Search Tip of the Month
This Month's Features
Spreading the News

   How often have you heard people say, "Where does the time go?" or "Time just flies by!" and you respond with a nod or a verbal agreement. Have you ever spent time truly pondering these proclamations? There are people who do such things. They are called physicists. 2005 has been named the "Year of Physics" as well as the "Year of Einstein." Through Albert Einstein's "spacetime" theories, actual space travel has become a reality, and black holes have been discovered. But you don't have to be a rocket scientist to be considered a very intelligent person. You only need to subscribe to the Children's Literature Comprehensive Database (CLCD). With the database you can eliminate those "black holes" in your collection and find those special books and audio books that will expand the minds and imaginations of the next generation. By the way, did you know that when he was a patents clerk in Bern, Switzerland Albert Einstein approved the patent for the unique mold that is used in making Toblerone chocolate bars? So, the next time you use the CLCD, take the time you saved and salute your intelligence with a delicious chocolate bar.

   We are looking forward to seeing you at ALA in Chicago. Stop by 4547 and let us show you some different ways to make the CLCD work for you.

   Since this is the time of year when many subscribers may be preparing summer reading lists, we thought it would be helpful to reiterate an approach that can save you lots of time. If you undertake the following steps you can prepare a formatted list using the database and your word processing program. In this case I used MICROSOFT WORD.

1. Perform your search either by subject, author, ISBN, date, or whatever criteria you choose.

2. When you have the results list, check off the items that you want in your list.

3. Save checked items.

4. Display checked items to confirm that is what you want.

5. Click on Custom Report Button and accept the HTML default, change the length to 3 or 400 characters so you can get the entire annotation if you want it included. Number the six fields in the sequence you want them to appear (you don't need to use them all if you don't need them) and click create report. The result is a nicely formatted.

6. Start Word and copy this table and paste into a WORD document which will create a word table.

   If you want to add more items just repeat steps 1-5 and when you go to WORD delete the blank line between the two tables, at this point you can also delete the header row in the second table. What you have done is concatenated two tables to create one larger table. You can just keep building until you get all of the items you want in the table. To manipulate the table in Word, requires a few extra steps. (If you are not comfortable working with Word tables, you will need to consult help.)

   If you want your list arranged by title you will need to go in and manipulate the titles to make the articles, appear last (The titles are coming from the MARC records so we do not control how the library of Congress formats the data). You can also use the case changing feature in Word if you want to use the title case option.

   You can use table commands to search this table using any of the existing fields. (Note: If you had not deleted the header row for all of the table pieces they will all sort to the top and can be easily deleted).

   You can resize the fields however you want them to display or print.

   In conjunction with the "Year of Einstein" and the 100th year anniversary of four of his major papers (one of which led to the Nobel Prize), we have added a new feature on Albert Einstein.

   Just in time for Father's Day, we have reviewed some new titles that you will want to add to your collection. Among them is Henry and Mudge and the Great Grandpas by Cynthia Rylant in which Henry discovers that Grandpas can do more than just play cards and checkers.

   We have updated our feature on Baseball with some terrific new books. Among them are two picture books: Dad, Jackie, and Me by Myron Uhlberg, based on his childhood remembrances, with illustrations by Colin Bootman and Mudball written and illustrated by Matt Tavares. The illustrations in both books capture the action on the field and the emotions of the texts.

   Our monthly newsletter is now available to everyone within an organization, not just the primary contact. A feature at www.childrenslit.com will provide you with a form allowing you to sign up for just the electronic newsletter. Discover for yourself what Karla Schmit, Professor, Library Department, Librarian Laboratory School, Shippensburg University says about the CLCD, -"Every author, every title, every time."

About the Children’s Literature Comprehensive Database

   The Children's Literature Comprehensive Database is your most complete source of information about children's books, audio recordings, and films. Indeed, it is the next best thing to having the item in hand, and the best tool for leading you to the best materials. All at a most affordable price. To subscribe to the CLCD, go to www.childrenslit.com.