Resources
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ABC Mouse: Available in the library only. If inside the library, follow the link to access. ABCmouse.com is a comprehensive early learning site for children ages 2 through 6+, covering reading and language arts, math, science, social studies, art, and music. It is completely child-safe, with no advertising or links to other websites.
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Agriculture Collection: With broad coverage of agriculture and its related fields, this collection provides a comprehensive view of this growing body of knowledge.
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Ancestry Library can be used to find census, birth, marriage, death records and more. Available inside the library only, with a limited number of users.
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Available Soon: Find out everything you need to know in order to get the quickest access to upcoming popular titles. Place holds on upcoming titles. These titles may not have been released yet, but you can save your place in line by placing them on hold. You will be notified when the title has arrived at your pickup location.
AWE Early Literacy Stations: Available in the library only. If inside the library, please ask for assistance in locating the stations. The Early Literacy Station (ELS) is a dynamic all-in-one digital learning solution for children ages 2-8. It requires no Internet connection, so it is safe and secure. NOTE: Not available at the Bartlett or Cossitt Libraries.
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At Your Public Library: Find out what’s happening “At Your Public Library”. These 1 minute videos produced by WYPL TV-18 give you a glimpse of many fun-filled, informative events happening at the Library everyday.
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Books and Authors: If you are wondering what to read next, Books & Authors can help you. Browse various genres and search for read-alikes.
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Books Sales: Add books to your own library while supporting the Library. Find out about upcoming Book Sales, buy books online, or visit our Second Editions Book Store.
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Book Sizzle: A weekly newsletter for anyone who loves to read. This includes links to new titles added to our collection as well as links to weekly best-sellers and more.
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Book Talk Blog: The online home of our WYPL-FM author-interveiw series, Book Talk. Here you’ll find podcasts of the interviews and information on future shows.
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BookLetters eNewsletters: Sign up to receive email newsletters of titles selected by librarians in the area of best-sellers, children’s literature, teen topics, health, and more.
BookMyne Catalog App
1. Use this app to search the Catalog, Place Holds, Renew Items.
2. Once you install the app, you will need to connect to the Memphis Public Library.
3. If you search by your location, you will see all branches listed. Select a branch to limit your searches to just that branch. Or, select “Memphis Public Library (All Libraries)” to search all libraries in the Memphis Public Library system.
Google Play Store | Apple App Store
SirsiDynix BookMyne Support
NOTE: An alternative to this app is to use our main catalog that is responsive to various screen sizes.
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Books in a Bag is Memphis Public Library’s value-added service for our book club patrons! The program is a one stop shop for all of your book club reading and discussion needs. Each bag also includes: 10 copies of one title; Booklet with background materials; Author biography; Discussion questions; Advice on how to start and sustain a book club
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Children’s BookLetters is a monthly collection of books selected by our Children’s Librarians. You can access the current “Children’s BookLetters” here and you can also subscribe to have “Children’s BookLetters” delivered via email.
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Citation Builder (World Book): Both World Book Advanced and World Book Student offer a Citation Builder that you can use to create a citation for just about any type of source in ALA, MLA, and Harvard format. Access the resource and select “Take me to…“, then select “Citation Builder”.
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CLOUD901: What is CLOUD901? Visit here to find out all you need to know to begin your CLOUD901 journey.
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Collectibles: Treasure hunters and antiques aficionados can find a lot to love in the Humanities Collectibles Collection found on the 2nd floor of the Benjamin L. Hooks Central Library. Anyone seeking to identify and determine the value of their keepsakes can use our extensive collection of price guides and information. The collection has guides for toys, antiques, sports cards, furniture, albums, comic books, guns, glassware, china, Coca Cola memorabilia, paper money, coins and much more.
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Communications and Mass Media Collection: From marketing professionals to students studying for advanced degrees in linguistic theory, this collection provides current and accurate information in full-text from journals focused on all aspects of the communications field.
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Criminal Justice Collection: Whether studying to become a lawyer or law enforcement officer, paralegal, or for a career in Homeland Security, this collection rises to the challenge.
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Culinary Arts Collection: Includes major cooking and nutrition magazines, culinary journals and several Delmar Reference titles. Coverage includes thousands of searchable recipes, restaurant reviews, and industry information.
