Librarycasting SE

RefShare is a new feature that has recently been added to the VCU RefWorks subscription. It allows you to easily share citations and references online, that you have already imported into RefWorks, with other students and colleagues. Sharing any RefWorks folder containing the references you wish to share is as easy as clicking on the "Share Folder" button for that folder. This creates a unique hyperlink that can be pasted into a web page, Blackboard class page, etc.

A few possible applications for this feature include:
- Shared reference lists for collaborative projects such as research proposals, student group projects, etc.
- Required reading lists for students to view
- Lists of publications for researchers, faculty

Because RefShare is fully integrated with RefWorks, it takes advantage of already-existing capabilities for easy retrieval and organization of literature citations from almost any database at VCU Libraries, and the automatic creation of in-line citations and references in your final Word document. Additionally, RefWorks/RefShare is RSS-capable, and can be used to search and import citations from the VCU Libraries Catalog.

If you would like to know more about RefShare and RefWorks, take a look at some of the video tutorials listed below. In addition, VCU Libraries provides several training workshops throughout the academic year.

(RefShare video tutorials)

(RefWorks video tutorials)

Posted by at 5:32 PM | Permalink

Cn3D is a versatile, free molecular viewer available from the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI). The video tutorial (2 minutes, 21 seconds, workstation version) illustrates how to use Cn3D to customize and annotate the appearance of a known molecular structure.

Cn3D has many additional capabilities, which are described in traditional web-based tutorials at the NCBI website.

To download the file for a video iPod: right-click on the first iPod video link immediately below for pc, shift-click for mac
(4.8 MB, 2 minute 3 seconds).

(video for normal workstation playback, 2 minutes 21 seconds)

Posted by at 11:30 AM | Permalink

You can setup RSS feeds for searches (search alerts) that you run in Web of Science / Science Citation Index. This means automatic updates for specific searches that you have run in WOS. A similar feature is available for monitoring the citation of a specific article by other authors (citation alerts).

For search alerts, access this feature by running the search of interest, then click on the Search History button near the top of the page, then click Save History button . You'll be prompted to login (click the register link to setup a new user name and password). The Save Search History page (for e-mail alerts setup) will appear, enter a History Name and click the Save button; leave the A Server Save Confirmation page will appear with an orange XML button; this is the RSS feed for the search.

Citation alerts work by opening the record for the specific article of interest, clicking the Create Citation Alert button on the right, and login as needed. The XML button for the feed appears in the Citation Alerts Save Confirmation page.

Note that the alerts will also go to an e-mail box, there is no option to only receive the RSS alert.

Posted by at 12:42 PM | Permalink

This Thursday, the workshop will introduce three important tools for molecular structure viewing and searching: Scifinder Scholar (Chemical Abstracts Service), Crossfire Commander for Beilstein / Gmelin (MDL), and Entrez Structure / Cn3D (National Center for Biotechnology Information). More info ...

Time & Location: Thursday, October 26, 2006, 11:00 - 12:00 noon, Cabell Library 3rd floor instruction classroom.

Register for the workshop

Posted by at 1:15 PM | Permalink

Chemistry World, published by the Royal Society of Chemistry, has just started a new podcast this October, featuring highlights from the print/online version...

Posted by at 12:14 PM | Permalink

This workshop introduces three important tools for molecular structure viewing and searching: Scifinder Scholar (Chemical Abstracts Service), Crossfire Commander for Beilstein / Gmelin (MDL), and Entrez Structure / Cn3D (National Center for Biotechnology Information).

Thursday, October 26, 2006, 11:00 - 12:00 noon, Cabell Library 3rd floor instruction classroom
Register

Posted by at 10:38 AM | Permalink

Journal table of contents, science news, and search results from some databases can be automically monitored using two technology-based techniques, RSS and e-mail alerts. This introductory workshop demonstrates how to do this.

