Training/Outreach

Last week we started talking about using the BadgerLink website to find the right resource. Read last week's article: What resource should I use? Today we are covering how to look for a specific newspaper, magazine, or journal.

Our go-to starting point for online research is the BadgerLink website! The purpose of the BadgerLink website is to get you to the resource you want to search. Then when you search a resource, you will find articles. When you click on Magazines, under Format, you aren’t being directed to a page where you will find a list of magazines. You’re, instead, directed to a list of our resources that have magazine content.

The next question is often, which resource will have an article from a certain magazine. The answer can be surprisingly tricky. We created a resource called Popular Magazines that links to magazines from MasterFILE Premier. Learn how to use Popular Magazines and MasterFILE Premier to search for magazines in our short video. 

If you've checked Popular Magazines and MasterFILE Premier and can't find what you're looking for, we created a second video that walks you through searching multiple resources at the same time.

Part 1: What resource should I use?

Part 3: Where's the full text?

Part 4: I can't find anything!

Contact Us if you have any questions!

BadgerLink is Wisconsin’s Online Library and has the resources you need for your research. We provide access to magazines, journals, newspapers and other primary sources that cover almost every topic imaginable. Over the next few weeks we’ll be releasing some tips and tricks to jumpstart your research!

Get Started

Our go-to starting point for online research is the BadgerLink website! From our homepage, you can browse our resources by format, subject, or audience. Then on our Browse Resources page, you can add multiple filters to get a nice list of resources.

Think Broadly

We know that we don’t have every subject possible listed on our homepage. That would be a very long list and you probably wouldn’t want to read it. So don’t look for a specific topic, like the effects of smoking; look for the broader subject, like Health.

Think Format

Another way to find content is to think about the format you want. We don’t have a psychology subject because we don’t have a resource specifically devoted to psychology, but you can still find plenty of great articles. If you’re looking for peer reviewed research from a psychology journal, try searching Scholarly Journals.

Search Smart

When you have a topic that may straddle multiple subjects, use an interface that searches multiple resources at the same time. Do one search across multiple resources instead of multiple searches in several resources. Interfaces like Explora for Everyone (from EBSCO) and our Super Search allows you to search multiple resources at the same time.

Part 2: How do I find a certain magazine?

Part 3: Where's the full text?

Part 4: I can't find anything!

Contact Us if you have any questions!

Make it easier for your users to get to BadgerLink resources by placing direct links on your library’s webpage. Find current info on the Google spreadsheet: BadgerLink Resource URLs. Use the BadgerLink website URL links (in column D) to view details about the resource, including relevant how-to videos and other training materials, or for a one-click link to the resource, use those in column E.

As a courtesy, we ask that credit be provided to BadgerLink. Check out the BadgerLink on your Website page for more information.

If you already have links to BadgerLink resources from your webpage, check to make sure they are correct because over the years, some of our links have changed!

Contact the BadgerLink team if you have any questions.

The BadgerLink team  is sending out a big “welcome back!” to all educators and librarians as you start the new school year.

BadgerLink provides access to newspaper and magazine articles, multimedia, primary sources, lesson plans, education research and more. Best of all, it’s already paid for with state and federal funds!

With the plethora of options available to make the year successful, we have brought together key BadgerLink resources to help both newbies and veterans of the digital content space.

1. Learn about BadgerLink in our Introduction for Educators Video.
2. Review the BadgerLink Set-Up Guide.
   • Verify you can access the resources on campus.
   • Determine if a school login is desired or review what the existing login credentials are.
   • Tip: contact us if you aren’t sure!
3. Add direct links to Britannica, Explora, etc. on your website using info from BadgerLink Resource URLs.
4. Bookmark our supplemental materials:
   • Research Guide and Super 3 Research Guide
   • Scavenger Hunt
   • Graphic Organizers
   • Lesson Plans
   • ELA, STEM, & Social Studies Subject Guides
5. Order bookmarks and posters for your classroom, school, or school district.
6. Download, modify, and distribute a BadgerLink letter to parents.
7. Request training for your next in-service or staff development day.

And as always, we are here to help! Contact us if you have any questions or ideas for implementing BadgerLink into the classroom.

Not sure where to start your research? Join this 20-minute Class to learn how to use Explora for Elementary Schools, Explora for Middle & High Schools, and Explora for Everyone. Available to Wisconsin residents through BadgerLink, Explora provides reliable content and easy-to-use search interface for all your research projects.

Immediately following Class, we will hold Office Hours, an agenda-less online meeting where you can ask any and all BadgerLink questions. Join us for both a Class and Office Hours, or drop in for one or the other.

Mark your calendar

• September 26 @ 3 PM - Research using Explora
• October 31 @ 3 PM - Newspaper Resources

Need a reminder?

Add to your calendar.     iCalendar •Outlook • Google • Yahoo

Sign up for BadgerLink Training Emails for announcements and reminders.

Did you miss the last Class? Watch the recording.

• January: Access and Authentication Class
• February: TeachingBooks.net Class
• March: Science Reference Center Class
• April: Britannica's Spanish Resources Class
• May: Wisconsin Media Lab Class
• August: History Resources Class

Contact the BadgerLink Team if you have any questions!

Written by Kara Ripley, Reference and BadgerLink Training Librarian

In June, I attended a couple sessions of the online Digital Literacy + Fake News Mini-Conference held by Library 2.0. Watch the recordings of the 14 presentations at http://www.library20.com/digital-literacy-recordings.

