Information Services Team Blog

Looking for Help with Homework Topics? Try Canada in Context

Canada in Context is a good place to start to find information on topics like Canadian history, government, science, geography, literature, people and more.  You can browse by topic or search using keywords.  You can also limit your search by news, images, audio, videos or magazine articles.

If you click on the Resources tab you can find video tutorials on how to search, tips on using the database  or download the app for your smart phone.  If you click on the Curriculum Standards tab, you can find links to the standard topics covered from grade 6-12 by province.

Find the Canada in Context database through the Toronto Public Library’s A-Z list of all databases http://www.torontopubliclibrary.ca/databases/. Sign in with your Toronto Public Library card and start searching today.

 

 

 

Articles on Health, Fact Sheets, Reports, Videos ... Just what the Doctor would Order!

Want to stay fit after 40 – or strong at any age?  Try consulting Consumer Health Complete.  It contains consumer health information derived from a variety of resources including consumer health magazines, health reference books, fact sheets & pamphlets and evidence-based reports.  You can also find drug & herb information, images & diagrams, videos & animation as well as alternative sources.

Topics covered include medical conditions and diseases, food, nutrition and exercise, smoking cessation, substance abuse, surgeries and procedures, women’s and children’s health, environmental health and more.

Find Consumer Health Complete through the Toronto Public Library’s A-Z List of All Databases.  Sign in with your Toronto Public Library card and browse popular sources, search by topic or keyword or find a disease, condition injury or procedure by checking the a-z list under quick find.  To find out more on how to search, click on Database Help.

Garlic, Gingko and Yoga

What do garlic, gingko and yoga have in common? Information about these alternative and complementary therapy treatments can be found in Natural Standard. Check out this online resource for evidence-based information on:

• Foods
• Herbs
• Supplements
• Natural Therapies
• Interactions
• Side Effects
• Doses

A Flashcard or Bottom Line Summary can be printed or emailed.

How do major Canadian cities compare?

Which Canadian city has the fastest growing population? Check out Major Canadian Cities, another online resource. Data is taken from the 2001, 2006 and 2011 census. Use Major Canadian Cities to see rankings and comparisons for Canadian cities on:

• Demographics
• Housing
• Education
• Income
• Labour
• Transportation
• Immigration and Ethnicity
• Language

 

IELTS versus TOEFL

If recent questions at the reference desk are any indication, it would seem that IELTS (International English Language Testing System) is becoming more popular than the American TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language).  Both are used by employers and universities around the world to assess English language fluency, however it seems that the British IELTS is gaining ground in Canada.

Luckily Toronto Public Library provides access to two excellent online products that help library customers study for either test.

The Road to IELTS is an interactive program that covers 4 areas: reading, listening, speaking and writing.  It allows users create a profile and to track their progress.

 

 

 

For library customers studying for TOEFL, an excellent resource is the Learning Express Library.

 

 

 This resource includes study material for many skills and careers. 

To access the TOEFL guides and practice tests click on English Language Proficiency.

Users will find extensive study materials for all the TOEFL areas as well as practice tests. Once you sign up for a free account you can track your progress.

To find the Road to IELTS and the Learning Express Library - the fastest method is to type the name of the resource in the search box located on the TPL home page, then click on the 'Access Online' button.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

16 Days of Action Against Gender Violence: Information and Resources

Today (November 25th) is the first day in the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender Violence campaign.

16 Days of Action Against Gender Violence is a global campaign that runs annually from November 25th to December 10th. It was launched in 1991 by the Center for Women's Global Leadership and now counts over 2,000 organizations from over 154 countries among its participants.

