Wednesday, March 31, 2010

Another Potential Loss for Libraries & Students

Yikes the EBSCO database is on the chopping block due to the state’s financial crisis. What is EBSCO besides an unpronounceable bunch of letters? It’s a collection of databases mainly geared towards students. Do you need age appropriate reading material, or grade appropriate research for a history project, or a magazine article for tomorrow’s class? These databases are the answer. I began tutoring my nephew at the beginning of this year.  Now it’s been a long time since I had to write papers or study for exams, so it’s been a challenge getting back into the mindset to be able to effectively help him. What a great resource these databases are. Funk & Wagnallis Encyclopedia is a terrific starting point for research reports. I’ve used the NoveList to draw up a reading list for my nephew. But, far and away the most popular features are the magazine & newspaper archive searches. EBSCO provides free access to thousands of magazines/newspapers including the LA & New York Times. Alas, unless there is a change of heart during the budget debates this fabulous resource will cease to be accessible to NJ libraries after June 30th. 

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