Research Blog : AskEVPL

Learn to find Government Information on the Web

Bufkinite@evpl — Sat, 10 Oct 2009 19:53:00 GMT

Interested in finding out about govenment jobs? Wonder where you can find the latest consumer product safety information? Ever wanted to look at surplus government property, and maybe bid on some of it? Want to get information on financial planning? On October 21st there will be a free workshop on how to access all of this information and more through the premier government web portal - USA.gov.

Led by Government Documents Librarian Teresa Loeffler, this workshop will help you search and find the specific information you want, by showing you some concrete examples, and then letting you search the web site yourself, with supervision and assistance.

The workshop takes place at Central Library's Tech Center, and is limited to 15 people, so that everyone will have their own computer for searching for the information that interests them. Call the library Reference Desk at 428-8218 to sign up, or IM us via the AskEVPL page and let us know that you'd like to sign up for the Finding Government Information workshop.

Got a Question? Text it to AskEVPL!

Bufkinite@evpl — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 02:20:00 GMT

Do you text?

Are you one of those people who keeps in touch by text-messaging?

Now you can add the library's Reference Services department to the list of places you can text! Asking questions has never been easier! Hosted by Mosio, a leader in providing mobile information systems, this service allows you to text us questions, while maintaining complete confidentiality, since your mobile phone number will never be revealed to us.

Send your messages to 66746 (MOSIO)

Begin your question with the word "askevpl" (without the quotes, of course), and then just type your question! See the graphic at left for an example.

During library hours, we will answer your question within 3 hours.

So now there are five different ways you can approach EVPL Reference Services with a question:

1. You can text us, as just described.
2. You can ask us in person, at the Information Desk of Central Library, or at the Reference Desk of any branch.
3. You can call us on the telephone at (812) 428-8218 during regular library hours.
4. You can email us using our online form.
5. You can instant message us using AOL, Yahoo, or Windows Live Messenger, or directly via Meebo on our AskEVPL page.

Whatever choice you make, Reference Services is here to answer your question, help you find the job resources you need, point your research in productive directions, and provide you with timely business information.

Now, what was your question?

Bird Jammin'

wag.mado@evpl — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 20:08:00 GMT

The Reference Department at Central Library often gets questions regarding animal behavior. One recent question was "Can a giraffe lick its ear with its tongue?" On any given day, we have to be prepared for those perplexing questions that need to be answered. One of you out there may be wondering if animals can dance. Well, read on and see for yourself.

According to a new study from the Neurosciences Institute in La Jolla California, humans are not the only ones who have a sense of rhythm. Some birds, dolphins, elephants and seals might be able to move to a beat and actually dance. One of the subjects studied by scientist Aniruddh Patel and his colleagues was a cockatoo named Snowball. Snowball actually lives in Indiana at Bird Lovers Only Rescue. He appears to prefer rock music - especially The Backstreet Boys. You may have seen Snowball on YouTube. He not only moves his head, but his feet and other body parts to the beat of music.

In another study at Harvard University, researcher Adena Schachner and colleagues studied thousands of dancing animals on YouTube and concluded that several species of parrots and elephants have the ability to perform synchronized movements in accordance with various musical beats.

Snowball was one of the favorites in both studies. And after viewing his videos, you will know why.

Out of these studies came a theory that the ability to dance is related to a propensity for mimicking sounds vocally - that somehow the two are interconnected. What about elephants? Well, they have been known to mimic sounds in their environment also.

So, there's your answer - although additional studies are needed to prove the above theory.

Oh, and by the way - the answer to the giraffe question is yes. The length of a giraffe tongue is about 18-20 inches!

Read more about animal behavior by checking out these books. Or, contact us today with one of your own questions.

The Library might be a solution to your problem...

kiya@evpl — Sat, 23 May 2009 17:07:00 GMT

The problem: A customer needed to locate a relative of a deceased friend, but couldn’t remember the relative’s name.

Her solution: Look up the obituary online, and find the name in the list of survivors. She went to the Courier and Press website, and searched for the obituary. She found a listing for the obituary but the text of the obituary was no longer available for free. They kindly offered to sell it to her for a small fee.

The alternative solution: She came to the library hoping to find the obituary in our old newspapers, and was disappointed to find we didn’t have the newspaper itself at our branch. However, I checked the Browning Genealogy Database, and found the entry for her friend’s obituary, complete with the list of survivors. Then a quick look at the phone book, and she had located her missing person!

I continue to be grateful to Mr. Charles Browning and family, for all the long hours and hard work that went into constructing this extremely useful database, which can be found at http://browning.evpl.org/

What puzzle are you working on? Maybe the library can help! Ask us.

Now You Can AskEVPL Direct

Bufkinite@evpl — Tue, 12 May 2009 21:35:00 GMT

If you haven't been to the AskEVPL web site recently, you're in for a pleasant surprise! Now, thanks to an bit of Instant Message software called Meebo, you can ask EVPL Reference Staff a question anytime.

Here's how it works: when you open the AskEVPL web page, the upper lefthand portion of the page contians a box labeled AskEVPL. This is the AskEVPL widget, and inside it is a smaller box that says "type here and hit enter to send a private message." An example of what the AskEVPL widget looks like is to the left.

Once you type a message and hit enter, your message will come directly to the library's reference staff, and will be answered just as it would if you called, mailed, emailed, or walked in.

You can still IM us using AOL Instant Messenger, Yahoo Messenger, or Windows Live Messenger, but if you don't have one of those IM clients installed, you can still IM us using the AskEVPL widget!

What is YOUR question?