Thursday, September 7, 11 - 11:50 am, Cabell Library 3rd floor instruction classroom
Register for the workshop

Posted by at 10:25 AM | Permalink

VCU Libraries is a Patent and Trademark Depository Library (PTDL). This screencast tutorial provides a brief introduction (3 minutes 21 seconds, with audio) to some methods for beginning a search for U.S. patents. Topics covered include:

- Navigating to online patent resources
- Searching using a patent number
- Searching using an inventor name
- Searching using class/subclass numbers and the manual of patent classification
- Finding patent search templates

Posted by at 3:53 PM | Permalink

There are several types of reaction mechanisms in organic chemistry (SN1, SN2, E1, E2, rearrangements, etc.) A very common assignment in organic chemistry courses is writing reaction mechanisms. Successfull completion of the assignment involves correctly representing the movement of electron pairs using curved arrows. This in turn is built on many foundational concepts (carbocations and carbanions, Lewis structures, Lewis acid-base concepts, formal charge, resonance structures, molecular orbitals, electronegativity, etc.).

Some helpful interactive tutorials for this material (including quizzes to test your knowledge) are available online:

Curly Arrows: An Interactive Tutorial in the Writing of Organic Reaction Mechanisms (Dr. Mary Masson, Dept. of Chemistry, University of Aberdeen): covers substitution, elimination and rearrangement reactions.

Two selections from the Online Virtual Chemistry Laboratory (Dr. K.N. Harrison's research group, Dept. of Chemistry, Oxford University):
Interactive Organic Mechanisms: covers SN1, SN2, E1, E2.
Named Organic Reactions: covers more than 50 reaction mechanisms.

Posted by at 4:02 PM | Permalink

The Protein Data Bank is the international, public-domain depository for macromolecular (protein and nucleic acid) 3D structure data.

The narrated PDB video tutorial covers many facets of the website, incuding:
- searching, browsing and query results pages
- structure summary pages
- several alternatives for viewing 3D molecular structures
- downloading structure coordinate files (PDB files)

The PDB also provides several traditional web-page tutorials describing data deposit procedures. More tutorials about this are here.

There is also an RSS feed for the latest released structures

(for latest structures)

Posted by at 9:51 PM | Permalink

Cn3D is free molecular viewer software available from NCBI, a division of the National Library of Medicine. This video tutorial (2 minutes, 21 seconds) illustrates how to use Cn3D to customize and annotate the appearance of a known molecular structure. It also briefly discusses basic searching in Entrez Structure, and the PDB (Protein Data Bank), where all protein data is archived.

Cn3D also has many additional capabilities, which are described in traditional web-based tutorials at the NCBI website.

Posted by at 9:22 PM | Permalink

Librarycasting SE is beginning to also provide some iPod-ready video tutorials. These have been specially adapted to fit the small video iPod screen. The first one is entitled "Finding New / Recently Purchased Books."

Download Links (right-click on link for pc, shift-click for mac):

(2.7 MB, 1 minute 1 second).

(1.7 MB, 1 minute).

Posted by at 7:09 PM | Permalink

This screencast (video tutorial, 1 minute 47 seconds, with audio) describes how to locate many other tutorials available through VCU Libraries. The available tutorials cover both general library services and subjec-specific resources relevant to the sciences and engineering.

Posted by at 7:37 PM | Permalink

VCU Libraries has recently added a search feature for recently purchased items, called "New Titles," to its online catalog. New titles are currently defined as those acquired within the last three months. This feature can be accessed by clicking on the yellow "New Titles" tab at near the top of the library catalog search page. A screencast tutorial (47 seconds) demonstrating this new feature is now available. There is also an iPod-readyvideo tutorial available for downloading (2.7MB).

Posted by at 6:57 PM | Permalink

RSS is an easy, automated way to stay current with research news, recent journal articles, the latest search results from a few databases (eg., PubMed, Compendex / Engineering Village), and even new tutorials from VCU Libraries. There is a screencast tutorial (3minutes, 19 seconds) that describes how to do this. In addition, workshops (see the library schedule) are taught each semester that describe the use of RSS in more detail than the tutorial.

