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News from South Carolina's Virtual Library
 

Summer 2014
scdiscus.org 
Man and woman with laptop
New Username & Password Effective on August 1 

 

There are new login credentials for the upcoming academic year and they become valid on Friday, August 1.  The new username and password have been sent to all participating institutions for distribution. Please remember to follow the acceptable distribution guidelines which state that the login information may not be posted anywhere online and can not be shared with those who live outside South Carolina.  Contact the Discus Office if you need assistance.

Resource Changes to Know About 

  

Kids InfoBits
Elementary schools will kick off the school year with the new Kids InfoBits, featuring a modern, inviting interface and improved navigation based on feedback from customers and student users. The new design helps kids explore the product and gain comfort with database searching. 

Opposing Viewpoints In Context (OVIC)
Check out two new features in OVIC: article recommendation and EasyProxy.  When a user reads a reference article, the article recommendation feature will suggest additional articles by way of linked keywords and phrases within the text.  Selecting one of the keywords or phrases opens a small window containing links to the new content.  The other new feature involves the bookmarking functionality.  OVIC has long had the bookmark feature that allows users to easily share articles with others.  Those who received and used the bookmark, though, were often asked to login before the content would display.  Now the EasyProxy feature automatically provides authentication, eliminating the need to login, and making bookmarks easier than ever to use!

LearningExpress Library

A major redesign has taken place with LearningExpress Library, the resource that provides South Carolinians with practice exams, tutorials, and ebooks on many vocational and academic topics, including the GED test.  

  

Ferguson's Career Guidance Center

This resource now includes more than 2,200 graduate schools in the school search.  The Sources page has also been updated to reflect the newest information in the database.

 

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Britannica Resources for South Carolina   

 

The ever-helpful folks at Britannica have created a webpage that lists all the Britannica resources and support materials to which we have access in South Carolina.  You may find this page helpful as you use the amazing content available to us through Britannica.

 
Using Britannica Learning Zone   

Britannica Learning Zone is the interactive resource for early childhood learners (ages 4-7).  It teaches concepts that children are curious about, such as geography, numbers, colors, time, and sounds.  For those who wish to use this product on devices that don't support Flash, Britannica recommends using the free Puffin web browser.  It works well with the Learning Zone.  Britannica is in the process of upgrading the Learning Zone content that requires Flash. In the meantime, though, you may want to try out the Learning Zone using Puffin!   

 

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What Happened to Face-to-Face  Discus Training?!

 

Sure, webinars are great, but sometimes we long for the more personal touch of an honest-to-goodness live classroom session.  If you're ready for it, Discus has it!  Consider registering for any of the sessions below.
Remember to bookmark the  Discus Training page so you'll always know about learning opportunities. 

  

Direct Link to Consumer Reports
 
Consumer Reports magazine is available in EBSCO's MasterFILE Premier database in Discus. It includes an extensive backfile of full-text issues starting in 1991 and continuing through the present time.  Would you like to provide a direct link to the magazine on your public or academic library website to make it easier for your customers to use it?  The Discus Office can help with that!         
 

 

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Like Us & Follow Us   

 

If you use social media, you'll find Discus there, too, and we can never have too many friends or followers.

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Follow Discus on Twitter

 

In This Issue
New Username & Password Effective on August 1
Resource Changes to Know About
Britannica Resources for South Carolina
Using Britannica Learning Zone
What Happened to Face-to-Face Discus Training?!
Direct Link to Consumer Reports
Like Us & Follow Us


Join Our Mailing List
Discus will be represented at these upcoming events!

 
July 28, 2014
"New to Two," Richland School District Two Event in Columbia

ETV Technology Conference in Columbia

August 12, 2014
Kershaw County School District Instructional Fair in Lugoff

September 11, 2014
SCISA Library Workshop in Orangeburg

October 3, 2014
SC Council for the Social Studies Conference in Columbia

Discus is a service of the South Carolina State Library.