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Databases A to Z is a popular page that lists all of the research databases in order from A to Z.
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Dig Memphis is the digital archive of the Memphis Public Libraries. We will showcase many of the treasures of the Memphis and Shelby County Room. As an ongoing project of the library, new items are added regularly, so check back frequently.
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Diversity Studies Collection: A must-have for social science, history and liberal arts coursework, this collection explores cultural differences, contributions and influences in our global community. This set includes more than 150 journals.
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Driving Tests: Study for driving tests, motorcycle tests, and CDL tests. Take practice tests, obtain official manuals, and more.
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Early World of Learning (World Book): A wealth of resources to help preschoolers and children in the early grades grasp critical early childhood themes. (Optimized for tablets)
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Educator’s Reference Complete is a selection of academic journals, hundreds of full-text reports, and many premier reference sources. Included content focuses on educational principles, child development and psychology, and best practices in education. Majority of the full-text titles included are also found in the ERIC database.
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Environmental Studies and Policy Collection: Providing robust coverage of the field of environmental issues and policy, this collection, which includes magazines and academic journals, provides instant access to the multiple viewpoints of this volatile field of study, including perspectives from the scientific community, governmental policy makers, as well as corporate interests.
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Fine Arts and Music Collection: With hundreds of full-text magazines and journals covered in databases such as the Wilson Art Index and RILM, this collection will provide your students with resources to support research in areas such as drama, music, art history, and film-making.
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Freegal eMusic: Download up to 5 songs each week for free and keep them forever. You can also stream up to 3 hours of music a day.
Library Card Required | Mobile App Available | FAQ
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Gale Directory Library: This is the online version of four quintessential directories: 1) Brands and Their Companies; 2) Encyclopedia of Associations: National Organizations of the U.S.; 3) Gale Directory of Publications and Broadcast Media; 4) Scholarships, Fellowships & Loans.
Contact us for username/password if accessing outside of the Library
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Gale Legal Forms: A collection of legal forms.
Contact us for username/password if accessing outside of the Library
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Gale Literary Sources: Unlock information in primary sources, critical articles, literary and cultural analysis, and biographies. Search across centuries to be able to see the broader continuum of the story you choose to tell. Includes Literature Criticism Online, Literature Resource Center, Scribner Writers, and Twayne’s Authors.
Tip Sheet
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Gale Virtual Reference Library is a database of encyclopedias and specialized reference sources for multidisciplinary research. These reference materials once were accessible only in the library, but now you can access them online from the library or remotely 24/7.
Contact us for password if accessing from outside of the Library.
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Gardening; Landscape and Horticulture Collection: Farmers, landscape architects, and bio-technologists alike will have their information appetites sated with this collection of journals focused specifically on key issues in gardening, landscaping, and other areas of horticulture.
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Gender Studies Collection: This collection of journals aims to provide balanced coverage of this significant aspect of our culture, covering such topics as gender studies, family and marital issues, health aspects, and many more.
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Genealogy Resources: Provides an overview of the genealogical resources available inside of the Library as well as links to other websites for specialized research.
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General OneFile: A one-stop source for news and periodical articles on a wide range of topics: business, computers, current events, economics, education, environmental issues, health care, hobbies, humanities, law, literature and art, politics, science, social science, sports, technology, and many general interest topics.
Tip Sheet
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General Science Collection: A collection of over 1,000 peer-reviewed journals, providing researchers with the information needed to stay current on the latest scientific developments.
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Government Documents: The Memphis Public Library is part of the FDLP (Federal Depository Library Program). It includes material in paper, microfiche, DVD, and electronic documents. The documents are located in the Central Branch Departments and in a storage facility on site. Please ask a reference librarian if you need more help in finding a particular document or the information that you need. We also have a wealth of information online.
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Graduate Memphis, an action initiative of Leadership Memphis and the Memphis Talent Dividend, has a College Resource Center housed within the Benjamin L. Hooks Central Library. Access their website for details on their services.
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Health Information Center Newsletter: Includes monthly/bi-monthly links to resources and book selections. Review the current newsletter here or sign up here to receive the Health Information Center Newsletter via email.