Posted by at 6:45 PM | Permalink

The U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has periodic podcasts of its research. Examples of recent titles include "2005 Atlantic Hurricane Season and Global Earth Observing System of Systems, or GEOSS" and "Galapagos Spreading Center: Exploring Undersea Volcanoes." NOAA also provides RSS feeds for National Weather Service Advisories (by state/county/zone), National Hurricane Center advisories (by storm name or Atlantic / Pacific basin), and news releases.

for NOAA News Releases

Posted by at 2:28 PM | Permalink

Nova (PBS) currently produces a podcast, a vodcast (video podcast), and an RSS feed. The podcast, currently produced about once a month, is science-story and interview focused. The video podcasts (currently twice a month) are excerpts from the TV program, and require Apple Quicktime 7 to run. The RSS feed links to Nova webpages that feature TV program clips, transcripts, answers from subject experts, discussion forums, etc.

Posted by at 4:03 PM | Permalink

Chemical Abstracts Service (ACS) provides a tutorial web page describing how to print and save search results in SciFinder Scholar 2006.

Posted by at 4:58 PM | Permalink

Chemical Abstracts Service (ACS) provides tutorial web pages covering the use of SciFinder Scholar 2006 for exact structure searching and substructure seaching.

Posted by at 4:53 PM | Permalink

Chemical Abstracts Service provides interactive tutorials demonstrating the use of SciFinder Scholar 2006. These three tutorials cover general chemistry, biology, and chemical engineering respectively. They can be either dowloaded or run in a browser (requiring the Macromedia Authorware Web Player).

Posted by at 4:45 PM | Permalink

This tutorial (2 minutes 30 seconds) describes how to find conserved domain information. Conserved domains contain conserved amino acid sequence patterns, and correlate to protein stucture and function. Organism information is included in the domain records.

Posted by at 4:34 PM | Permalink

This tutorial (1 minute 45 seconds) describes how to locate the genomic DNA, mRNA, and protein (amino acid) sequences for a specific gene, using NCBI's Entrez Gene resource.

Posted by at 4:14 PM | Permalink

This video tutorial (47 seconds) provides basic instructions for using NCBI's Entrez Gene resource to find information about a specific gene.

Posted by at 3:59 PM | Permalink

This tutorial (29 seconds) shows how to quickly identify all the full-text databases in a particular subject area when you're using the "databases by subject area" tool accessible from the library home page.

Posted by at 1:04 PM | Permalink

This can be an effective technique when exploring an unfamiliar subject area, carrying out an extensive literature review, or searching a cross-disciplinary / interdisciplinary topic (1 minute 35 seconds).

Posted by at 12:57 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Cabell Library is located on the Academic Campus at VCU. Details regarding finding e-journals, online full-text articles, and locating print copies (current or archive), are explained (2 minutes 3 seconds).

Posted by at 12:50 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

This video tutorial (3 minutes 19 seconds) describes how to use RSS technology, to automatically stay current with a variety of information sources. This technology can be easily used with the free Firefox browser (as described in the tutorial), or with a number of free RSS aggregator tools (available for use either online or on your desktop).

Posted by at 12:41 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

New RSS feeds for tutorials (covering library tools and services, life sciences, and physical sciences) have just been added to the site. These feeds are active, and link to tutorials created here at VCU Libraries, and elsewhere. They will be periodically updated. A feed for engineering tutorials will also be activated soon.

Posted by at 8:37 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Librarycasting SE is a compilation of selected educational and information resources for the sciences and engineering, with a strong emphasis on new media and communication formats such as screencasts (pc screen video), video, and podcasts (audio). Resources covered include those produced at Virginia Commonwealth University Libraries, the VCU campus community, and the extended sciences and engineering world community beyond.

A major goal of Librarycasting SE is to make available a range of brief screencast and podcast tutorials answering specific questions, and demonstrating specific techniques, relevant to the sciences and engineering. Conveniently access these resources at any time from your Firefox browser bookmarks or RSS aggregator, through the subject-specific automatically updated RSS feeds provided at this site. These tutorials are in constant production at VCU Libraries, and your suggestions for new tutorials in this format are always welcomed!

Pete Kirlew, Ph.D., MLIS
Reference Librarian for the Sciences and Engineering
VCU Libraries

Posted by at 5:52 PM | Permalink