are still very much a part of teaching, learning, scholarship and service during the COVID-19 pandemic, but we are just doing it remotely. Bentley librarians are providing research instruction to classes through Zoom, answering reference questions via chat, email and text services, and having virtual meetings with students and faculty. Staff are scanning book chapters and articles to put in Blackboard course sites, purchasing streaming films, and continuing to order journal articles through interlibrary loan. Our technical services department staff continue to catalog and process electronic books, communicate with vendors, pay invoices, and order print materials. We are doing what libraries have always done in times of crisis … adapting.

Bentley library staff are here to support you and continue to provide you with the best service. As Ramiro Salazar, president of the Public Library Association said, “We cannot create a sense of normalcy for [library users], but [libraries] can use this new reality to offer something different.” Bentley Library is proud to be doing just that.       

Genealogy Resources at Bentley Library

Ashley

Have you ever considered researching your family’s history, but didn’t know where to get started? Fortunately, we have a comprehensive Genealogy Research Guide to help you begin your research journey! Whether you’re a novice researcher or seasoned genealogist, you will be sure to find useful links and tips to trace your heritage.

Key databases:

E-Books:

While we may not physically be on campus right now, you can reach out to us for help 7 days a week! You can Ask a Librarian, send us an e-mail (refdesk@bentley.edu), use our Chat Widget, or send a text to 781.728.0511.

Database of the Month: Best's Library Center

Macee

Best’s Library Center provides in-depth reports and analysis for United States, Canadian and international insurers, reinsurers, and groups.

Searching and Viewing Reports

From the Bentley Library Databases A-Z page, use the Best’s Library Center link to access the database. The database offers multiple ways to search, including clicking the report buttons (shown above), or by hovering on the page’s blue Navigation bar to choose a search. Some of the navigation bar searches are highlighted below:

  • Access Best’s Credit Reports and Financial Reports quickly by using the Insurance Reports page. The global organization structures presented on this page include ultimate parents, rating units and their rated operating entities. Best’s Credit Reports feature five years of financial analysis and detailed commentary on a company’s operating methods and management philosophy.
  • Use the Company Browse feature to search for companies based on geographic location, industry or segment.
  • Search Company Overview (Basic Search) and view features such as a dashboard for each company, key financial information at a glance, ratings, and related news headlines.
  • Use the Corporate Changes Search to find changes that impact existing companies and locate insurers associated with companies no longer in business.
  • Use the Officers and Directors Search to locate companies based on management information.
  • Access the Mergers & Acquisitions Search to retrieve details of transactions involving insurance companies.

Alternately, users can type a company name in the search box located in the upper left corner of the home page to get a dashboard view of all available information on that company.

Sample dashboard view for State Farm Group, with tabs containing available information

Country Risk Reports

The database also includes Country Risk Reports detailing country-specific factors that could adversely affect an insurer’s ability to meet its financial obligations. Countries are placed into one of five tiers, ranging from Country Risk Tier 1 (CRT-1), denoting a stable environment with the least amount of risk, to Country Risk Tier 5 (CRT-5) for countries that pose the most risk and, therefore, the greatest challenge to an insurer’s financial stability, strength and performance. Users can view all countries or groups of countries by tier.

Get Help/Support

Click the Quick Tips PDF links located on each search page for context-specific help, or the Help link in the upper right corner of the home page for an overview of database features and search functionality. If you prefer, Bentley librarians can assist you. See our Bentley Library Research Help page for details.

Connect to the Database

Please visit our Databases A-Z page and click Best’s Library Center to begin your search (after agreeing to the User Terms and Conditions). This database can also be viewed in the Analyst Opinion, Company Profiles, Country Research, and International Business subject lists on the A-Z page. For best results, use Internet Explorer or Google Chrome. Browser cookies must be enabled for searches to function.

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.

Library Building Closed, Online Services & Resources Are Open!

Lisa

Effective at 6:00 p.m. on Tuesday, March 17, the Bentley Library is closed until further notice.

Library staff will continue to support online teaching and research to Bentley students, faculty, and staff. Below is a brief summary of how the Library will continue to deliver library services and resources remotely.

You can find detailed information on how to access these services and resources online—including special services for faculty—on the Bentley Library Coronavirus Updates & Remote Services page. This page will be updated as needed.

The following resources and services will be available:

  • Electronic resources including databases, ebooks, and streaming films
  • Research help via email, text and live chat
  • Research consultations via Zoom
  • Interlibrary Loan for articles and book chapters. Please note that due to COVID-19 service disruptions at libraries across the country we cannot guarantee that ILL requests will be fulfilled. 
  • Due to the exceptional circumstances we face, we are temporarily instituting Student Scan on Demand. We will try our best to ensure that students have access to portions of books or articles in our physical collections for classwork and research by making digital copies.

