BCU Bishop Mueller Library

Learn-A-Test (Featured Resource)

muellerlibrary — Wed, 24 Oct 2012 21:34:57 +0000

Free online practice tests!!! Learn-a-test is a database dedicated to helping you prepare for all of the important exams you might have to take. Whether it is for a job – air traffic controller, cosmetologist, law enforcement, plumbing, real estate and many more; or for admissions- GRE, MCAT, PCAT, MAT, LSAT GMAT and others, you will find all of the placement tests you will need in order to follow your intended path. You can get help with searching for jobs or help with improving skills like math and reasoning, reading comprehension, and even trigonometry. Other important features are driver’s license and US citizenship test prep. If you have an important test, why not go to it prepared? Learn-a-test will help you build up and test the skills you will need to succeed.

ProQuest (Featured Resource)

muellerlibrary — Mon, 22 Oct 2012 18:21:53 +0000

The BCU library home page offers several different ways to begin your search for articles. Searching different ways can give you different results. For example, if you choose the Database List link then search ProQuest your search results will contain material from 5 databases; this will give you a nice narrow list of results containing mostly psychology archives. However, if you choose the Articles tab and then ProQuest you will be searching 16 databases giving you a much broader scope of the research available on the topic. From here you can further customize your results by selecting and deselecting subject areas until you find just the articles you need for your research. If you aren’t getting the results you think you should, try finding the database another way on the library page.

The BCU library homepage offers several ways to begin researching articles. You’ll come to find that the different search methods lead to different results. If you go to the database listing, you can search for the database you need and accessing databases this way will let you search things in just that database. This could be helpful if your topic can be found in a variety of disciplines, but you only want information from one. If you would like your research to be a little broader then select the Articles tab on the main page. From there, you can either select a link or do a general search. Selecting a link to databases like ProQuest, Lexis Nexus, Wiley, and JESTOR will give you results from a variety of different databases related to the one listed. For example, ProQuest is a database for psychology. If you use this method to search ProQuest you will also be searching Psychinfo and Psycharticles which will give you a ton of relevant articles that you would not have access to had you searched for ProQuest in the database list. The final way to search seems the most intuitive; it is using the search box on the articles tab. If you search this way, you are really searching the database EBSCOhost which is a general search engine with something for all areas of study. This is a good way to search general information, but many students will find it helpful to search a database more specific to their discipline.

Opposing Viewpoints (Featured Resource)

muellerlibrary — Wed, 03 Oct 2012 21:40:51 +0000

Opposing Viewpoints in Context is a great resource for exploring controversial topics. Economics, Energy, Health, Science, Culture, and War are all categories that bring about many different perspectives. This comprehensive database helps sort out tough issues by providing well researched articles about each side of the topic. By understanding both sides of an issue, we can begin to make well thought out decisions that will have a positive impact on society.

Contemporary Literature Criticism (Featured Resource)

muellerlibrary — Thu, 20 Sep 2012 19:43:55 +0000

Contemporary Literature Criticism is an online database dedicated to literary reviews of current authors’ work. Literary criticisms can help you to determine if a piece of writing is acceptable in the literary community and therefore whether or not the work should be referenced. The site holds bibliographical information for authors currently active or who died before Dec. 31, 1959 as well as reviews of their work. You can search by topic to find out current authors who write on the subject, or you can search by author to find the reviews of all of their work.

EBSCO Ebooks (Featured Resource)

muellerlibrary — Thu, 13 Sep 2012 20:12:04 +0000

Tired of lugging around all of those heavy books? The libraries ebook resource (EBSCO eBooks) may be just what you’ve been looking for. EBSCO Ebooks that you check out from the library can be accessed from anywhere online, or downloaded right on to your ipad. When the book is due, it will be removed from your ipad so say good bye to loosing library books or paying late fees. So save some trees today and check out an ebook. Check it out!

Kids Search (Featured Resource)

muellerlibrary — Thu, 13 Sep 2012 16:19:42 +0000

Education majors! Looking for a great resource for finding grade appropriate articles for your lesson plans? Kids Search may have just what you need. This comprehensive database offers articles for grades K-8 as well as college and high school level material on topics including science, math, art, language arts, geography, news and more. The detailed search option makes this site even easier to use by narrowing your search by reading level, topic, or even document type. Other popular features of this database include a dictionary and encyclopedia. Check it out!

CAMIO (Featured Resource)

muellerlibrary — Fri, 31 Aug 2012 17:57:40 +0000

CAMIO: The library’s collection of images from art museums around the world. By providing images of as well as information about paintings, photos, sculptures, jewelry, architecture as well as many other art pieces, this database gives insight to the historical progression of the creativity of cultures across the globe. With several ways to search the database i.e. by artist, museum, type of art, or time period CAMIO is great for art research. The images found on this site can be used by any student as long as they are properly cited, making this site useful for presentations in any area of study.

Films on Demand (Featured Resource)

muellerlibrary — Fri, 31 Aug 2012 17:06:15 +0000

Looking for an educational video relevant to your presentation topic? Films on Demand is a site that provides just that! Here you can find dozens of clips on topics ranging from anthropology to music, or political to environmental science. These clips are great for coming up with ideas for research as well as adding an interesting aspect to presentations and with such a wide variety of material covered, students of all disciplines can find something useful. The content for Films on Demand is provided by TED talks, The History Channel, PBS and many others. Try Films on Demand now.

Welcome Back!

muellerlibrary — Mon, 27 Aug 2012 04:18:18 +0000

As everyone is fully aware it has been a hectic summer at Briar Cliff University and the campus library has been no exception. We have put the finishing touches on our new web site, incorporating many new or updated services (update your bookmarks and links to http://library.briarcliff.edu); removed Java City; added a mural by Briar Cliff University’s own Nan Wilson; removed all VHS tapes from the collection; and moved every book in the building as we make space in the library for a new collaborative space with the Writing Center. Watch this blog for news we have to share, announcements of new web site content, or tips for using new services we have to promote. A few hints of news coming soon include:

New features of our upgraded online catalog which now includes cover art and reviews of 1,000’s of titles along with faceted searching to better focus your results.
The addition of a streaming video collection from Films on Demand.
A new collection of downloadable electronic books for reading and note taking on iPads or other compatible devices.
Embedding streaming videos and eBook readings into Angel or other course documents.
Using guides, specific to a course or topic of interest, included in the new library web site system. This system allows for collaboration with others so ask a librarian for details if you would like to have access to a resource guide for your classes.

Other activities to watch for news about include our plans to partner with the Writing Center to host a series of seminars on writing in the disciplines and a Library After Hours event the first Friday of each month so keep tuned into this site for details of What’s Happening at the Bishop Mueller Library. As always, if you have an idea you would like help researching or collaborators to work with let us know! We look forward to working with each of you.

“Let the wild rumpus begin!”

muellerlibrary — Wed, 09 May 2012 13:49:28 +0000

Yesterday the children’s book illustrator Maurice Sendak passed away. We have a small exhibit in the library to celebrate the creativity of this award-winning artist.

With Finals Week looming just around the corner, this might be a good time to rejuvenate the mind with the images and storytelling of a good book.