The 16 Days campaign calls for the elimination of all forms of gender-based violence worldwide and highlights several significant dates, including:

• November 25th: International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women
• December 1st: World AIDS Day
• December 6th: National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women in Canada
• December 10th: International Human Rights Day

To mark the start of the 16 Days campaign, here are sixteen reference resources on the subject of gender and violence that are available in print or online through the Toronto Public Library:

 

Selected books:

            

               

• Gender Violence: A Cultural Perspective by Sally Engle Merry (Wiley-Blackwell, 2009)
• Women, Gender, and Human Rights: a Global Perspective edited by Marjorie Agosin (Rutgers University Press, 2001)
• Women's Human Rights: Seeking Gender Justice in a Globalizing Age by Niamh Reilly (Polity Press, 2009)
• Violence Against Women: Myths, Facts, Controversies by Walter S. DeKeseredy (University of Toronto Press, 2011) 
• Violence Against Women in Canada: Research and Policy Perspectives by Holly Johnson (Oxford University Press, 2011)

 

Selected encyclopedias:

                   

• Oxford Encyclopedia of Women in World History edited by Bonnie G. Smith (Oxford University Press, 2008) Online resource; sign on with library card.
• Routledge International Encyclopedia of Women: Global Women's Issues and Knowledge edited by Cheris Kramarae and Dale Spender (Routledge, 2000)
• Encyclopedia of Sex and Gender edited by Fedwa Malti-Douglas (MacMillan Reference, 2007) Online resource; sign on with library card.

 

Selected article databases:

• GLBT Gender Studies: Indexed and full-text articles about gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered culture and issues. Online resource; sign on with library card.
• The Secretary General's Database on Violence Against Women: A project of the United Nations.
• Women's Human Rights Resources Database: This database lists articles, documents, and links, related to both international and Canadian women's rights law. A project of the Women's Human Rights Resources Programme of the Bora Laskin Law Library at the University of Toronto. 
  

 

Selected websites:

• WomenWatch: This is the central gateway for online information and resources related to the promotion of gender equality and women's empowerment in the United Nations.
• Status of Women Canada: This federal government organization works to advance equality for women in Canada with particular emphasis placed on women's economic security and the elimination of violence against women.
• Ontario Women's Justice Network: Here you will find general legal information and resources on issues related to violence against women. A project of the Metropolitan Action Committee on Violence Against Women and Children (METRAC).
• Springtide Resources: This Toronto-based registered charity develops and delivers programs and resources to decrease the incidence of violence against women and the effect that abuse has on children.
• 16 Days campaign Resources: This section of the 16 Days campaign website includes suggested books, articles, reports, and websites on gender and violence as well as campaigning.

 

 

 

 

Britannica Still Rules, Despite Wikipedia

The Encyclopaedia Britannica stopped publishing its print version in March of 2012.  Although Wikipedia has become a popular place to look for information, according to the Wall Street Journal more than 500,000 people are still willing to pay to use the online version of Britannica.  The oldest English-language encyclopaedia still being produced, it enjoys a reputation for general excellence and authoritative references and illustrations for people, places, institutions and concepts. 

 

The Toronto Public Library subscribes to the online version and it includes the content of the print version of the Encyclopaedia Britannica and the Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary. There is a prominent link to Britannica Online for Kids from the home page and the guided tour is an great place to learning about this database.

Some interesting features include the biography of the day, this day in history, the Britannica blog and top news stories from the New York Times web version and BBC News. 

The Research Tools section includes primary sources, e-books, a video collection, media collection, a world atlas, notable quotations and a Spanish English dictionary.  Explore the history of topics from art to technology from thousands of years ago to the present day in the Timelines section.  World Data Analyst offers up-to-date statistical information for countries, and graphs and charts can be created with this tool.  Canada in Focus presents a wide-ranging collection of articles covering the most significant people, places, and history of Canada.

Once inside an article, Britannica provides links to expand you research to other journal articles, websites and additional readings.  Vocabulary help is provided when you double-click on a word for definitions and pronunciation.  Students will also like the citation feature at the bottom of articles which allow you to choose from four styles to cite the source in a bibliography.

Access the Encyclopedia Britannica from the A-Z List of All Databases on the Toronto Public Library's website.  Sign in using your library card and PIN number.

World Book Online - A Trusted Resource

World Book Online is a reliable electronic database. It has something for everyone. The library makes available World Book Online Reference Center, World Book Online Info Finder and World Book Online for Kids. A French (Encyclopedie Decouverte) and Spanish (Enciclopedie Estudiantil Hallazgos) version is also available for children.

• World Book Online Info Finder is good for middle and high school students and up. Images, videos and primary sources are available on topics in addition to encyclopedia articles. Check out this source for science project ideas. There is a How to Do Research section. If you are looking to write about a famous person go to the Biography Center.

