I Love

• The ProQuest dissertation database.  So much good information is there!  I would never have looked specifically for dissertations if not for the CA study.
• ERIC.  I have not used ERIC since I was an undergrad and I had to go to the actual library to access it (and then find half the articles on microfiche).  I can't believe I forgot about it for all this time!  I particularly love ERIC when they have full text available, but I can always use:
• CitationLinker.  Someone told me about it when I first started the program, and it is AWESOME.  I don't know how people find anything without it.
• Mining the references of other people's writing.  Why didn't I ever do this before??
• Children who nap.
• Chocolate.  A little too much.  I am slowly eating all of my children's "good" Halloween candy.

I know the point of this class is research methods:  how to find information, and what to do with it when you get it.  But because we're focused on youth in general and are given the freedom to explore topics of interest to us in particular, what I'm really gaining the most is a depth of understanding of the role of teacher librarians and how they can be most impactful (as well as the history of CA school libraries and why they are so poorly funded/staffed).  I'm really grateful for the focused research methods options.