March 2009 State Library Update
March 2009
Vol. 7, no. 2
In this issue:
• Once again the State Library will be offering free classes for state employees to celebrate National Library Week, April 13-17, 2009.
• A variety of subjects characterizes the art of Carol Boehl Steinmetz, exhibited at the State Library during the month of April.
• Take a look at some of the new books added to our collections.
• Preserving the Law Library’s special collections.
• HealthInfoIowa, Iowa’s resource for finding reliable health information has a new look.
• Find Iowa inventors using our Iowa Inventors Database.
**********************************************
To celebrate National Library Week the State Library’s information professionals are offering one-hour classes all week long. Improve your online research skills and enhance your job performance by attending these sessions. Classes, held in the Miller Building at E. 12th and Grand in Des Moines, cover a wide range of topics and are FREE.
Select from:
Digital Sanborn Maps
Get the Most from EBSCOHost
How to Raise a Reader – New in 2009!
Iowa’s Population: Past, Present, and Future – New in 2009!
More than Just Google: Internet Searching
Open Meetings Law: Know Your Rights and Responsibilities – New in 2009!
Patent Searching Made Easy – New in 2009!
Public Records Law: Know Your Rights and Responsibilities – New in 2009!
Reliable Health Information – Where Can I Find It on the Internet
Save Your Documents: Iowa Publications Online
Searching FirstSearch Databases
State Archives and Records Program – New in 2009!
Survey of Popular Social Networking Websites – Facebook, MySpace and More – New in 2009!
Trademark Empowerment – New in 2009!
Using an ICN Classroom: An Overview
Using the Iowa Administrative Code Online – New in 2009!
Using the Legislative Web Site
For class descriptions and to register for classes go to www.statelibraryofiowa.org/go/library.
EBSCOHost, FirstSearch, NewsBank and Sanborn Digital Maps are information resources paid for by the State Library for its customers. Access these databases from your computer through our Web site at www.statelibraryofiowa.org. Click on Log in to Online Resources. To log in you will need a State Library card number. If you don't have a one you can register online at www.statelibraryofiowa.org/services/state-library-card.
**********************************************
The artwork of Carol Boehl Steinmetz will be on exhibit at the State Library April 7-30, 2009. Steinmetz, a resident of Muscatine, Iowa, chooses a wide variety of subjects to record a visual experience that mirrors and reflects the beauty of the lifestyle and environment found along the Mississippi River.
To see a sample of her artwork and to read more about the artist go to www.statelibraryofiowa.org/services/steinmetzexhibit.
The State Library is located in the Ola Babcock Miller Building at the corner of E. 12th St. and Grand Ave. in Des Moines. We are open 8:00 a.m.-4:30 p.m., Monday-Friday. For more information call our information professionals at 515-281-4102, 800-248-4483, or email is@lib.state.ia.us.
**********************************************
A variety of new books that relate to the current state of everyday life at work, at home, and in the world have recently been added to our collection. Topics range from biographies of Abraham Lincoln to the politics of education; from business math to globalization.
Take a look at the complete list on our Web site at www.statelibraryofiowa.org/services/newbks/2009031009.
**********************************************
The modernization of the heating, cooling and fire protection systems and several years of shifting and cataloging have allowed the State Law Library to begin a comprehensive preservation project related to its special collections. Many of the items in the collection are 200, 300 and even 400 years old with most of the materials having been in the possession of the State Law Library for over a hundred years. The majority of the special collection is comprised of Anglo Saxon, Roman and international legal treatises that represent the seminal works upon which the United States legal system is based.
This project has required a team effort in the truest sense; few individuals possess all the attributes necessary to see something of this nature through to completion. We have leaned on the State Library staff’s extensive knowledge of the history of the legal publishing industry, original cataloging and technical services, professional principles of collection management and of course, the science of book preservation.
Archival quality enclosures, protection from UV rays and environmental controls will ensure that our rare materials are preserved, protected and accessible hundreds of years into the future. It is with much pride that we engage in an ongoing effort to safeguard and store some of the foundational documents that aided our pioneer lawmakers in the formation of this great State of Iowa.
*********************************************
HealthInfoIowa, the State Library’s resource for finding reliable health information, has a new look. Check it out at www.healthinfoiowa.org.
This gateway to a wide range of health resources makes it easier to find health information resources located in Iowa, general health information, tips on evaluating online health information, and resources for healthcare providers and professionals, librarians and students. Use HealthInfoIowa to locate information from national, state, regional, and local resources, and to connect with agencies, organizations and services in Iowa that can help meet your health information needs.
Links have been updated to connect you to the most reliable, authoritative information. One feature that you may be familiar with has moved: look for tutorials under the About Online Health Information.
For assistance using HealthInfoIowa, or for help in answering medical reference questions, please feel free to contact the State Medical Library at 800-248-4483, 515-281-4102, or is@lib.state.ia.us.
**********************************************
In 1908 the number of patents issued to inventors who lived in Des Moines was 52; in 2008 the number of patents issued to Des Moines residents was a mere 34. You can find information like this, and much more, in the Iowa Inventors Database.
Historians, genealogists, and other researchers can use the Iowa Inventors Database online at www.statelibraryofiowa.org/go/inventors which contains over 77,000 entries for inventions by Iowans. It covers the years 1843-2008 and is searchable by inventor, by date, by title of invention and by county.
**********************************************
Other services that the State Library offers its customers:
*The State Library offers reference service Monday-Friday, 8:00-4:30 to help you with your information needs. For questions dealing with Iowa state government, general reference, Iowa demographics, medical information, etc. call 515-281-4102 or e-mail is@lib.state.ia.us. For legal information call 515-281-5124 or e-mail law@lib.state.ia.us. The toll free number for either service is 800-248-4483.
*The State Library's online catalog http://catalog.lib.state.ia.us gives you instant access to thousands of resources. If you find something you want, request it with a click of your mouse.
**********************************************
The State Library is located in the Ola Babcock Miller Building at the corner of E. 12th St. and Grand Ave. in Des Moines. We are open 8:00 a.m.-4:30 p.m., Monday-Friday. For more information call our information professionals at 515-281-4102, 800-248-4483, or email is@lib.state.ia.us.
Barbara Corson
Program Manager for Library Services
State Library of Iowa
1112 E. 12th Street
Des Moines, IA 50319
515-281-4352
800-248-4483
barb.corson@lib.state.ia.us
www.statelibraryofiowa.org