 

• World Book Online Reference Center is appropriate for the general researcher. It includes  basic computer and web tutorials, a Timelines section and quick links to Canadian and Ontario government websites.

 

• World Book Online for Kids is easy-to-use and suitable for children in kindergarten to grade four. It includes lots of pictures, interactive games, activities and science project ideas.

 

• World Book Online and many other research databases can be found through the library's A to Z List of Databases. You will have to sign in with a library card and PIN if you are using the databases at home.

 

The Dictionary of Canadian Biography Online . . .

Have a look . . . 

Cartier; Champlain; Franklin; Sir MacDonald; Secord; Shadd; and Trudeau.

There are a further 8,431 portraits in the Online edition of the Dictionary of Canadian Biography, or DCB as it is commonly known: concise and well written, these pieces are exceptionally well researched, and exactly cited - making them a perfect start for serious research on almost any topic in Canadian history, especially those involving people.

The Online version of the DCB reproduces and extends the print version, including its essential chronological arrangement. The DCB in print organizes entries by the year the subject died. The first volume covers a 700 year period from 1000 to 1700, and subsequent volumes cover a range of periods from 9 to 39 years.

The online Advanced Search page includes volume searching under the "Date Range of Death" category. (note: coverage for any date past 1930 includes only a small selection of biographies that will appear in forthcoming print editions.)

The centre and right hand columns of the page includes a "Full-Text Search" option to look for common and distictive words in biographical entries: "astrolabe" (3 matching entries); "HBC" (513); "Jamaica" (138); "Napoleonic wars" (139); "Pemmican" (25); and "shipbuilding" (233).

Options are present for browsing in different ways, most obviously "by the first letter of the last name".  And "Browse by Identification" allows searchers to select from catagories like "Aboriginal people" (254 matching entries); "Blacks" (39); "Business" (2,146); "Fur Trade" (323); Inventors (39); Mariners (132); and Politicians (1593).

The "Browse by Geographical Location" option can search for entries by the capital cities, as well as by the provinces. A quick review shows that the majority of the entries emanate from eastern Canada (eg. Halifax has 922 entries, whereas Victoria has 315).

A "Gender" search allows for the selection of entries by "Female" (504 entries) or "Male" (7,934). 

All of the searches listed above can be "modified". For example, if we choose "Browse by Identification" and select "Philanthrophists and Social Reformers", there will be 263 results. From the results page that appears we can select "Modify Search". We can then select Gender "Female":

For this search, there are 103 entries listed once the "Submit" button is pressed.

The University of Toronto Press notes that the DCB is "Canada's oldest and largest research and publishing project in the humanities." Begun in 1959, the project is witness to the changing social roles of an earlier time, as when we discover, for example, that there are only a total of 4 female politicians in the database compared with a total 1590 male politicians!

Still, what Robert Fulford wrote almost 20 years ago is just as true now: "today it would be hard to imagine anyone writing a serious book about pre-1900 Canada without using it." . . . and let's hope that the same will be said of the DCB by future researchers of 20th century Canadian history.

 

Got Film Fest Fever? Get Film Indexes Online!

The 37th Toronto International Film Festival is coming up soon, from September 6th to 16th, 2012. If you are suffering from a serious case of film fest fever, find relief through the library and get Film Indexes Online!

                                                    

 Image of Fumeo film projector by Mattia Luigi Nappi via Wikimedia Commons. Used under Creative Commons license.

 
Previously accessible from Research and Reference branches only, Film Indexes Online is now available from any Toronto Public Library branch or from home using your library barcode and PIN, which is great news for serious researchers, students, and film buffs alike.

Film Indexes Online is a portal to three top-notch film resources:

1.American Film International Catalog (AFI)

AFI documents over 48,000 American feature films produced between 1893 and 1973. Most records include substantial plot summaries and comprehensive filmographic information, plus citations for reviews and articles. Includes the popular "AFI 100 Years..." series of cinematic milestones, such as AFI's Top 100 Movies, Top 25 Musicals, and Top 50 Stars. Compiled by the American Film Institute (AFI) and updated twice annually.

