New iCONN logo!

This is the first public appearance of our new logo! We will be migrating our print materials such as letterhead to this new look. Our corresponding Web presence at www.iconn.org will contain the new logo and will also reflect its new color scheme.

In addition to color changes, the tag line “Connecticut’s Research Engine,” replaces the old tag line of “Connecticut Digital Library.”

The logo was created by Miranda Creative in consultation with iCONN staff.

Firefox Browser Supported

While they have been unofficially supporting it for some time, Auto-Graphics now officially supports Firefox version 1.0.7 or higher. They also support Microsoft Internet Explorer version 5.5 or higher and Netscape version 6.2 or higher. Auto-Graphics no longer officially supports browers below these minimum recommended version.

(Auto-Graphics supplies the software for iCONN and reQuest.)

History and Science Reference Centers - Coming to iCONN Next Week!

The iCONN Database Committee has been evaluated subscription proposals for a history resource and the decision was made to subscribe to EBSCO's History Reference Center and Science Reference Center for the coming year.

All libraries - Academic, K-12 and Public - will have access. The Committee recommended providing access via two interfaces - EBSCOhost and the Student Research Center.

[Note: The Gale History Resource Centers will be available through the end of June. It is anticipated that access to the EBSCO resources will begin by July 1st. Updates to this scheduled transition will be posted as needed.]

Ebsco's History Reference Center is the world's most comprehensive full text history reference database designed for secondary schools, public libraries, junior/community colleges, and undergraduate research.
For more information including a title list, visit Ebsco's History Reference Center page.

Ebsco's Science Reference Center is a comprehensive research database that provides easy access to a multitude of full text science-oriented content. Designed to meet every student's science research needs, Science Reference Center contains nearly 640 full-text titles from leading scientific encyclopedias, reference books, periodicals, biographies and images.
For more information including a title list, visit Ebsco's Science Reference Center page.

iCONN Remembers!

With a recent upgrade, the barcode login screen for users accessing iCONN from home can now remember a library card number. On the login screen is a checkbox with the note "Remember my card number on this computer" (see screenshot). If a user checks the box and enters their library card number, a cookie is placed on the computer so that iCONN will remember their card number. The next time the user goes to iCONN on that computer, they will be able to simply click a Begin button. Curious? Try it at home!

Your opinion needed! Take iCONN's Newspaper Survey

Hi iCONNers!

The iCONN Database Committee would like your opinion about the national newspaper collection available through iCONN.

Please complete this very short survey by Friday May 12th at:

http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.asp?u=666852079980


many thanks!
Lorri Huddy

Discovering Collection's Timeline Feature

Did you know that 100 years ago, freeze drying was invented, C. W. Post perfected Post Toasties Corn Flakes, the term “Tinker to Evers to Chance” was coined and the U. S. population reached 85 million? Using the Timeline in the Discovering Collection makes finding information tidbits like those above easy.

You will find the Timeline link on the Tools menu (see the first picture) on the main search page of the Discovering Collection (you will need to enter you Connecticut public library barcode if you are outside the library). There are several ways to search the Timeline (see the second picture below):

Chronology Bar: You may scroll along the search bar and choose a specific time period by clicking on the time period box. This is a fun way to browse the Timeline. (Notice that some of the images change as you scroll over them.)

Enter a specific year or range of years: You may key in a date in which the event begins or ends in the boxes provided or key in a range of dates.

Search Timeline Event Text: You may enter a specific event into the text box and click on the "Search" button.

You may combine searches by entering a specific year and an event, for example, you may enter 1860 to 1865 and the terms civil war in the text box to get a timeline of major events that took place during the Civil War.

Gale PowerSearch webinars

Hi iCONNers --

These webinars are a great opportunity for libraries who haven't transitioned to Gale's PowerSearch interface to see what it's all about. When Gale announced PowerSearch last summer, iCONN held information sessions about the new interface. But if your library didn't opt to changeover, you may have forgotten all about this! The cut-over date to PowerSearch for InfoTrac databases is August 1st.

Take advantage of these webinars and prepare for this changeover so you're ready when it happens!

--Lorri Huddy

=============================
Here's Gale's notice about their webinars:

We here at Thomson Gale are happy to continue with a new set of free , online seminars called "PowerSearch Fridays ."

At these seminars, held at the very least every Friday, we will be demonstrating Thomson Gale's new platform -- Thomson Gale PowerSearch. This new platform allows for the cross-search of Gale databases -- more than 17,000 InfoTrac periodicals and hundreds of Thomson Gale and partner eBooks .

If you've never attended a webinar before, here's how it works:

1) Register using this link: http://www.gale.com/enewsletters/product_update/PowerSearch.htm

2) You will receive a confirmation email before the meeting time with another link that you click at the time of the meeting

3) Call into the teleconference (details provided in the confirmation email)

4) Sit back, watch the screen, listen and ask questions.

In the seminars, you will get a glimpse of the new technology, the unique content that Thomson Gale offers, and you will also be introduced to a new service called AccessMyLibrary . With this service, we will show you how you can bring users of popular search engines like Google and Yahoo back to your library!

Libraries across the world are migrating to PowerSearch. Please register for one of our April seminars. Sessions last approximately one hour.

Nader M. Qaimari
Director - InfoTrac and PowerSearch
Thomson Gale
Office: 248.699.8139
Nader.Qaimari@thomson.com

Happy Birthday iCONN

It's hard to believe, but iCONN is five years old! On April 9, 2001, Governor M. Jodi Rell (Lieutenant Governor at that time) and State Librarian Kendall Wiggin sent out a press release to formally announce iCONN.

iCONN planning actually began long before the public announcement. The Connecticut General Assembly provided funding for the purchase of licensed information databases for Connecticut's libraries, schools and colleges in 2000. Staff at the Connecticut State Library in conjunction with the Department of Higher Education worked to create and implement iCONN. The iCONN kickoff conference for librarians and media specialists was held on March 26, 2001. Since its public debut on April 9, 2001, iCONN use has grown dramatically over the past 5 years.

If you have an iCONN story or simply want to wish iCONN a happy birthday, please leave a comment!