Lesson 6--WorldCat and More FirstSearch Indexes

WorldCat is an international catalog containing over 174,000 records found in 72,000+ libraries, including South Dakota State Library and 25+ other libraries in South Dakota.
Discovery Exercise part 1
1.Using Advanced Search, and
2. "Title Phrase" with limiter "Books", I typed in Voyage of the Beagle, The and I received 1527 libraries owning it. In choice #1 Darvin's Century Evolution and the Men Who Discovered It was listed first with The Voyage of the Beagle listed as #2 choice.
When I put in more limiters of "year", copyright date of 1959, and "author phrase" of Darwin, Charles, The University of South Dakota was the top library and had a copyright date listed as c1959, 1839.
I added "Publisher", Harper & Row, and received 1 result, the exact book information I was searching for, is located in Canada at the University of DuQuebec, Trois-Rivieres. Eureka Elementary Library has one and Iwanted to check on the Dewey Number and found 6 different Dewey numbers used for this book: 574.9 (which is the one Eureka has on the spine label), 508, 508.3, 508.8, 508.092B, and 808! I stayed with 574.9.
3. Clicking on the highlighted author's name, Darwin, Charles, resulted in 7,586 records found with 5,538 records in English. 6,843 books; 532 Internet; 77 Articles; 47 Sound; 38 Archival; 21 Computer; 18 Visual; 6 Serials; 3 Score; 1 Maps.
Under subjects Charles Darwin was listed again with 7,652 results. 5,903 books; 892 Internet; 488 Visual; 187 Sound; 74 Archival; 71 Articles; 23 Computer; 10 Serials; 4 Scores. I clicked on Articles and found Journal of History of Biology, Vol. 19, No. 1 (Spring 1986) and many more journals, some British.
These features of author and subject I had never used. These are very nice to have to delve deeper, using WorldCat as a reference tool.
Other FirstSearch Indexes
"Search in database" drop down menu listed what is available. I will view the archived version of the Webinar October 2009 and the Participant Guide at another time, as soon as I get the Elementary Library ready for school to start.! It is under siege right now with inventory/weeding/ and ResourceMate underway, every table loaded down, plus new books arriving to get shelf ready!
Discovery Exercise part 2
"Search database" drop down, select OAIster, "Keyword" search using "Subject Phrase" South Dakota produced 145 records. I selected record #10, Observations on Bats at Badlands National Park, South Dakota Publication: DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska. Clicking on "Access" in the full record, takes you right to the publication with an abstract of the article. "During the summers of 1992 and 1993, we"... (I am assuming the 3 authors listed are the "we", who hale from University of New Mexico, and the University of Northern Colorado) "conducted a survey of bats..." They captured bats and recorded species, age class, sex, and reproductive condition for each individual netted. The Badlands National Park is an important summer habitat and migration stopover for bats.
WorldCat has a whole lot more than I ever realized! I have been using WorldCat only for copy cataloging and to determine call numbers! I was never aware of all these other features available! My goodness, what a revelation! I'll be exploring this database more! Thank you!