2. FIAF International Index to Film Periodicals Plus (FIAF Plus)

FIAF Plus provides abstracts and full-text articles from some 340 academic and popular film periodicals from 1972 to the prsent. Produced in collaboration with the International Federation of Film Archives (FIAF) and updated monthly.

3. Film Index International (FII)

FII features cross-referenced records for 120,000 films and 750,000 film personalities from over 180 countries. Coverage is from 1900 to the present and includes all genres of film, from the first silent movies to the most recent blockbusters. Also includes international film awards, searchable plot summaries, and annotated citations. Based on the Summary of Information on Film and Televison (SIFT) database from the British Film Institute (BFI) and updated twice annually.

Film Indexes Online can be used to search all three databases at the same time or each separately. With the all-in-one search you can search or browse by keyword, film title, date, or person. The search interface supports Boolean, exact, truncation, and proximity searching. For more advanced searches, you can search each database separately to take advantage of unique functionality (e.g., hierarchical subject thesauri).

For a video demonstration of how to use Film Indexes Online click here.

Wondering how the Film Indexes Online database compares to the freely available website resource Internet Movie Database (IMDB)? To find out, I searched for one of my all-time favourite films, Rear Window, in both resources.

Here is some of what I found:

Source material: 

The AFI record in Film Indexes Online notes that the film is based on the short story "It Had To Be Murder" by Cornell Woolrich, published in Dime Detective in February 1942, and includes a brief publication history of the story. The IMDB record, by comparison, simply lists Cornell Woolrich under "Writing credits".

Subject indexing:

The AFI record includes two genre headings (Mystery, Suspense), plus dozens of primary and secondary cross-referenced subject headings (e.g., Apartment buildings, Voyeurism, Traveling salesmen). IMDB, on the other hand, includes three genre headings (Mystery, Romance, Thriller) but lacks controlled subject headings.

References:

The combined records in Film Indexes Online include approximately 200 citations to reviews and articles, including approximately three dozen that were published at the time of the film's original release. The IMDB record does not include any citations to published reviews or articles, but does include hundreds of user reviews and an active message board.

In sum, while IMDB is a useful and popular ready reference tool, Film Indexes Online in the resource to use for more complex reference questions and scholarly research.

Happy film fest everyone!

Finding articles on Canadian topics in a Canadian periodicals index

This index doesn't index only Canadian periodicals and, anyway, Canadian periodicals don't include only Canadian material. So finding articles on Canadian topics in it isn't as straightforward as you might think. But there is, with its curves, a way.

Say the topic you want current information on is health care.

To start, do a subject search. That is, click on the orange Subject Guide Search tab to get to the Subject Guide Search page. Do not click on (resist the blandishments of) the blue Subject tab to search from ("the comforts of") the Home Page. If you do search from the Home Page, you won't be able to limit the search results to Canadian material.

Enter "health care." Search Assist (as it's called) will produce, below the search window, a list of legitimate subject headings that you (knowing the laws of this index better) might have meant to enter. Obviously "health care," unknown to Search Assist, isn't, in this index, one of them.

Launch, blithely, your search anyway by clicking on the magnifying glass at the end of the search window.

"Medical care," your search results show you, is, in this index, the legitimate heading. Click on Medical Care.

Medical Care is shown seated on top, in glorious legitimacy, of Subdivisions and, below Subdivisions, Related Subjects. A subject dominion.

Click on Subdivisions, or on the green plus sign, to open the list of subject subdivisions. (You're almost there. Don't let your hand slip, nerveless, off the mouse.)

Select Locations from the "by subdivision" Topics drop-down menu. The default list of subdivisions is a list of topical subdivisions, hence the word Topics, though in this index genre headings like "Case studies" and "Personal narratives" count as topics (showing how shakey the underpinnings of legitmacry can sometimes be).

Scroll down the list of locations and click on Canada (566 articles on Aug. 16, 2012) or back up to British Columbia (51 articles) or down again, way down (the list is long), to Ontario (75 articles).

Yes, the list is long. It has about 175 locations. And Canadian ones aren't those with the largest number of articles. The United Kingdom has 903. The United States, 1069. These numbers hint at the amount of wading you'd have to do to find Canadian material if you didn't limit by location. (You'd give up. Your hand would slide, nerveless, off the mouse.)