Due dates and late fees:

  • Overdue fines will be suspended for all items, including interlibrary loan materials. 
  • Due dates for all items will be extended to the end of the semester.

The following services will be unavailable:

  • Borrowing of physical materials including books, DVDs, and ILL requested items
  • Museum passes 
  • All library and RSM Art Gallery events have been canceled

We also encourage you to check our website and this blog for updates, and to follow @BentleyLibrary on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.

The safety and well-being of the Bentley community and our staff remain our highest priorities and we thank you in advance for your flexibility and cooperation during this time.

Official university updates and communications related to COVID-19 are available at https://www.bentley.edu/coronavirus.

Bentley Library Coronavirus Updates & Remote Services [updated 3/17/20]

Lisa

Information about off-campus access to library services and resources, including databases, e-resources, research help, and Interlibrary Loan, can be found on the Bentley Library Coronavirus Updates & Remote Services page. This page will be updated as needed.

March 17, 2020

Effective at 6:00 p.m. on Tuesday, March 17, the Bentley Library is closed until further notice.

Library staff will continue to support online teaching and research to Bentley students, faculty, and staff. Below is a brief summary of how the Library will continue to deliver library services and resources remotely. You can find detailed information on how to access these services and resources online—including special services for faculty—on the Bentley Library Coronavirus Updates & Remote Services page. This page will be updated as needed.

The following resources and services will be available:

  • Electronic resources including databases, ebooks, and streaming films
  • Research help via email, text and live chat
  • Research consultations via Zoom
  • Interlibrary Loan for articles and book chapters. Please note that due to COVID-19 service disruptions at libraries across the country we cannot guarantee that ILL requests will be fulfilled. 
  • Due to the exceptional circumstances we face, we are temporarily instituting Student Scan on Demand. We will try our best to ensure that students have access to portions of books or articles in our physical collections for classwork and research by making digital copies.

Due dates and late fees:

  • Overdue fines will be suspended for all items, including interlibrary loan materials. 
  • Due dates for all items will be extended to the end of the semester.

The following services will be unavailable:

  • Borrowing of physical materials including books, DVDs, and ILL requested items
  • Museum passes 
  • All library and RSM Art Gallery events have been canceled

Official university updates and communications related to COVID-19 are available at https://www.bentley.edu/coronavirus.

March 13, 2020:

Library staff are making plans for providing services, resources, research assistance, and instruction when online classes begin on March 23. Currently, the library plans to be open next week as listed below, but this schedule may change at any time in accordance with university policies. Official university updates and communications related to COVID-19 are available at https://www.bentley.edu/coronavirus.

Library Hours March 15-21, 2020

Sunday, March 15:
1:00–9:00 p.m.

Monday, March 16–Friday, March 20:
8:00 a.m.–6:00 p.m.

Saturday, March 21
closed

Please continue to visit the library’s website for library news updates and check the library’s hours calendar online before visiting.

The safety and well-being of the Bentley community and our staff remain our highest priorities and we thank you in advance for your flexibility and cooperation during this time. Please contact Library Services at libraryservices@bentley.edu or 781-891-2168 if you have questions or need assistance.

Special Library Hours: Sunday, March 15 - Saturday, March 21

Lisa

Bentley University has announced that classes will not be held March 16–20 as the university and students prepare to move to remote, online classes beginning Monday, March 23.

The Bentley Library will be open Sunday, March 15–Saturday, March 21 to accommodate faculty, staff and students who need access to our physical collections and resources.

Currently, the library plans to be open as listed below, but this schedule may change at any time in accordance with university policies. Please visit https://www.bentley.edu/coronavirus for university updates and communications related to COVID-19. 

Library Hours March 15-21, 2020

Sunday, March 15
1:00–9:00 p.m.

Monday, March 16 – Friday, March 20
8:00 a.m.–6:00 p.m.

Saturday, March 21
closed

Library staff are making plans for providing services, resources, research assistance and instruction when online classes begin on March 23. We will continue to update the community as information becomes available. Please visit the library’s website for library news updates and check the library’s hours calendar online before visiting.

Bentley users can connect to databases and e-resources from any location with internet access. Information about off-campus access to library services and resources can be found on the Bentley Library Coronavirus Updates & Remote Services page.

The safety and well-being of the Bentley community and our staff remain our highest priorities and we thank you in advance for your flexibility and cooperation during this time. Please contact Library Services at libraryservices@bentley.edu or 781-891-2168 if you have questions or need assistance.