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Meet our featured reference tool: Business and Company Resource Center The Business and Company Resource Center contains business, company, and industry information. Sources include: periodical articles, domestic and international company financials, earning estimates, investment reports, corporate chronologies and company histories. There is also brand and product information, industry and company rankings, market share data, and industry overviews. The Business and Company Resource center utilizes the latest information from business sources such as the American Wholesalers and Distributors Directory, Brands and Their Companies, Ward’s Business directory, and World Market Share Reporter. It also derives information from the local, regional, national and international versions of the Encyclopedia of Associations. The database can be searched by company, industry, or by articles. When “Company Search” is selected the database searches for all companies. Almost all domestic companies with at least 50 employees and 1 million dollars in revenue are included. International public businesses with at least 16 million dollars in revenue are included as well as private companies with at least 6 million dollars in revenue. When “Industry Search” is selected the database searches industry descriptions and retrieves industry information. The search options available within the search form are “search by industry code”, “search by industry description”, and “browse industries”. When “Articles Search” is selected, the database returns results from Gale’s business periodical content. The articles can be searched by subject and keyword and can be limited to peer-reviewed, full text and by specific magazine or journal. The Business and Company Resource center is a comprehensive business research source and is free @ your library! Submitted by Kevin Wells, Reference Library, Lakes Regional Library
SIRS Discoverer Do you have a paper to write? Do you know the subject but are not sure what angle to take? Maybe SIRS Discoverer can help. SIRS Discoverer is a general reference source for students in grades one through nine. This electronic resource contains full-text articles and images from a large number of newspapers as well as magazines, government documents and on-line sources. Among the references sources included in SIRS Discoverer are The World Almanac for Kids and the Encyclopedia Britannica. SIRS Discoverer is designed so that you can search a specific topic using keywords or you can also browse using subject headings or a “tree browse” if you are not sure what you want to research. If you are still stumped for topics, check out the “Suggested Research Topics” which are updated biweekly. As a general reference source, this electronic resource contains a wide range of research topics including biographies, fiction, country facts, and even science projects – just to name a few. It also contains a dictionary, a thesaurus, maps, web links and citation information. This easy to use database contains almost everything you will need to complete your project and it is free @ your library! Submitted by: Anita Pintado, Senior Librarian, Youth Services, East County Regional Library.
LitFinder Access to LitFinder is only available if you are located in a Lee County Library System location. This electronic resource cannot be used from home. To access this resource, begin at the Lee County Library System web site: http://www.lee-county.com/library. Select “Research & Homework Tools,” then “Databases and Web Sites.” Click on “Electronic Resources” and scroll to select “LitFinder.” You can browse LitFinder by title or author, or search by genre or subject. All major literary movements are included. LitFinder also features a Kids’ Korner with topics of interest for children. To read and learn all about the world’s great literature, check out LitFinder @ your library! Submitted by: Kathy Chumley, Reference Librarian, Cape Coral-Lee County Public Library
From the library’s homepage simply hover over “Research and Homework Tools” until you see “Find Articles.” Clicking here will bring up an alphabetical, annotated list of the Lee County Library System’s databases. Scroll down the list until you see “Facts on File Issues and Controversies.” This can be accessed from home or within the library. There are great resource centers for both students and teachers. Students can find out how to avoid the very real problem of plagiarizing from Internet sources, how to write and deliver an effective speech, and how to analyze and cite sources for a research paper. Teachers can research controversial topics and then find discussion questions and answers, access town hall meetings on various issues and learn how to properly assess student speeches. Having trouble coming up with a discussion topic? Check out “Issues Currently in the News.” The latest “ripped from the headlines” issues will be linked in red. Want to clarify something you’ve read? Look at the “Special Features” which links students directly to the websites of the various organizations that would be considered sources of expert advice. Also featured are editorial cartoons from newspapers all over the country, along with a subject search for a cartoon that might reflect a topic you’ve decided to report on. This amazing database is practically a one-stop-shopping location for students looking for an A+ term paper and it’s all free @ your library! Submitted by: Sally Bissell, Reference Librarian, South County Regional Library Are you or someone you know going through a divorce? Filing for bankruptcy? Are you a landlord with a problem tenant? A tenant with a problem landlord? Are you trying to buy or sell a farm tractor? If you can answer yes to any of the above questions, or if you are in a similar situation and find yourself in need of the correct legal forms to file with the court or to make sure that your business dealings are on the up and up, then Thomson Gale Legal Forms is the resource for you! Thomson Gale Legal Forms is the most extensive free forms site available to library patrons, with thousands of legal forms available and additional items being added every day. The website offers official, state specific, federal, business, personal, real estate, and general forms encompassing hundreds of legal subjects and issues. Thomson Gale Legal Forms is only a click away and available for free to all Lee County Library System users. Start by visiting the library’s website at www.lee-county.com/library.
