Digital Atlas of Idaho: Idaho's Natural History Online

Allow me to highlight a neat resource focused on the natural history of Idaho.  Digital Atlas of Idaho: Idaho's Natural History Online--Find maps, histories, and information about geologic features, archeological digs, canal systems, precipitation patterns, and amphibians of Idaho climatology.  Take a look at it.  There's a lot to explore.

The Idaho Museum of Natural History, which is located on the Idaho State University campus in Pocatello, Idaho, USA, has created this helpful resource.  One of the strong programs at ISU is its geology and geosciences program.  The area is rich in geological variety, considering that the hot spot that make the Yellowstone geysers a reality used to reside under eastern Idaho.  In fact, lava flows of only 2,000 years ago can be seen all across the Snake River Valley.

Jing Screencasting & Google Sites

Today I taught a workshop on using Jing software to create screenshots and screencasts as well as on Google Sites, where I happen to share a number of my Jing tutorials.  Following are sites with links to YouTube videos and attachments of handouts:

• Google Sites 
• Jing Screencasting

Here's a Jing tutorial (4:59) that may serve as an introduction to Google Sites:


This screenshot just demonstrates the fact that with the Jing software it is possible to insert text boxes and arrows onto a screenshot:


Here's another such example that also highlights our Library:


In helping individuals create their own Sites, one of the first questions asked is how to create a hyperlink, so here's a video (1:34) on how to create external and internal links on your site:


Since our library cannot afford a quality product such as Libguides, I have begun using Google Sites to create pathfinders for specific classes and class assignments.  In fact, last week at the reference desk a student from a political science class asked me if I would be deleting or removing the website I had create for his class.  He thanked me for the site, saying that it had just the right resources and information he needed in one spot to help him complete his assignment.  Compliments like these are worth sharing and remembering.

Castle Peak, White Clouds of Idaho.

July 2010.

LearningExpress Library: Great for Skill Development & Test Preparation

Here's a Prezi presentation I created to help people understand what kinds of great resources are made available through the LearningExpress Library.  All residents of Idaho may access these resources.

We often see students who wish to prepare for the GRE, the LSAT, and other graduate entrance exams.  Additionally, international students come looking for materials to help them get ready to take the TOEFL test, and it is nice to have easy-to-reference materials we can recommend that speak to all of these tests.  The Idaho Commission for Libraries has secured funding for the subscription of this resource over two years, so this subscription ends in November 2012.

LearningExpress Library Demonstration on Prezi

It also offers many computer, math, and reading tutorials.  Anyone interested in becoming a U.S. citizen can also prepare for the necessary test(s) with resources here.