Get your questions answered through Reedsburg Public Library’s research resources
Try to guess a single free resource for researching your ancestors, fixing your taillight, looking up addresses for your holiday cards, and finding information for your homework assignment! If you guessed “the library” you would be correct! If you further guessed that this source could be accessed online, you would be correct again!
Reedsburg Public Library’s online Research Resources tab on the library homepage (reedsburglibrary.org) leads to a number of online databases. Some of these are Badgerlink resources provided by the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction, while others are paid for by the Reedsburg Public Library. Click on the Research Resources tab to find the databases alphabetically. Enter your library card number to enter each site.
In the first listing, trace your family tree for free using the library’s subscription to the widely advertised Ancestry database, available for home use through the end of the year.
If you are having car troubles don’t despair! Second on the list, AutoRepair Source gives repair information and schematics for vehicles domestic and imported from 1945 to the present.
Finding personal addresses or business directory information online can be difficult especially with innumerable websites requiring payment, but A to Z Databases solves that problem. Not only is it an excellent basic business directory for companies nationwide, but it also provides a search option for personal addresses and phone numbers.
Consumer Reports, discussed in detail last week, gives product reviews for thousands of brands, in the same manner as the printed magazine of the same title.
If you have a medical question, Consumer Health Complete is a great source that provides reliable information, from basic definitions to in depth studies, about medical conditions and prescriptions.
For students with a college prep test on the horizon, Learning Express Library provides practice tests for the ACT, SAT, GED, and others. Create a username and password to enter the site.
If you have missed an issue of the Reedsburg Independent or the Reedsburg Times Press, Archive of Wisconsin Newspapers gives the full text of Wisconsin newspapers from 2005 to 90 days ago.
Another overlooked resource is TeachingBooks.net. Full text and video resources for exploring children’s and young adult books and their authors are available here for both students and teachers.
The last reference, WorldCat, lists library materials and their locations worldwide. If you cannot find an item in LINKcat, check WorldCat and contact Reedsburg Public Library to order the item for you.
The above-mentioned resources are just a sampling of the online information available to you free through Reedsburg Public Library. For questions about any online resource, call the library at 768-READ (7323) or email info@reedsburglibrary.org.