Once you’ve accessed the website, there are a few ways to get started. The Thomson Gale Legal Forms homepage features an extensive alphabetical list of the most downloaded forms available on their website. If you are looking for one of these commonly used forms you can select it directly from the home page. If your needs are more specialized, you can begin either by performing a keyword search, or by clicking on a letter from A-Z and viewing all of the different form categories that Thomson provides. The form categories are in alphabetical order, and each category has anywhere from one to literally dozens of different legal forms. When you ultimately choose a form for
viewing, you’ll note that Thomson provides a general description of the form
you’re about to download and even offers completed samples to guide you. Your
selected form can be downloaded in Microsoft Word, Word Perfect, or Rich Text
format. Italian. Japanese. Russian. Arabic. Spanish. Did you ever want to learn a new language or practice one you already know? The Rosetta Stone electronic resource can help you with 28 languages. English is available for both United Kingdom and United States. Spanish is available for Latin America or Spain. To use Rosetta Stone:
Rosetta Stone teaches new languages naturally from the very beginning using full immersion. New learners name objects and build sentences without translation or memorization using the sound of native speech, printed text and vivid, real-life photographs. Each lesson features a preview that allows students to look through a lesson without responding, exercises with instant feedback, and tests. Five kinds of exercises cover the four basic skills:
Practice your listening skills, write dictation, or record your voice to compare it to the native speaker. All this is possible with Rosetta Stone. Submitted by: Barb Coons, Librarian and Literacy Coordinator, Outreach Services ReferenceUSA is a leading business and consumer database providing detailed information on more than 13 million U.S. businesses, 120 million U.S. households, and 683,000 U.S. health care providers. Some Canadian businesses and households are also included. The information provided is gathered from yellow and white page telephone directories, annual reports, 10-K’s and other SEC information, and federal, state and municipal government data. Information on businesses and health care providers is verified by ReferenceUSA. Simple and custom searching is available. Users may create lists and print or download them in accordance with the "Fair Use" Provisions of the U.S. Copyright Act for personal, non-commercial, and/or educational purposes. Marketing services for custom data lists may be purchased through ReferenceUSA. To access this database, start at our library website, http://www.lee-county.com/library. Select “Internet Links We Recommend,” then select “Electronic Resources” and scroll to select “ReferenceUSA”. Searching is available by name of business, type of business, SIC code, size of business and other useful criteria. There is a wealth of information all in one source. Submitted by: Nancy Skabar,
Head of Reference Librarian, Cape Coral-Lee County Regional Librar Have you read everything by your current favorite author? Are you looking for mysteries set in a particular city? The Lee County Library System has a database that can find author read-alikes and allows you to search by title, author, series and plot. Novelist provides help in finding that next book to read for adults, children and teens. To start: Start from the library’s website, www.lee-county.com/library. Select Book Tips. Select Novelist. Choose either Novelist (for adults) or Novelist K-8 (for kids). The database opens to an age appropriate information and search page. It will contain timely and current information on books and events. For example, February is Black History Month, so African American authors and the Civil Rights Movement will be featured. There is a quick search option on this front page, search by author, title, series or key word. If you want a more in depth search select the tab Search Our Database. You’ll still be able to perform a title, author and series search. Added to the options are Describe a Plot, Boolean Search, and Article and List Search. Under the Describe a Plot search option, you can look for:
This is excellent when you remember partial details about books that you’ve enjoyed. The Boolean Search allows you to customize your search to include several details about the types of books you enjoy. Boolean searching just means that you are combining or limiting your search terms with “and,” “or,” and “not.” The Article and List Search allows you to access the wealth of information contained in Novelist’s articles. If you type Nora Roberts in the find box, and search for all types of articles and lists, you will get 26 different articles and lists. These include an author read-alike list that will help you find similar authors and titles to Nora Roberts’ writing style and an annotated book list called “Beach Reads.” While you are searching in Novelist, you’ll find links to the author’s website, author read-alikes, other books by the author, reviews, the first chapter of the book, awards that the book has won and book discussion guides. The discussion guides provide author background, a summary of the book, questions provoked by the book (with answers) and similar titles for further reading. If you love to read, you’ll love Novelist. Submitted
by: Carrie MacDonald, Reference Librarian, Lakes Regional Library
InfoTrac OneFile is a “one-stop
shopping” online database used for just about any search inquiry. From short
newspaper to peer-reviewed articles InfoTrac OneFile is a good place to start.
