The Electronic Newsletter of the Palm Beach County Library System

Contents:
1/ Introduction to Books & Bytes
2/ Ask a Librarian
3/ Database of the Month – Business and Company Resource Center
4/ Annual Training Day
5/ A Quick Byte – Keyboard Shortcuts
6/ In Next Month's Issue

1/ Introduction to Books & Bytes

Welcome to the May issue of Books & Bytes. This month we will look at the ‘Ask a Librarian’ service, available through our Research Resources. In addition, we will look at Business and Company Resource Center in our Electronic Databases. Finally, “A Quick Byte” will feature a tip to assist you in your daily computer use.

We hope you enjoy receiving Books & Bytes. Please let us know what you think of our publication by writing to: webmaster@pbclibrary.org

2/ Ask a Librarian

If you’re getting googly-eyed on Google and you’ve asked Jeeves and he’s not answering, why not ask a librarian? The Palm Beach County Library System is part of the statewide ‘Ask a Librarian’ network. Grant-funded and cosponsored by the College Center for Library Automation and the Tampa Bay Library Consortium, ‘Ask a Librarian’ is dedicated to providing virtual reference services for Florida’s citizens. It can be found on our web site at:
http://www.pbclibrary.org/email.htm

Using chat-centered software, you can talk to a real librarian and receive live assistance on the Internet. Some of the exciting features offered by the program are the ability to surf the Internet with a librarian, have important areas of web pages highlighted for you and follow librarian-guided tours of the State-sponsored Gale subscription databases. After the reference session ends, you then have the ability to print or e-mail a transcript of the reference session and a list of the web sites you visited.

‘Ask a Librarian’ is available Monday through Friday, from 10:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. You can use this free resource from any computer connected to the Internet by first going to the library’s web site (www.pbclibrary.org) and then following the ‘Ask a Librarian’ link through the Research Resources section. The link is also featured on our Electronic Databases page. Once you are at the ‘Ask a Librarian’ section, you can either click “chat” if you need immediate help or select the “e-mail” option to e-mail your question to the reference staff. Keep in mind though, while ‘Ask a Librarian’ is a wonderful resource, there are some questions that necessitate extended research and may require a trip to your local branch.

So the next time you need an answer, but you can’t get to your local library, why not try ‘Ask A Librarian.’ It can be accessed through our email reference page at:
http://www.pbclibrary.org/email.htm

3/ Database of the Month – Business and Company Resource Center

Do you want to locate financial reports on a company? Are you investing some money and want to evaluate industry rankings? Are you curious for a complete list of products created by a particular company? If so, all these topics and more can be found in the Business and Company Resource Center in our Electronic Databases:
http://www.pbclibrary.org/edb/patronlinks.asp

Business and Company Resource Center is a leading database for corporate information. It brings together company profiles, brand information, rankings, investment reports, company histories, chronologies and periodicals. It is available in the library, or at home using your Palm Beach County library card number.

The Business & Company Resource Center provides business, company, and industry content in the following areas:

* Periodical articles, news articles, and press releases
* Detailed information for domestic and international companies and associations
* Company financials and earning estimates
* Investment reports
* Corporate chronologies and company histories
* Brands and product information
* Industry and company rankings
* Market share data
* Industry overviews
* HR law case digests

Browsing this database is straightforward. For example, a search for Microsoft will reveal the corporate office location along with a list of its branch offices around the world. By clicking on the headquarters office in Redmond, a searcher can locate up-to-date news and information about Microsoft, such as stories on its Xbox game console. There is also a detailed history of the company from the day it sold its first product all the way to its modern behemoth status. And for the avid investor, a complete collection of company reports can be browsed online.

No matter if you are a person in business, an investor, or a student of industry, answers to many of your questions can be found in the Business and Company Resource Center.
http://www.pbclibrary.org/edb/patronlinks.asp

4/ Libraries Closed for Annual Training Day

All Palm Beach County Library System locations will be closed on Tuesday, May 25, for the Staff’s Annual Training Day. No materials will be due on this day.

What is the Staff's Annual Training Day? What kind of day is this? It's a day to help us learn to serve our patrons better.

Each year the Library System sets aside one day for all staff to meet for training activities. It's a great time for library employees from all over the county to network with co-workers and share information on issues that affect the whole system. We review the past year and discuss plans for the coming year.

Annual Training Day is a time when we gather to learn new skills and reaffirm our commitment of service to you, our patrons.

All Library System locations will also be closed for Memorial Day on Monday, May 31.

5/ A Quick Byte – Keyboard Shortcuts

Most computer users activate commands in their software programs by using the drop-down menus that are found in the top left corner of the screen under such headings as File and Edit. Do you know that most common commands have keyboard shortcuts? That is, by pressing a combination of keys, you can quickly do things such as save files (CTRL-S), print documents (CTRL-P), or undo the last command (CTRL-Z). These keyboard shortcuts are activated by holding down one key, either CTRL or ALT, and then pressing a second one at the same time. To fastest way to learn the shortcuts are to browse those drop-down menus in the top left corner. The keyboard combination will be listed on the menu next to the command. Give them a try to see if they make your work more efficient.

6/ Next Month in Books & Bytes

We will profile our Interlibrary Loan service. We will also examine the Palm Beach Post archives in our Electronic Databases.