Titlewave Tips

February 21st, 2012

A few tips for using Titlewave:

1.        To find eBooks or other specific searches, I would use the advance search to pinpoint the items that you need.  For example, if you do find a book that interests you, click on the advance search and put in a Dewey range around that item.

2.       Create as many lists as you want.  Just click on the Want (This only means that you want them on a list.) and add them to a list or create a new list.

3.       Anyone else at your school can have an account and you can share lists between each other.

4.       Up at the top, there are many lists in the banner under Essentials and Literacy Trends (this has eBooks).  Our professional librarians have spent a great deal of time compiling these so you might want to look at them.

5.       If you do look at one of the lists, you can narrow your search by clicking on the Drill Down at the top of the list on the right hand side.

6.       Try to avoid using the back button and use the breadcrumbs.  Browsers can cause issues when you have inputted something previous on one page and you try to go back to the same page.

7.       We also offer a free collection analysis for schools, this is available on the Collection Management link on the right hand side of the website.  Your representative can guide you through this process if you would like to take advantage of this.  In addition, when searching for books, Titlewave will show you if you already have the book in your collection.

Why Choose FollettShelf (Part 2)

February 21st, 2012

In addition to managing eBooks online, FollettShelf can also access our audiobooks from Catalist Digital and Lerner Interactive Books as well as quality databases subscriptions (if purchased through Titlewave) such as:

Capstone Interactive Library includes an online collection of up to 450 enhanced digital books and provides reading practice time over the Internet. Each book includes audio that reads the text aloud, and embedded online activities to extend the learning environment.

 PebbleGo, the award winning K-3 database for reading and research, includes PebbleGo Animals and / or PebbleGo Earth and Space. Both databases feature leveled text, read-aloud audio, highlighting, educational games, and videos that support high interest topics for your youngest researchers.

 PowerKids Life Science is an online science resource specifically designed for learners in grades 3 to 6. Comprised of curriculum-correlated content, PowerKids Life Science promotes digital literacy and 21st-century learning skills while offering research, report, and homework help.

 Rourke interactive e-books are all built using state of the art Flash technology. Our books incorporate read along audio and word highlighted text to provide fluency help for students. Many of our titles feature video and animation to improve learning. Rourkes interactive e-books are compatible with Mac’s and PCs and will play through nearly any web browser.

 Teen Health & Wellness provides real life and real answers for teens, 24/7, with credible, trusted information, comprehensive curricular support and self-help tools

 

Why choose FollettShelf?

February 21st, 2012

Here are some items about Follett eBooks that set them apart from the rest:

1.    With our eBooks there are no contracts or any need to pay hosting fees.  Our FollettShelf is free so you pay for content only and are not tied to annual hosting fee. Schools also get MARC records so that the eBooks can be accessed through your OPAC.  When you purchase at least one eBook from us, the school gets the FollettShelf.  Some eBooks cost as little as US$1.  (Librarians get a full preview of the book so they can make sure that it is a quality resource.)

2.    Students can return the book early regardless of the circulation time so they can be made available sooner.

3.    Our eBooks have the option to be read/checked out online so you are not stuck on one device to access them.

4.    Our eBooks can be available anywhere.  We do not limit access to personal/nonschool computers/devices.

5.    The librarian can choose which student has access to which eBooks.

6.    Access to our eBooks is controlled by the school on their school FollettShelf.  We do not use Adobe ID that requires students to provide an personal email address to the company which some schools do not approve of.

7.    We also offer unlimited simultaneous accessed eBooks so the many users can access a book at one time.


One Search Statistics

September 27th, 2011

Now that One Search is included in the price of Destiny, one should keep track of statistics.  Currently there are not a time frame for the search statistics, so you may want to run One Search Database Usage Report periodically and save the results.  Then you can subtract from previous results to get a time frame.

 Do not forget to run other reports such as WebPath Express Statistics and Search Statistics to see what the students are looking for and what searches do not retrieve any results.  You can use this to find material to meet these requests as well as learning how the students are using Destiny to help teach them proper search techniques.

