Online Resources
The Massachusetts Board of Library
Commissioners (MBLC), Central/Western Massachusetts Automated Resource
Sharing, Inc. (CWMARS--a library consortium dedicated to efficient
resource sharing and rapid access to information), and the Boston
Public Library provide Massachusetts library cardholders access to
many electronic databases that can help you find authoritative
information. Topics include arts and humanities; business,
economics, company directories, and personal finance; electronic
books; general resources; magazines for K-12 students; medicine &
health; Chinese-language periodicals; newspapers; scholarly
journals; science & technology; and social sciences.
In addition, the Western Massachusetts
Regional Library System and the Boston Public Library provide access
to additional databases.
Finally, the South Hadley Public Library funds
access to some databases exclusively for patrons with South Hadley
library cards, including genealogy and test-practice resources.
Unlike the sometimes-unreliable information
you find with Internet searches, this information is from published
sources—newspapers, periodicals, and reference books. Some articles
look exactly like they did in the published version, including
photographs. Perfect for late-night research when the Library’s
closed.
Anyone can access these databases when they
are in the Library. Most also are accessible from outside the
Library, if you have a valid Massachusetts library card.
Ask the Library staff for help in choosing and
using these exciting resources today.
Look for journal,
magazine, and newspaper articles; encyclopedia and directory information;
and ebooks. Areas covered include: current events and general
information; health; business; and people, books, and authors. Database
providers include Newsbank (which offers full text of the
Springfield Republican back to 1988 and 27 popular
magazines);
InfoTrac (including academic and all-purpose databases
Expanded Academic and General Reference Center as well as health
and business databases, and several databases for students
and teachers); and ProQuest, with searchable text of 14
Massachusetts newspapers, including the Boston Globe and Boston
Herald.
Booklist Online
The Western Massachusetts Regional Library System
patrons have access to the database
Booklist
Online, which has reviews written by members of the American
Library Association. The site includes lists of books in
various award categories. No login is required for those with
WMRLS library cards--just click on the Booklist Online link.
History Databases from Facts
on File!
The Library now has access to three new
reference databases.
African-American History Online,
American History Online, and
American Women’s History Online each have thousands of
entries—topical entries, biographies, maps, timeline entries,
primary source documents, and images—which are hyperlinked and allow
you to follow a path to related entries. Your library card number is
your key to log in to these authoritative resources from home,
school, or office.
Community Information Online
Central/Western Massachusetts Automated
Resource Sharing, Inc., is a library consortium dedicated to
efficient resource sharing and rapid access to information. The
Community Information Online database includes searchable listings
for agencies, services, and organizations that serve a significant
public need within our communities. This provides users with
comprehensive and confidential referrals that meet their specific
needs or interests.
Digital Treasures
Digital Treasures is a searchable collection
of images contributed by libraries in Central and Western
Massachusetts. A search for the word "canals," for example,
gets you a drawing of the inclined plane canal at South Hadley
Falls, from the early 1800s. No login is required.
Genealogy Resources
Ancestry Library Edition provides
access to thousands of databases of interest to genealogists. Search
1930 and earlier Census, military service records, ship passenger
lists for New York, Boston, and Philadelphia, and Massachusetts
marriage lists, 1633-1850, plus many more. It even contains the 1890
city directory for South Hadley Falls. [Funded by the South Hadley
Public Library and accessible only in the Library]
HeritageQuest Online is a genealogy research tool created for
library users. It gives instant access to a wide range of unique
resources for genealogical and historical research. With more than 4
billion names in over 4,000 databases, it includes records from the
United States census; military records; court, land, and probate
records; vital and church records; directories; passenger lists, and
more. [Funded by the South Hadley Public Library and accessible in
the Library or remotely with a South Hadley Library card]
The
Ellis Island Foundation
offers a free search of Ellis Island and Port of New York passenger
arrivals at http://www.ellisisland.org/. Viewing passenger records
or photos of the ships requires free registration. The website also
has tips and links to other genealogy resources.
Oxford Art Online
Web access to the entire text of the 34-volume
The Dictionary of Art and The Oxford Companion to Western Art.
Ongoing additions of new and updated articles, over 3,000 thumbnail
art images and line drawings displayed in the text of articles,
extensive image links, and sophisticated search and navigation
tools.
NoveList
NoveList is
a fiction database that provides subject heading access, reviews,
annotations, and much more for over 125,000 fiction titles. It also
includes Author Read-alikes, Book Discussion Guides, BookTalks, and
Feature Articles. It allows
readers to retrieve a list of recommended titles based on a favorite
book, author or genre. Searches can be restricted to a specific
reading level.
Anyone can publish a website, which is one of the great things
about the Internet. However, this also means that there are no guarantees
that information you find online is accurate. There is a wealth
of valuable information online, as well as some that is false or
misleading. To learn more about locating and evaluating online information
resources, check out our Search Engines
and Evaluating Websites links.
Check out these freely available websites that have been evaluated
and recommended by librarians! Collections include South
Hadley Public Library's
own Suggested Websites as well as the Directory
of the Web (courtesy of Springfield Public Library).
Get reference help 24 hours a day, 7 days a week by using MassAnswers!
Chat online with a librarian from one of many libraries across the
United States who participate in the 24/7 reference service. Learn
more about MassAnswers.
|