databases

=Databases: Hidden Treasures=

The purpose of this series of tutorials is to
 * [[image:mapebscohost1.gif align="left"]]Purpose**
 * 1) explain the features of the databases that the Saskatchewan Ministry of Education purchases from Gale Infotrac, Proquest, EBSCOHose, and the Encyclopedia Britannica and makes available to all Saskatchewan residents.
 * 2) show teachers how they can make the databases more accessible to their students by adding links to specific databases, articles and lists of articles on a web, wiki or blog page


 * When you have completed these tutorials you will:**
 * 1) know which databases are available to teachers and students
 * 2) be able to access the databases from within the school
 * 3) understand how to access the databases from home
 * 4) be able to use Gale search tools and features
 * 5) use the search features of ProQuest
 * 6) use the search features and tools of EBSCOHost
 * 7) access the three different encyclopedia from Britannica
 * 8) use advanced tools to make the databases more accessible to your students

When you have completed this tutorial you will have:
 * Achievement Indicators:**
 * 1) created a wiki page which contains links to databases and articles
 * 2) established an rss feed for specified search with Gale Infotrac
 * 3) embeded a proquest widget on a wiki page page


 * Pre-requisites:**
 * 1) basic computer knowledge including opening and navigating between windows and tabs (More information and tutorials about using tabbed browsing can be found at  [|Tabbed browsing in IE] and [|tabbed browsing.)]
 * 2) some knowledge of using a wiki as participants will need a 'sand-box' [|wiki] page
 * 3) basic understanding of [|RSS] as the final task involves creating an rss feed

[|Databases From the Saskatchewan Ministry of Education] Saskatchewan libraries, coordinated by Provincial Library, cooperatively purchase province-wide access to several online information databases. All libraries in the public, post-secondary education, school and special library sectors are entitled to access these databases.

The program provides access to the full-text of approximately 6,500 popular magazines and reference sources. In addition, several thousand more magazines, newspapers and journals are indexed, often with abstracts available.

These databases are not found using search engines as they are hidden within the deep web invisible to indexing spider making them inaccessible through normal search engines and directories. When a spider comes across a database, it's as if it has run smack into the entrance of a massive library with securely bolted doors. Spiders can record the library's address, but can tell you nothing about the books, magazines or other documents it contains. From //[| The Invisible Web] by Chris Sherman.//

Databases are not meant to replace search engines and Wikipedia, but rather, to ensure that teachers and students have another tool in their information tool chest. The information found within the databases will remain hidden unless a number of strategies are undertaken to bring them to the surface where they are easily accessible by staff and students. The tutorials on the following pages will help you understand how to use the databases and how to use their unique features to bookmark and link to individual databases and articles.


 * There are seven individual tutorials in the series:**
 * 1) Gale Infotrac Databases
 * 2) Gale Additional Databases: Kids InfoBits and the Literature Resource Center
 * 3) ProQuest
 * 4) EBSCOHost: NoveList, NoveList K-8 and Auto Repair Reference Center
 * 5) Britannica Online
 * 6) Making the Databases More Accessible: RSS and Widgets

Gale Infotrac Databases 

Introduction | Gale | Gale Additional | ProQuest | EBSCOHost | Britannica | RSS & Widgets