Reference at Newman Library

Tag: Databases

Remote Access to Databases Interruptions Today [UPDATED]

[SEE UPDATE BELOW]

This morning, BCTC is upgrading our EZproxy software, which we use to authenticate off campus users, and moving it to a new server. Remote access may be down briefly here and there during the morning. This may affect OneSearch and the catalog. If you find trouble searching the catalog or OneSearch, these links should work:

Catalog

https://libsearch.cuny.edu/F/

OneSearch

http://onesearch.cuny.edu/primo_library/libweb/action/search.do?vid=bb

When work is finished this morning, I’ll update this post and send out an announcement post.

UPDATE: As of 10 am, work is complete and the new server is working fine. Remote access should again be available.

Alternative Access to Databases Pages on January 12

Beginning at 11:30 am on Monday, January 12, all of our LibGuides will become unavailable for up to 24 hours as we switch to the new LibGuides platform. This means that the pages we provide with links to databases will also be unavailable. As an alternative, please use this Google Doc which provides an A-Z list of database links.

To notify our users, we’ll be doing the following:

  • sending out a tweet on the @baruchlibrary Twitter account
  • changing some of the links on the library website that point to the databases pages so that they go to the alternative listing of databases

It is likely that the new LibGuides will be ready in less than 24 hours. As soon as it is up, I’ll send out an email and write a new post here on the reference blog.

 

NYCdata Update – NYC Government Structure

As a result of our meeting back in December, the NYCdata team at the Weissman Center has updated their resource based on feedback we provided. They’ve added a sub-section under the Public Safety and NYC Governmental Structure chapter that provides links to government agencies within each of the three branches of government. Over the next six months we will be working with them to update the maps on their site.

New wiki page: Databases Overview

We are launching a new page in the wiki called Databases Overview. This page is intended to highlight any unusual features from our databases as well as keep track of any issues that have been reported and may not have been yet resolved. We hope this is helpful in doing some initial troubleshooting during reference interactions.

The page features a table with a row for each database and columns with the following key information:

Login from ref desk staff

Do we have to log the user in using passwords that we maintain or can the user go straight to the database via a link on the databases page.

Concurrent users

Can an unlimited number of people use this at the same time or, if there is a limit, what is that number?

Browser restrictions

Which, if any, browsers you must use.

Visitor access

Beyond the core  Baruch community (current students, faculty, and staff) can others use it (Baruch alums, other CUNY students, other CUNY faculty, other visitors)?

Current status

If a problem has been reported to me or Stephen, there will be a note here about it. If you encounter a new problem, feel free to edit the respective cell – Stephen and I are notified when this page is updated. Please make sure to write your name and date so we can follow up if there are other questions (of course, you should always feel free to email or call us as well).

As problems get fixed, we will move the note over to a page in the wiki for that particular database so we can keep a record of problems that have cropped up in case they appear again.

Related blog posts and wiki entries

If there are any blog posts about this database in the reference wiki, there will be a “Blog” link here that will find all the posts tagged with that database name. If there is a page in the wiki for this database, there will be a “Wiki” link as well.

This new wiki page should be the first place to go when you suspect there might be an issue with a particular database.

If you encounter a problem that is not under “Current Status” it may be useful to read through the blog posts or the wiki pages for that database – often the same problem repeats itself and a solution that worked in the past may still work. Still, do let us know of the current problem so we can resolve it more fully.

I welcome any feedback about this new page.

New database: Simmons OneView

We recently acquired Simmons OneView, an online decision-making system intended to assist marketers with determining a wide range of potential marketing considerations through the customization of creating crosstab reports. Surveying US and local populations by asking questions about themselves (demographics and psychographics), products and services used, and media outlets accessed, the system allows marketers to pose a variety of questions to gauge marketing potential.

Aside from Adults, other studies available include Top 10 DMA, Teen, Kids, and Hispanics. With the most recent data being Fall 2010, there is a two year lag behind in data available to academic institutions versus corporate. Please note there is a limit to 5 users at a time.

For quick tutorials on using SimmonsOneView, consult the “Resources” section. Look for an announcement about training sessions to be organized in the coming weeks.

Trial for PolicyMap

We’ve just re-activated our trial to PolicyMap, a US web-mapping database with statistical data of interest to people in business, public policy, and the social sciences. The last trial ran during the final exams period in the spring, and thus didn’t get much attention. The trial is active again from now until Oct 31st and is accessible on campus via our list of trial databases.

Feel free to take a look and ask faculty who may be interested to do the same, and send feedback to Mike.

A description from PolicyMap’s literature:

“PolicyMap provides access to thousands of data indicators that can be analyzed as layers, as well as data points, on interactive maps. PolicyMap’s data indicators are related to demographics, neighborhood conditions, real estate markets, federal program-eligible areas, money and income, lending activity, jobs and economy, education, health, and more. Data can be viewed on a census block or census tract level in many cases, city, county, zip, state, US, as well as by congressional district, school district, state house and state senate districts. PolicyMap’s data collection includes but also extends far beyond US Census data.”

“PolicyMap data can be presented as maps, tables, charts and reports that can be incorporated into papers, presentations, blogs and websites. In addition, students and faculty can upload unlimited amounts of their own address-based data for use in PolicyMap, and can share these maps with others.”

Part of the SRDS Database Only Works in Internet Explorer

Most of the SRDS database works in all browsers, but a portion of the content–the Local Market Audience Analyst–will only work in Internet Explorer:

SRDS screenshot

 

If you are using Internet Explorer 9, then this portion will work with no problem. If you are using Internet Explorer 10, then you’ll have to go into the “Tools” menu in the browser to make a change to the “Compatibility view settings.” These screenshots walk you through the change you need to make:

Step 1: Click “Tools” from the menu bar in the browser (if the menu bar isn’t showing, just hit ALT-T on the keyboard to make it visible).

Step 1 of web compatibility view settings

Step 2: From the list of commands, select “Compatibility View settings”

Step2 - select Compatibility View settings

Step 3: Type “claritas.com” in the box and click the “Add” button

Step 3 - Type claritas.com in the box and click the Add button

Step 4: Make sure claritas.com now appears in the large box and then click “Close.”

Step 4: Make sure claritas.com now appears in the large box and then click "Close."

 

That should fix the problem for the time you are working in the database. If you close the window, though, and then come back later to the database, you will likely have to re-enter these settings again.

SRDS is aware of this issue and is likely working on a fix for it.

 

New Database: Statistical Abstract of the United States

We just updated the link on our databases page that is for the Statistical Abstract of the United States. Previously, this link connected to the free version that stopped being published last year. Now, that link goes to an updated version of the publication from ProQuest.

One thing that students may find especially helpful about this version is the inclusion of MLA and APA citations for each table (scroll to the bottom of the table to find these).