Training
Reference Services staff provide hands-on training for state employees on how to use the various information sources Reference Services provides. There is a regular schedule of classes, and special training sessions can be arranged.
Regular Sessions
Regular training sessions are provided once a month at the MOTEC training lab in Jefferson City. Full descriptions of the classes provided are listed below.
Data Made Easy with LexisNexis Statistical DataSets - This data-rich tool from LexisNexis features easy accessibility to more than 14 billion data points from over 50 sources, covering both licensed and public domain datasets. A single interface is used to scan the contents of the datasets and view tables and charts of selected content. Economic stimulus spending, labor turnover, capital punishment, housing and many more datasets will be featured in the exploration of this unique tool.
Introduction to Library Resources - Designed with the new library user in mind, this session is geared toward those who would like to learn more about searching for journal, newspaper, or magazine articles in general. The fundamentals of search strategy are introduced through examples run in our multidisciplinary subscription databases. Exploration of some selected subject-specific databases is included as well, in addition to a discussion of other key services available to Missouri state employees through the Missouri State Library.
Introduction to Internet Searching - This hands-on class focuses on using the Internet more efficiently to find web resources and provides information on effective searching and evaluation of web sites and search engines. Leading search engines are explored, with each search engine’s unique search features highlighted.
Laws and Legislation with LexisNexis – Two of our subscription LexisNexis databases – State Capitol Universe and Congressional Universe – are introduced in this class. These two databases allow full text searching of bills, statutes, laws, and regulations from all U.S. states and the U.S. Congress. Included in this class are explanations of search features and instructions on how to pull needed data from these databases.
Navigating the Census - This class covers the basics of where to look, and what key features to look for, while navigating the Census website for needed data. Step-by-step instructions on how to use the Census website’s American Fact Finder tools to retrieve data files from the 2000 Census are provided. Also included is information about, and instructions on how to retrieve, the more recent data from the Census Bureau’s yearly American Community Survey.