One major goal for teachers and librarians today is to foster “information literacy,” a set of skills that allows us to efficiently communicate what information we need, understand where and how to search, think critically about information and use it strategically to achieve our goals. Information literacy instruction typically involves activities like a discussion of what makes […]
Blog | Information Literacy, Research, Dayton History
What Is Google Analytics Direct Traffic And Where Does It Really Come From?
One of the core benefits of Google Analytics is its ability to show you where your website visitors are coming from. How many are arriving from Google? What about from links on Facebook or another online community? These are vital questions that any webmaster needs to be able to answer. Within Analytics, the total number […]
How to Copy Text from a Flash Webpage, CFM, SFM file or other “Uncopyable” Format
In most cases, if you want to export text from the web it’s as easy as CTRL+C. But what if you come across a filetype online that doesn’t let you do this? One common situation is a website that was created using Adobe Flash. More specifically, you may see a .CFM or .SFM file extension […]
New Job and Some Other Professional Updates
Two weeks ago I started a new position at Sinclair Community College in Dayton, Ohio. I’m the Instruction and Assessment Librarian, which means I’ll coordinate the library’s teaching efforts and also work with librarians and faculty to improve student outcomes when the curriculum or assignments include a research component. I’ll also staff the reference desk […]
How Does Google Scholar Work and How Can I Use It Better?
Google is great for its convenience and quick answers but much more hit or miss when you need authoritative sources. It’s important to critically evaluate your search results to figure out who each author is and why he or she might be a good person to write about the subject at hand. But another thing […]
Why You Should Close Your Browser After Logging Out of a Service
When you are accessing sensitive information, such as with online banking, a very basic security measure is to remember to log out right after you finish. In most cases, however, the service will recommend that you also close your browser. The advice is very common but can be a slight annoyance. You will usually want […]