Tag Archives: librarians

Last week saw several new databases added to the pages of the State Agency Databases Across the Fifty States Project at http://wikis.ala.org/godort/index.php/State_Agency_Databases. For a full list of changes in the last week, see http://tinyurl.com/statedbs. Here are some highlights: CALIFORNIA (Joel Rane) Charity Research Tool - A searchable database of the information returns that charities file annually with the IRS (Forms 990, 990-PF, and 990-EZ). The database allows donors to research a charity before making a decision to give. Searchable by name, location, the activity and type of the charity, the EIN (Employer Identification Number) or the NTEE (National Taxonomy of Exempt Entities) code. The returns available in this database are those filed with the IRS directly, not with the Registry of Charitable Trusts. OHIO (Audrey Hall) Check your voter registration - Update your Ohio voting address online. A convenient way for voters to meet their primary responsibility to be registered at their current address 30 days before an election. Every Ohioan who is old enough to vote will be able to take advantage of this new system. UTAH (Susanne Caro) Utah State History Online Photos - This database of 65,000 images includes KUED Topaz Residents (WWII Japanese interment), Juanita Brooks Photograph Collection, Taylor Woolley Photograph Collection (architecture), Larson Studio Negative Collection, Commercial Photograph Collection, Clifford Bray Photograph Collection and more. Keyword searchable with an advanced search option. Collections can be browsed. Continue reading →

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Looks like our last activity report for the State Agency Databases Across the Fifty States project was 7/1/2012. What's happened since then? Well, our project was named one of the Best Free Reference Web Sites 2012 by ALA's Reference and User Services Association's Emerging Technologies in Reference Section (MARS). Our group of four dozen volunteers is honored to mentioned on the same page as the FBI Vault, Google's Art Project and the Encyclopedia of Life. While honors were being handed out, our volunteer documents specialists kept busy. Many URLs were fixed and a number of databases, particularly for California were added. Here is a sample of what was added in the last month: CALIFORNIA (Joel Rane) Online Archive of American Folk Medicine - A searchable database of over a million folk remedies, collected from individuals and books since the 1940s. The remedies are searchable by condition, belief, method of treatment, gender, age and ethnicity of the informant, place, date and region collected, place or region of origin, and the citation name. OHIO (Audrey Hall) Ohio Judicial Conference Directory - Directory with information for all Ohio judges. Find contact information for judges by name, county and court. WISCONSIN (Barbara Bren) Credential Search Menu - allows consumers to search for individuals and businesses that are credentialed. You can search by name, credential type, credential id or by zip code. These lists certify who has been granted a permit from the state. They may or may not signify a particular level of training or success in passing an examination. Continue reading →

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It has been awhile since the last activity report for the State Agency Databases project at http://wikis.ala.org/godort/index.php?title=State_Agency_Databases, but work continues. Much of the work has been in the necessary but less showy work of link fixing. We aim to check our pages at least four times a year and our most recent check took place last month. In the past two weeks we've had an outright deletion and a few additions: GEORGIA (Chris Sharpe) Securities & Business Regulation Division Database was deleted. It provided information about registered cemeteries, charities, and securities. BIOGRAPHICAL DATABASES - Karen Kitchens added resources on Wyoming Territorial and State governors. Continue reading →

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Work has slowed but continues at the State Agency Databases Across the Fifty States project at http://wikis.ala.org/godort/index.php/State_Agency_Databases. For a full picture of activity over the past two weeks, visit http://tinyurl.com/statedbs14d. Here are some highlights: DATABASES ADDED HEALTHCARE PRACTIONER DATABASES (Lynn McClelland) Arkansas State Board of Massage Therapists - Search by name; name may be in any order. ALASKA (Daniel Cornwall) Alaska & Polar Periodical Index - Index to journals, magazines and newsletters relating to Alaska and the Earth's polar regions. Coverage goes back decades. Results show availability in University of Alaska Fairbanks Rassmuson Library, but many articles are available elsewhere or through interlibrary loan. MICHIGAN (Michael McDonnell) Groundwater Information Database - This resource was mandated by Public Act 148 of 2003, which requires that a groundwater inventory and map be generated for the state. It is a joint effort of the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality, Michigan State University's Institute of Water Research and the United States Geological Survey. WYOMING (Karen Kitchens) Child Care Facilities/Contacts Locator -Locate Child Care Facilities, Child Care Finder Offices, Child Care Licensing Offices, Child Care Licensers, Child Care Supervisors and Department of Family Services Offices within Wyoming. Continue reading →

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Activity at the State Agency Databases Across the Fifty States project continues. For a blow by blow description of the changes over the last two weeks, see http://tinyurl.com/statedbs14d. Here are some highlights: DATABASES ADDED GEORGIA (Chris Sharpe) Search General Assembly Audio/Video - "Search through the sound tracks of audio and video files from the Georgia State Legislature." From 2001-2008 MAINE (Alex Burnett) Bill Tracking and Text Search - Database of bills in the Maine Legislature since the 112th (1985) Legislature. Includes basic information about bills. MICHIGAN (Michael McDonnell) Trail or Pathway Search - You can search for information on a trail by name, by county, by feature or accommodation, or activity. You can also search from an interactive map. The site does not include many small county and city trails. Be sure you reset the search parameters after each search. TEXAS (Ann Ellis) Manufactured Housing Report Options - For those interested in information about manufactured homes in the state of Texas, this database provides records for ownership history, retailer data, tax information, and title, license, and inspection reports. UTAH (Susanne Caro) Statewide Warrant Search - First and last name required for searching The Utah Statewide Warrants file (SWW) is designed to provide information on individuals wanted in the state of Utah. The warrant information comes from courts that send in data to the Utah Criminal Justice Information System (UCJIS) via electronic transfer, which means that the data viewed is the direct result of court activity. As with any warrant system, caution must be used when viewing data from this file. Accuracy and timeliness are critical factors when acting on warrant information, as this system is dependent upon timely entry and removal of records by the courts. Continue reading →

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