Visual Search options

August 17th, 2011

Helpful Hints

Visual Search: 

1. To change the order of a search or items, add a spaces before the name of items that you want to appear first. (So <space>zebra will be before aardvark)

2. Ask me how to create a direct link to the visual search results

Dewey Decimal Classification (DDC) 23

May 25th, 2011

Keeping up with current practices, Follett Library Resources has begun using the latest update of the Dewey Decimal Classification, DDC 23, for all cataloging.

The 23rd ed. updates and expands the following areas—

                –004-006 Computer science revised to reflect new and changing technologies, including cloud computing

                –297 Islam is expanded

–340 Law

–370 Education is more international

–Food and clothing updated throughout, breakfast is now called “first meal of the day”

–740 Graphic and decorative arts updated

–777 is a new number for cinematography and videography

–796 Sports expanded

–930 More ancient civilizations recognized

–Classes of persons are updated in Table 1

–930-990 Updated historical periods particularly for Tunisia and Egypt

 

For more information on MARC records, to review recently asked questions on cataloging, or to ask a question of Ms. MARC, Follett’s own cataloging guru, go here!

 

CILIP Carnegie and Kate Greenaway Awards on Titlewave

April 12th, 2011

We’ve created a list in Titlewave of the Carnegie and Greenaway 2011 shortlisted books. If you’d like the list in your Titlewave account, please email jemerson@marcthispage.com with your Titlewave username and I’ll share it with you.

Share your database with Z39.50

April 8th, 2011

Destiny has the capability to share your database with other schools.  For schools sharing within a specific country, this can ease the process of cataloging books.  It is all done with a click of the button from the Destiny Administrator.  I will keep a list and continue to update on the list by comments.Singapore American School

  • Domain Name/IP Address: saseagles.follettdestiny.com
  • Port Number: 210
  • Database Name: saas14_8577650

Featured Destiny Site

March 4th, 2011

We’re starting a new feature on the blog, highlighting a Destiny site we think other Destiny users may want to see. Thank you to Katie Day for alerting us to the videos added onto Sarah Torrible’s Destiny site at the Canadian International School in Singapore!

You can see the videos, highlighting each of the Red Dot award nominated books, on Sarah’s site.

https://cislearningcentre.follettdestiny.com

To embed a Youtube video on your Destiny homepage, follow these steps:

1) Go to Youtube and find the video you’d like to embed. Click on “Embed” under the video and copy the embed code.

2) Go to your Destiny site and log in. Click “edit page” on the home page, click the edit button next to “Introductory Text” and paste the embed code where you’d like to include it on the page (for example, if you’d like it at the top, place the code above all other text).

3) Enjoy your handiwork!

Please see this tip from Katie Day (who will be featured in a future Featured Destiny Site), below:

“By choosing to embed the code and then un-clicking the “include related videos” option — you don’t have those annoying and potentially inappropriate suggestions of other videos being displayed on the screen at the end, as you get when you play videos from the YouTube site directly.”

 What are you doing on your Destiny site that you’d like to share? Do you know another librarian who’s doing something exciting on their site? Email me, jemerson@marcthispage.com, to be featured on a future Featured Destiny Site.

State Standards Anyone?

February 24th, 2011

In Titlewave, besides the Essentials and Literacy Trends there is a link for State Standards.  However, this is turned off by default for international customers.  I believe that this is a great place to find materials to support your curriculum. For example, if your school uses the International Baccalaureate framework, look at how this lines up with the U.S. National Standards for Social Studies:

  International Baccalaureat U.S. National Standards

Who we are I. Culture III. People, Places, & Environments

Where we are in place and time II. Time, Continuity, & Change

How we express ourselves IV. Individual Development & Identity

How the world works VII. Production, Distribution, & Consumption  VIII. Science,Technology,& Society

How we organize ourselves V. Individuals, Groups, & Institutions VI. Power, Authority, & Governance

Sharing the planet IX. Global Connections X. Civic Ideals & Practices 

You can go directly to this list in Titlewave by clicking on the link and logging in (use the drill down option): http://www.titlewave.com/go/node/100736

 

If you would like access to this link in your Titlewave, please contact your sales representative from Follett.