Shhh! A research secret
My next post was going to be about Books for Boys, but since I left my folder from the PNAIS conference at school and I'm home now, I'll switch to another subject I've been wanting to share with you.
I will be talking to your kids (Sharks and up) about the amazing resources available on public library Web sites. All you need is a library card. I've given the Navigators the assignment of memorizing their library card numbers (or getting a card if they don't have one, then memorizing the number). A prize is involved (one Navigator has come through, so far, but I think she still had hers in her head from last year). That way they don't have to carry their cards to school and take the chance of losing them.
The bigger prize is what we can do with those numbers.
I live in Tacoma, but have cards for both Tacoma and the King County Library System. They have a reciprocal agreement, so you can get cards for both if you qualify for one. KCLS has agreements like that with many cities.
Back to the databases. Doing research on a database is very from different bouncing around on Google or other World Wide Web search engines (though we will work the the older students on how to do that more effectively, too). The libraries have paid big bucks to subscribe to databases, with the help of our taxes. Depending on the choices made by the reference librarians at each library system, they can include encyclopedias, wonderful reference works geared toward children and adults on science, art, history, biography, geography, etc., newspaper and magazine articles, and much more.
I worked with the kids last year on taking advantage of public library databases and am getting ready to start again this year. It's tricky though when I just have my library card number to use (and a little less ethical). You probably would have enjoyed watching me run from computer to computer last spring re-entering my card number. "Guys! Don't close the library page. Just minimize it if you want to go somewhere else!"
Whatever we do with the databases at school, they're also great resources at home and fun to explore. Take a look. Here's a link to an index of to a group of King County databases the librarians label homework resources: KCLS Homework Databases
And at the Tacoma Public Library: Tacoma's Homework Databases
I'd suggest bookmarking these pages. (Have you bookmarked the library blog yet?)
I like King County's databases best of the two. If you live in Tacoma, it's easy to get a King County card. You do have to physically go to one of their branches though. Federal Way Regional is closest to Seabury.
It's easy to get to the databases from the library home pages (see links at right). Other Puget Sound library systems have databases, too, including, Puyallup, Pierce County and Seattle. So do universities – and the public school districts. Maybe there are other students in your families with access. Their librarians/teachers should be teaching them how to access the databases and use them. I say "should" because I'm not sure my two Tacoma high school students have a clue that they just need a password to get into encyclopedias, newpaper articles, etc. online. I'll check with them later and happily eat my words if they do!
Two more quick things I'll mention.There's something called Washington State Newsstand in the databases. If you go into that one and do a search for Rebecca Young and News Tribune, you can read any of my children's book reviews.
You don't need a library card number for this: KCLS also has a good Homework Help page with links to Internet resources divided by subject. I'll put this on my permanent links to the right. Check out KidsClick!, too, in the links at right. It's the same type of thing done by UCBerkeley librarians. It's another resource that I show our students. Both are designed to guide kids to good Web sites that have been "vetted" by librarians. (Some do have commercial content, though.)
Next I'll ask the Beacons and Sharks to memorize their library card numbers. (The other thing we can do from school is reserve books for them online if they need something for a book report or research that we don't have at Seabury.)
Talk to you soon.
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