Online Resources

This week I am going to review some resources available online.  Most of the below resources require a subscription so go to your library and check them out.  I have tried to highlight databases/ features that not many people are familiar with.  Do you have a favorite database?  Share it in the comments below.

As many people know most libraries have online databases available for use by their patrons.  However, these databases are not widely used in many cases because people don’t know what they have to offer.

For instance did you know that many library systems will allow you to download music for free?  Some libraries subscribe to a service called Freegal which allows individuals to download three songs per week for free.  Some of the artists in their selection include former American idol winners, popular groups like Train and also YouTube artists like the Piano Guys.  Not only can you use this on your computer but you can also use it on any android or ios phone.  Note that while Freegal is a new service and did have a rocky start they are growing their selection rapidly and while they don't have all the music you may like to listen to they have a lot and are worth looking into if they are available at your library.

Most individuals who went to college are in some sense familiar with EBSCO host; however one feature that most people are not familiar with is the visual search function.  Visual search is fairly new to EBSCO however it is immensely helpful in finding quality resource.  While a regular search will give you quantity visual search allows the individual to break their search down using keywords that they may have not thought of previously.

While more common in a college library another favorite database is Natural Standard.  This database has lots of pieces of information about different dietary supplements, including research information, usages, and drug facts.  While it is hard to find it in a public library I would highly recommend this website for anyone who is interested in essential oils and their effectiveness and proven by doctors and scientists.

The above databases are available only with a subscription which in many cases a library will have however, there are also many free tools available as well:

Are you looking for a book?  Do you like to read classics? Project Gutenberg has lots of classic books that are in the public domain.  The public domain is a term used to describe books where the copyright on the book has expired and so it is now available to any individual for free.  There are thousands if not millions of free books available on project Gutenberg as well as in the Google play store.

What do you get when you cross all the good parts of the Hunger Games, Inheritance Saga?

A really really good book.  The book in mind is Orson Scott Card's Pathfinder, the first book in a new series.  This is the seventh book I have read in the past couple of years by Card however, and while the writing style does have some of the juvenile humor of some of his previous series this book is drastically different than any of his previous books I have read.

Pathfinder center's around one year in the life of Rigg who is a young boy from a small community in a larger empire.  Rigg has the special ability to view the paths of animals and individuals.  Rigg's fathers last request is for him to go meet up with his sister in the empire's capital city.  With this instruction and his inheritance Rigg sets out on an adventure not only to the capital city but also through time itself.

One of the more interesting points in this novel is the time travel that happens.  instead of focusing on the problems that time Paradoxes create and many other Science Fiction time travel novels/ movies to Pathfinder embraces those to show how small or large parts of the future can be changed.  The book also embraces the idea of inherited magical abilities with all of the main characters having a unique "magical" ability.

Another likable point about this book is the introductions at the beginning of every chapter that explain the founding of the planet garden.  the adventures and mystery surrounding the colonization of garden are not only intriguing but also interesting and easy to follow.

As the introduction hints at I would recommend this book to anyone who is a fan of Young Adult Science Fiction/ Fantasy.  Plus it is a much more interesting read than the books mentioned in the title of this review as it cuts out a lot of the unnecessary travel dialog or monologue that they have.  I give this book an overall rating of 8/10.