Research is a snap at the Library

By Morgan Sohl

Finding the information you need has never been easier! The Rapid City Public Library is happy to introduce Research Pro. Research Pro is the new integrated library search feature that is accessible to patrons either remotely from their home computer or at both of our library locations. Using this feature you can now easily access newspapers, magazines and journal articles using the same search box as for other resources such as books, eBooks and DVDs. Gone is the hassle of trying to determine which database to search in and having to go through each one to find the information you need! Research Pro allows you to search multiple databases provided by the Rapid City Public Library without having to login and access multiple sites. Research Pro provides simple and immediate access to the thousands of the Rapid City Public Library’s digital resources all in one convenient search engine.

This search feature is perfect for students of any level that need to research a topic for an assignment. It also opens a whole new realm of information for patrons searching for books or specific information.

Accessing all the information in Research Pro is as easy as typing in a search in the Library’s catalog. Visit www.rapidcitylibrary.org and type in your search in the upper right hand corner. The top results in articles will appear under the first three items on the results page. If you are only searching for articles then you can click on the “Articles” tab located in the top left hand corner. This will bring up an entire list of articles from our databases that correspond to your search. You will be asked your library card number and password information if you are accessing the catalog outside of the library so make sure you have your library card handy.

Two of the many resources offered in Research Pro are American Indian History Online and Biography Resource Center. 

American Indian History Online is the premier source of over 15,000 years of Native American culture and history in North and South America. Whatever your research needs, this database will offer a unique historical perspective whether you need information on a specific tribe, event, region or history or are just interested in learning more about Native American culture, traditions and history.

Biography Resource Center is a one-stop resource for biographies on notable figures in literature, science, politics, history, government, business, art, gender, multicultural studies, religion, entertainment, world culture, sports, the arts, and much more. This resource offers over 435,000 full-text biographies on over 340,000 individuals from all around the world gathered from over 1,000 volumes of reference works as well as full-text articles from nearly 300 magazines.

Stop by either location of the Rapid City Library or visit our website www.rapidcitylibrary.org the next time your teacher assigns a research project for school or for any of your personal, professional or scholastic interests.