Dear Diary: Thoughts of the Famous & Not so Famous

History is a conglomeration of life experienced by the person next door. Discover the everyday lives of Civil War Soldiers, British and North American Women in the 18th and 19th centuries, American Indians, or American immigrants fleeing famine and persecution, with six new original source databases from Alexander Street Press. Expand and inform your research with references to diaries, letters, oral histories, and eye-witness accounts of history in the making.

British and Irish Women’s Letters and Diaries spans more than 400 years of personal writings, bringing together the voices of women from England, Scotland, Ireland, and Wales. This database lets researchers view history in the context of women’s thoughts – their struggles, achievements, passions, pursuits, and desires.

Both the famous and the unknown populate the collection. The lives and thoughts of Elizabeth Barrett Browning, George Eliot, Mary Shelley, Queen Victoria, Frances Kemble, Queen Elizabeth, Mary Wollstonecraft, Christina Rossetti, Florence Nightingale, and Maude Gonne can be compared with the experiences and ideas of ordinary women from all walks of life.
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A Nation of Immigrants: American Democracy and Civics Education

Digital Library celebrates the Spirit of Independence by highlighting the Jack Miller Forum, A Nation of Immigrants: American Democracy and Civics Education Conference.

This conference centered on civics education in United States, the role of colleges and universities, and the growing needs of an immigrant population. The Jack Miller Forum at Florida Atlantic University and the National Endowment for the Humanities sponsored the conference. To access the collection, click here.

Let the Drama Back into your Life

New theater databases Asian American Drama, North American Women’s Drama, and Black Drama-Second Edition highlight collections of narratives from America’s minority groups; read full texts of plays, find information about playwrights and productions, and browse playbills and other related ephemera. Theatre in Video, containing more than 250 performances of the world’s leading plays, delivers the true drama experience as plays are created to be performed. North American Theatre Online, gives access to comprehensive reference materials covering all aspects of the Canadian and American theater. See detailed descriptions below.

Use North American Theatre Online to research upcoming FAU Department of Theatre and Dance productions.

This edition of Asian American Drama contains 252 plays by 42 playwrights, together with detailed, fielded information on related productions, theaters, production companies and more. The database also includes selected playbills, production photographs and other ephemera related to the play. Continue reading

SciFinder now available on the Web!

UPDATE: (August 26, 2010): Due to increasing popularity and new development of the web version of SciFinder, CAS is announcing the discontinuation of the client version of SciFinder on June 30, 2011 for all U.S. and Canadian academic institutions. On this date, all seats at these institutions will access the web version only. See www.cas.org/movetoweb.

SciFinder now available on the Web!

SciFinder provides scientists with web access to the most comprehensive scientific information available. The new web version of SciFinder has a majority of features found in today’s SciFinder Scholar product plus several brand new capabilities never before available to the academic community.

All users must first register via the FAU Libraries. The easy to use registration system allows individual users to construct their own IDs (usernames) and passwords, as well as define security questions to allow for self-retrieval of forgotten IDs or password reset. FAU users can find registration information at http://ezproxy.fau.edu/loggedin/default/scifin_web.htm. You will be required to sign in to EZproxy before being sent to this page.

Please note: Register soon as the State University Libraries’ subscription to SciFinder will be moving almost exclusively to the web version by the Fall 2009 semester.

If you have any questions, please contact Jane Strudwick, Electronic Resources Librarian –jstrudw1@fau.edu (561-297-0492).

What’s New with Gale Databases

New features have been added to the Gale products, including popular databases Academic Onefile, Business and Company Resource Center, RDS Business Reference Suite and General Reference File. For a complete list of the library’s Gale databases and descriptions see the Gale Databases page.

The most noticeable change is the new look of the PowerSearch platform, which includes a more personalized workspace and a full menu of Web 2.0 features.

Other cool new features of this interface include: Continue reading

When One Database Isn’t Enough

Libraries access electronic journals and databases from many different publishers and vendors, so finding information can come down to knowing where to look. With FAU’s 360 Search you can search across multiple FAU subscription databases at one time, view your results in a single interface, and discover new resources.

Although the library made 360 Search (formerly Central Search) available more than a year ago, we have recently revised the subject categories in order to make this tool perform more efficiently and return more targeted results. To learn more about 360 Search see 360 Search Help and 360 Search Basics and Tips .

New 360 Search Features and Quick Tips:

Counseling and Psychotherapy Transcripts – May Database of the Month

Counseling and Psychotherapy Transcripts, Client Narratives, and Reference Works is a searchable collection containing real transcripts of therapy and counseling sessions and first-person narratives illuminating the experience of mental illness and its treatment, as well as reference works to contextualize the primary material. New material is added on a biweekly basis and, when complete, the database will contain more than 2,000 session transcripts, 40,000 pages of client narratives, and 25,000 pages of secondary reference material. The database currently includes approximately 53,200 pages of material, including more than 13,000 pages of session transcripts, more than 21,000 pages of client narratives, and more than 18,000 pages of secondary reference material. Learn more >

Click here for on-campus access to Counseling and Psychotherapy Transcripts
Click here for Off Campus Connect (EZproxy) access to Counseling and Psychotherapy Transcripts
Click here to see the Database of the Month archives

From Astrochemistry to Zoology

The FAU Libraries now has Von Nostrand’s Scientific Encylopedia available online. Since 1938 this reference has been an important and comprehensive scientific resource for scientists, consultants, teachers, and students. Over 10,000 up-to-date entries include topics ranging across disciplines, including animal science, anatomy, astronomy, atmospheric science, chemistry, chemical engineering, civil engineering, computer science, earth science, energy sources, information science, life science, materials, mathematics, mechanical engineering, medicine, mining, physics, physiology, planetary science, plant science, power technology, space science, and structural engineering.
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Digital Collections@FAU Libraries Celebrates Earth Day

The Digital Library celebrates Earth Day by highlighting the Department of History’s Oral History Collection. Noted scholar, author, environmentalist, FAU faculty member, Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs 1987-1993, Dr. Leonard Berry reveals a career that emphasized teaching from a global perspective to foster an awareness of environmental issues. The 2002 interview highlights Dr. Berry’s experiences working in Africa and with various international development agencies. Berry’s research has included the following areas: dry soil research, land management, and water scarcity. In 1994, Dr. Berry became the Director of the Florida Center for Environmental Studies.

To listen or read Dr. Berry’s interview click here.

On & Off the Shelf

E-Resources