PCC Library Blog

Welcome back from the holiday break! We have a few new things to share . . .

• There are new print graphic novels, YA fiction, and nonfiction books about A.I., as well as many new additions to Dogwood Digital, ComicsPlus, and Flipster.
• An additional large study room is now available for booking on the 2nd floor (Room 214).
• The VR room has been relocated to 219.
• NC LIVE has provided access to a new database that provides primary sources related to the Indigenous Peoples of North America.

Get the details on our What's New for January 2025 page.

New Collection Development Librarian! 

• Evan Schmoll is not new to us, but her role in the Library has changed! She is now in charge of acquiring and cataloging new materials for the Library. She will still be your primary contact person for setting up Library instruction (for now). Please congratulate Evan on her new role!

Update: PCC Library DOES NOT CURRENTLY have a print subscription to The Chronicle of Higher Education (as of November 2024). 

Access Online via Library Databases

Academic Search Complete (EBSCOhost) and Opposing Viewpoints (Gale) include access to full-text articles from the Chronicle of Higher Education between 1999, and the present. However, there is a publisher imposed 30-day embargo on adding full text to these databases, so you will not be able to access the most recent issues.

Use Academic Search Complete

Quick Link: Go directly to the Academic Search Complete Chronicle of Higher Ed. Publication page (view by year, volume, issue, etc.).

Step-by-step instructions for getting to the publication page:

• Go to the PCC Library homepage (opens in a new window).
• Click Databases.
• Click the letter "A" then choose Academic Search Complete. You will be prompted to login with your myPittCC username and password.
• Once the database is open, click Publications in the top navigation bar.

• Skip the top search box on the next page. Look for the text box in the Publications section.
• Type Chronicle of Higher Education in the search box.
• If not already selected, click the radial button next to Alphabetical. 
• Click Browse.

• Click the link for Chronicle of Higher Education. 

• From this next page, you can choose to view articles by year, issue, etc. 
• There is also a Search within this Publication link that will allow you to search by keyword.
• The Full Text section lets you know what dates are available as full text and whether or not there are any publisher embargoes.

Use Opposing Viewpoints

Quick Link: Go directly to the Opposing Viewpoints Chronicle of Higher Education Publication Page (view by year, volume, issue, etc.).

Step-by-step instructions for getting to the publication page:

• Go to the PCC Library homepage (opens in a new window).
• Click Databases.
• Click the letter "O" then choose Opposing Viewpoints. You will be prompted to enter your myPittCC username and password.
• Click Advanced Search.
• Click Publication Search.
• In the search box, start typing: The Chronicle of Higher Education. Click the title when you see it appear in the drop-down menu, or continue typing the complete title in the Publication Search box.
• Click Search.

• Click the link for The Chronicle of Higher Education.
• Click the drop-down menu to view issues from a particular year.
• Use the Search Within Publication box to search for articles on a topic.

If you can't find the article that you need, or you are having trouble navigating the database, please do not hesitate to ask a librarian.

You can now view entire issues with images of the The Atlantic Monthly online through the Library's subscription to Flipster.  It includes full issues from May 2014 to the present. 

Flipster

• 

View digitized versions of select magazines: Atlantic Monthly, National Geographic, Entrepreneur, Popular Mechanics, and Consumer Reports.

Need help using Flipster? Take a look at our Flipster explainer page.

 

POP-UP Library

The PCC POP-UP Library for the Early College High School is held on Thursdays during lunch in the Multipurpose Room. This is an opportunity for students to visit with a PCC librarian, request, renew, or check-out library books, and get research help. Of course ECHS students can get help anytime by visiting the Library's ASK US page or by coming to the Library in person.

When the librarian comes over, they will have a selection of books available for check-out, but you can request specific books be brought over. Complete the POP UP form and let us know what you need!

The Films on Demand database includes some titles produced by UNC TV. 

To find them . . .

1. Go to the Films on Demand database via PCC Library's databases page. Log in with your myPittCC credentials. 
2. From the Films on Demand homepage, click Advanced Search.
3. Under Select Type of Content, use the drop down menu to select Custom Videos.
4. In the Choose Filters section, use the Producers drop down menu to select UNC TV.
5. Click the Search button.

