Where Am I Going To FInd The Answer To That?

By Susan Braunstein, Library Associate

Whenever I watch any of the television shows such as Jeopardy, Who Wants to be a Millionaire?, or Are you Smarter than a Fifth Grader?, I wonder how in the world the contestants know so much about so many things. Whether it is opera or sports, the answer is plucked out of their brains like a feather from a chicken. It just seems that easy.
Well, librarians are very much like those contestants. Every day we use our knowledge and expertise to seek out those elusive answers to questions from the public and to teach people how to find the answers on their own. With each encounter, we are bound to learn something new, and I have seen the librarians as competitors on Jeopardy who do well.

How we accomplish this is quite different from the methods of Mrs. White, my high school librarian; Mrs. White knew every book and magazine in the little library and couldn’t have imagined the technology we use today. Everything was signed out by hand on little cards that were pulled from the books and put into a metal filing box on her desk. If it wasn’t on the shelves or in a magazine in the library itself, the information was not available to students or teachers. Fast forward to today, when the Internet is so full of resources, we have information from around the world at our fingertips.
How do you determine what is credible information and what is not? One way is to use the online resources available through the library’s resource page, at www.rapidcitylibrary.org/services/resources.asp. From that page, you can find a wealth of online reference tools, including the classic World Book Encyclopedia. World Book online is a great way to find very current information, instead of spending a lot of money and filling up a bookshelf with hardbound encyclopedias that are quickly outdated. Convenience is also a key feature of the online World Book, because you can access it from your home computer by using your library card.

Students, teachers and librarians will appreciate World Book’s user-friendly design and extensive research tools. In additional to the encyclopedia, you will also find an atlas, dictionary, and educator resources. If South Dakota history is on the horizon for your classroom or youngster, the “Explore South Dakota” section has all the basic facts plus much more. You can find out that South Dakota has more buffalo than any other state, and that Evans Plunge is the largest warm water pool in the United States. And to make learning fun, World Book also provides scavenger hunts.
There are three sections to the World Book online: World Book Kids (grades k-5); World Book Online Reference Center (grades k-5); and World Book Advanced (grades 9-12), plus a French version of the encyclopedia.
In addition to encyclopedias, students need a variety of other resources for research. What if you have an assignment to find pro and con positions on a subject, or to take a side on an issue? A useful tool for information on current topics is the library’s Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center. This resource covers an enormous range of topics and gives pros and cons, plus statistics and other insights. Just like World Book, you can access it through www.rapidcitylibrary.org/services/resources.asp, using your library card.

Are you one of those students who struggle a little with math, English, science or social studies questions? Or, you’re a parent and want to know how to help your child with homework? The library has an online tutor service available called Live Homework Help, which is designed for students from grades 4 to 12, and also for beginning college students. Connect through our website to chat with an experienced tutor between 3-10 PM, seven days a week.
And finally, if you forget about your homework until Sunday night, try out the Assignment Calculator. This tool is designed to help keep you on track throughout the school year by breaking your assignments into manageable pieces and helping you schedule them.

Your educational exploration through the library’s website can be fun, worthwhile, and efficient. Remember that you can contact us in person, on the phone, or on-line. Check out our website and discover how you can find the information you need in the dozens of databases available to you.