Library adds new streaming service, research tool to its website

Home News Library adds new streaming service, research tool to its website
Library adds new streaming service, research tool to its website

The Mossey Library recently added two new features to its online resources for students. The website now offers Ambrose, an online video widget, and Yewno Discover, an innovative research site.

Ambrose brings more Shakespeare and historical movies to the library’s growing collection of films. IndieFlix, FilmStruck, and Films on Demand, all movie resources the library subscribes to, are also available for students and professors to access foreign films and other movies for free.

“Streaming is the way things are going,” Public Service Librarian Brenna Wade said. “Some TV shows are not coming out on Blu-ray format. There are certain shows that we would like to have but we can’t because their only options are through streaming.”

This means streaming service’s films, such as Netflix exclusives, cannot be legally acquired by libraries yet. Nevertheless, Ambrose expands the selection of educational resources for students to use.

Yewno Discover is a research tool that shows connections between concepts by displaying a map of the topics to users. It helps students find other topics they may want to consider in their research.

“If you have the keywords, it’s easier to find the keywords that you need and find more related subjects, as opposed to just finding the one that matches your original keyword,” senior Therese Burgess, a library student worker, said.

For example, searching Mark Twain and clicking on the Tom Sawyer dot will generate a map of all the topics related to these two names. Students can then see the relationships between these concepts and also select useful articles that appear on the left of the screen.

“It is a huge difference from all the typical search environments we see now,” Michael Keller, Vice Provost of the Academic Council at Stanford University Libraries said in a quote on the company’s website. “I believe that the Yewno technology will enhance research in ways we can only begin to imagine.”

Now Hillsdale students have access to the same quality of research services as other top schools.

“They’re still working on it, changing it, revising it, but I do think it’s the search of the future,” Wade said.

Yewno was created in 2014 but not adopted by the college until last semester. It’s officially rolling out this semester because issues with remote users have been resolved. Students can now use it anywhere outside the library as well.

Wade said it’s best if students come and learn from the librarians how to use Yewno in person. There will be a sign up on Handshake for students to schedule time with research assistants to help them with the new tools. The librarians are also available to help students locate materials for research projects and papers.

“We’re good at finding things,” Wade said.