This database provides access to over 54 million newspaper and periodical
titles from numerous sources and is updated daily. To access this database, start at our library website, http://www.lee-county.com/library. Select “Internet Links We Recommend,” then select “Electronic Resources” and scroll to select “InfoTrac OneFile.” OneFile is a user friendly and intuitive database. Users can input as much or as little information to fit their specific search needs. There are four ways to search the database, “Basic Search,” “Subject Search,” “Publication Search,” and “Advanced Search.” For subject, publication, and advanced search features, users can limit their searches by date, peer reviewed articles, or documents with pictures. Also with the advanced search, users can use Boolean terms to guide their results. Using the “Change Databases” function allows users to search any of the sources included in OneFile separately. “Preferences” allows the user to alter many variables including language options (English, Spanish, French, and Portuguese) or to retrieve only articles available in full text. Options for printing, emailing, or downloading documents are also available. Submitted by: Jenny Seftas, Reference Librarian, East County Regional Library
Electric Library
(click to try) Let’s Get Started Electric Library is searchable using natural language as well as Boolean operators. Researchers can type in questions, phrases, or keywords. Additionally, you can browse by topic. Results can be sorted by relevance, date, file size, Lexile/reading level, publication, or source. Researchers are able to create and save lists of up to 25 results to review, print, or email. Results of queries may be limited to peer reviewed, Spanish, or by reading level (elementary – High School +). Homeschoolers, take note, you may also search by curriculum standards by state. Students, parents, and teachers may choose multiple search strategies and limit the results to match needs and skills. Stop by the Reference Desk and let us show you all that Electric Library can offer. -Laura Cifelli, Reference
Librarian, Fort Myers-Lee County Public Library To start:
The database opens to a Basic Search box where you may search by Keyword, Title, Author or Full Text. When you find your title, select “View This eBook.” This allows you 15 minutes to browse the book’s contents. If you need longer, you may choose to checkout the book by selecting “Check out for 4 hours.” If you “Check out for 4 hours,” you will need to create a free account by selecting “Create a Free Account Here” and choosing an id and a password. On the left side, you will see the contents and chapters listed. At the bottom left, you will see a search box. You can search the full text of the book from here. When you bring a book page up, you proceed to the next page by selecting “Next” on the top right. At the top, there are tabs allowing you to take notes or search the Internet while you are browsing the book. - Andrea Carter, Reference Librarian, South County Regional Library
Gale’s Health & Wellness Resource Center Do you need to learn more
about macular degeneration? Thinking about taking St. John’s Wort or Echinacea
for health benefits? Do you need access to a directory of health organizations
or a medical dictionary? Look no further than Gale’s Health and Wellness
Resource Center. Easy to use and intuitively designed, the Health and Wellness
Resource Center database provides a wealth of health and wellness resources at
your fingertips. Explore links to medical encyclopedias, dictionaries and
directories as well as links to health news and health assessment tools. View
full-text articles as well as videos on a wealth of health-related topics from
your library or the comfort of your own home. American History (Click here to search from outside a library.) |
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