The State Library of North Carolina provides digital access to past issues of Our State magazine. You can browse full issues from when it was first published in 1933, as The State, all the way up through 2020. The most recent issues are available in print at PCC Library. 

PCC instructors can now provide easier online access to high school, continuing education, or other types of students in their areas needing to study and prepare for things like the GED, TEAS, HiSET, ACCUPLACER, EMT, CDL, ASVAB, CLEP, ACT, SAT, NCLEX-RN . . . and so many more.

The Library can provide you with a custom link (or set of links) that you can pass along to your students, leading them to the exact tutorial, practice test, etc. that you want them to complete with fewer steps.

For example . . .

Students in a Pharmacy Technician class through Con Ed, can be sent a custom link (or set of links) from their instructor that allows them to directly access very specific modules. The student clicks the link and is taken directly to the login page for a specific practice test, tutorial, learning center, etc.

How is this better?

The custom links remove the extra steps of having to click the database link, login through the proxy via myPittCC (or with a generic proxy username/password), then spend time searching the database and sifting through the various results to find the exact test or tutorial that they need. 

Why create an account?

Personal accounts make it so you can save your progress and return to finish later. The first step is to click "Sign In or Register to Begin." To create an account, enter a valid e-mail address and create a password. A student ID and course number are NOT required and the e-mail does not have to be one from PCC. Next time, just sign in and pick up where you left off.

Try it!

Here are just a few examples of custom links that do not require you to login via the usual Library Online Database Access page, so that you can see how it works. 

• ExCPT Practice Test 2
• Cosmetology Practice Exam 1
• TEAS Mathematics Practice Test 1
• Skeletal System Game
• Career Prep Center: Build Workplace Skills
• Core English Skills Center

There are literally thousands of individual tests, tutorials, study materials, and learning centers for which we can provide custom links. To see what's available, click the PrepSTEP link below, and when prompted, login to myPittCC. Create your own personal account to take tests, access tutorials, etc. 

We can create the links for you, or we can show you how to do it on your own. Contact Angela Davis (asdavis688@my.pittcc.edu) to get started. 

Here's quick run-down of what's new in the Library for April 2024. For all the details, visit our What's New page.

Children's Books Online

The Comics Plus database now includes a huge collection of children's picture books. Topics include weather, using American Sign Language, diverse families, healthy lifestyles, manners, fiction, colors, cultural holidays, shapes, history, science, and much more.
NOTE: This database includes resources for all age levels, from Pre-K through adult.

New Print Books

Many new books have come in through our leased book program through McNaughton. They are currently on display on the 1st floor across from the Circulation Desk. Come check these out before they disappear. From romance to biography, there's a little bit of everything included in this latest haul.

Flipster Digital Magazines

You can literally flip through the pages (online) of the latest issues of National Geographic, Entrepreneur, Popular Mechanics, and Consumer Reports. 

Artificial Intelligence: AI

AI ChatGPT, OpenAI, GPT-4...and the list goes on. What's all of this stuff anyway, and how can you learn more about it? That's easy! Visit our new Artificial Intelligence research guide and you'll find more than you ever wanted to know.

Dogwood Digital Library

This resource is shared among many NC Community College libraries across the state and new e-books and audiobooks are constantly being added. Learn more about Dogwood Digital and how you can access this growing collection of fiction (and even some nonfiction!) titles. Additionally, you'll find a growing number of comics, graphic novels, and manga as well. 

What Is Open Education Week?

Open Education Week is a celebration of the global Open Education Movement. Its purpose is to raise awareness about the movement and its impact on teaching and learning worldwide.

How can we celebrate? Learn & Share!

Attend one of the many free online OE Week events that are taking place all over the globe, of which quite a few are being presented by or for community and technical colleges, or attend a session right here at PCC. You could also try searching for openly licensed materials that are available in your subject area.

Other ways to celebrate can include reading the latest issue of the OER Digest or go over to the CCCOER website for news and webinars, or visit SPARC and take a deep dive into Open Access, Open Education, and Open Data.

Happy searching...and learning!

Sincerely,
Angela Davis
PCC Instruction & Web Services Librarian and NCCCLA OER Task Force Chairperson
asdavis688@my.pittcc.edu | (252) 493-7366