The ALA Digital Literacy Task Force defines Digital literacy as the ability to use information and communication technologies to find, evaluate, create, and communicate information, requiring both cognitive and technical skills.

As the internet becomes ubiquitous in our lives, digital literacy becomes more important. If an email from a prince telling me that I just inherited $10 million prompts me to quit my job, I’m going to have a bad time. Not only because I fell for a scam, but also because most jobs these days require the same critical thinking skills that are developed when evaluating information. More central to American democratic values, being knowledgeable about what’s going on in the world empowers us to have agency in our communities and a voice in our society.

Students learn digital literacy skills in school but digital literacy doesn’t end when you graduate; we never stop learning, we just stop going to school for it. That’s where public libraries come in. As a space where lifelong learning occurs, public libraries continue the digital literacy work.

As I watched the recordings of the Digital Literacy Mini-Conference, I reflected on my work at DPI on BadgerLink. We provide access to licensed content to Wisconsin residents. I say that so frequently that I almost forget what that means. As information professionals, we know that not everything is free online. State funding (from the Universal Service Fund) buys resources that normally schools or libraries would have to purchase. We provide the powerful equalizing resources that connect Wisconsin residents to information on almost any topic. Does it get better than that?

In addition to our resources, we’ve created supplemental materials for educators (both in the classroom and in the library). Check out our Research Guide, Evaluating A Resource Worksheet (From Step 2 Research of the BadgerLink Research Guide), and large collection of training materials.

Thank you for impact you make on your community. We hope you consider BadgerLink your partner in your digital literacy work. Please get in touch if you have any questions!

Not sure where to start on your history research? Join this 20-minute, online class to learn about the collection of history resources available through BadgerLink. Explore the resources on the History page (BadgerLink.dpi.wi.gov/history) and get a look at using Access NewspaperARCHIVE, Britannica School, and History Reference Center. Immediately following Class, we will hold Office Hours, an agenda-less online meeting where you can ask any and all BadgerLink questions.

Mark your calendar

• August 29 @ 3 PM - History Resources
• September 26 @ 3 PM - Research using Explora
• October 31 @ 3 PM - Newspaper Resources

Need a reminder?

Add to the August Class & Office Hours to your calendar

Sign up for email reminders

When it gets closer to the training, we'll email you. Sign up for email reminders

Did you miss the last Class? Watch the recording.

• January: Access and Authentication Class 
• February: TeachingBooks.net Class
• March: Science Reference Center Class
• April: Britannica's Spanish Resources Class
• May: Wisconsin Media Lab Class

Contact the BadgerLink Team if you have any questions!

"BadgerLink is not just for students. I am so impressed with what's available in BadgerLink that I cannot express it in words. I have always found the access to newspapers valuable as a librarian in the business world." -- Rhonda, Business Librarian & Records Manager, Wausau, WI

"BadgerLink is a tremendous resource for learning. I work with a 51 year old man who worked his entire life in the auto tire business changing tires, but he was laid off over a year ago. He had never finished high school and couldn't find another job. A librarian at the Milltown Public Library showed me the LearningExpress Library High School Equivalency Center, and my student was able to take the test to better understand the level of competency necessary. [He] obtained a job in a different industry and we will continue to study weekly." -- Dave, Tutor, Milltown, WI

"BadgerLink supports the academic curriculum on our campus. We introduce and promote BadgerLink resources, so no matter what their skill levels, students acquire life-long learning skills. [They] complement our offerings and support us in preparing students as they transition through the various phases of their careers." -- Mernathan, Instructor & Campus Facilitator and Shelley, Librarian, Milwaukee Area Technical College

These are just a few testimonials demonstrating the difference the BadgerLink resources make in the lives of students, educators, and lifelong learners in Wisconsin. We save schools and libraries millions of dollars, support education, and enhance economic development. Read all BadgerLink Stories.

What is your BadgerLink story? Get inspired and share your story today!

BadgerLink is a service provided by the Department of Public Instruction and our resources are paid for with state funding and federal funding from the Institute of Museum and Library Services.

We hope you’ve been enjoying our Class and Office Hours! We will be taking June and July off from our Class and Office Hours schedule but we’ll return in August.

You don’t have to stop learning!

You are welcome to explore our self-directed training materials on our website (https://badgerlink.dpi.wi.gov/training) or request free training for your Wisconsin organization (https://badgerlink.dpi.wi.gov/training/request-training).

Did you miss a Class? Watch the recording.

• January: Access and Authentication Class

• February: TeachingBooks.net Class

• March: Science Reference Center Class

• April: Britannica's Spanish Resources Class

• May: Wisconsin Media Lab Class

Join this 20-minute Class to learn about the collection of resources provided by Wisconsin Public Television Education, home of Wisconsin Media Lab. Immediately following Class, we will hold Office Hours, an agenda-less online meeting where you can ask any and all BadgerLink questions.

Need a reminder?

Add to your calendar!

iCalendar  •  Google Calendar  •  Outlook  •  Outlook Online

Sign up for email reminders!

When it gets closer to the training, we'll email you. Sign up for email reminders

Did you miss the last Class? Watch the recording.

• January: Access and Authentication 
• February: TeachingBooks.net
• March: Science Reference Center
• April: Britannica's Spanish Resources

Contact Us if you have any questions!