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July 18, 2007
It's Not Your Parents' Britannica
I took part in an online training session this morning. The subject: Encyclopaedia Britannica Online, Public Library Edition. As this enjoyable session made clear, the venerable Britannica has come a long way from the big brown volumes that used to fill up several shelves in our adult reference area. Well-researched articles are still the hallmark of this classic reference source, but now you’ll also find a host of 21st-Century additions: photo and video links; links to articles from EBSCO and ProQuest; an online dictionary and thesaurus (equipped with an audio component so you can hear the correct pronunciation of words); a world atlas and country database; a quotations database; selected classic works of literature (full text!); and live news feeds from the The New York Times and the BBC. The Britannica Online Reference Center is appropriate for high school, college, and adult learners, while Britannica Online for Kids includes information suitable for elementary, middle school, and high school students. The Workspace feature, which is available on both versions, allows the user to save links to relevant sources of information on a given topic. These links can then be shared with others via email, allowing collaborative, team-oriented research. If you or your kids haven't visited Britannica Online recently, now’s a good time. You’re in for a pleasant and stimulating surprise as we approach the start of a new school year. And, if you'd like a one-on-one tutorial on this or any of our other research databases, call me at 655-1234 x136 or send an email to sgammato@darienlibrary.org.
Posted by JudyS at July 18, 2007 09:02 AM