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Health Information Center Online: The Business/Sciences department at the Benjamin L. Hooks Central Library has a large Health Information Center with materials relating to medical, health care and nutrition issues. Information is available in multiple formats and includes books, magazines, audio, video and online services.
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Health Reference Center Academic: Multi-source database provides access to the full text of nursing and allied health journals, plus the wide variety of personal health information sources in InfoTrac’s award-winning Health Reference Center.
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Health Reference Series Online: The Omnigraphics Health Reference Series is an invaluable medical resource that will give consumers the confidence they need to take control of their health and make sense of the jumbled and confusing advice coming from all directions. It is an easy-to-use and authoritative source designed for lay readers—consumers with no specific medical knowledge.
Library Card required if accessing outside of the Library.
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Heritage Quest provides libraries with a unique, growing collection of research materials for tracing family history and American culture. Beginning or professional genealogists can now use this powerful online library, with original page images for all documents.
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Home Improvement Collection: Even the smallest home improvement project can be daunting: with this collection of home improvement focused titles, hobbyists and professional carpenters alike will immediately put their projects on a more solid foundation.
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Hospitality, Tourism and Leisure Collection: With current and relevant content from industry journals, travel guides and magazines this collection provides well-rounded coverage of both the historical and current state of affairs in the hospitality and tourism field, while also allowing for focused study of specialized aspects of the industry – including cultural aspects of travel, leisure activities, economic aspects of tourism, and more.
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Information Science and Library Issues Collection: This collection, comprised of content from more than 100 leading industry journals, provides current and accurate information for this fast-moving field.
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Informe Académico proporciona acceso a periódicos y revistas especializadas de lengua española y portuguesa. La base de datos ofrece una amplia gama de contenidos sobre América Latina.
Consejos de búsqueda
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Insurance and Liability Collection: Protection of assets is a concern for all: from the individual property owner to the multinational corporation, all have a vested interest in ensuring the retention of their assets, be it physical or intellectual.
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JobLINC is the Library’s mobile job and career center and helps job seekers locate employment opportunities. It also helps employers find workers. Visit the JobLINC page for more information including the JobLINC schedule and their list of current job openings.
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KidSpeak Language Learning: Designed by leading educators for children ages six and up, KidSpeak for Libraries contains more than 700 words and expressions per language. Available languages include Chinese (Mandarin), English, French, German, Hebrew, Indonesian, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese (Brazilian), and Spanish. Offered as a part of Transparent Language Learning.
hispanohablante: aprenda ingles | Getting Started Instructions | Video Tutorials | Mobile App Available
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Legal Resources: Links to Internet resources, databases, and reference books that provide legal information and help with legal research are found here.
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Library Book Clubs Directory: Find all the information you need about starting and sustaining your own book club as well as a directory of book clubs that meet at the Library.
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LINC/2-1-1: If you are looking for help, or want to provide someone with help, just dial 2-1-1 to reach the community information and referral resources of LINC, the Library Information Center at the Memphis Public Library. LINC, in conjunction with United Way of the Mid-South, is the local source for community resources. LINC maintains a large, comprehensive database of human services organizations, government agencies and volunteer groups, which can now be accessed by dialing 2-1-1.
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LitFinder: provides access to literary works and authors throughout history and includes more than 150,000 full-text poems and 800,000+ poetry citations, as well as short stories, speeches, and plays. The database also includes secondary materials like biographies, images, and more.
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Lynda.com: A premier online learning resource offering more than 3,400 courses covering technical skills, creative techniques, business strategies, personal finance, and more.
Library Card Required | More Details
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MarciveWeb Docs: You can search for all United States government publications issued to federal depository libraries since 1976 using MarciveWeb DOCS. MarciveWeb DOCS is the World Wide Web version of Marcive’s Government Printing Office record database.
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The Memphis and Shelby County Room is an area within the History/Social Sciences Department on the 4th floor of Benjamin L. Hooks Central Library where researchers may view items from the library’s archival and manuscript collections. This page provides an overview of the resources found in the Memphis and Shelby County Room.
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Memphis Reads Blog: Library staff members contribute reviews, essays, and news items about titles in the Library’s collection and raise ideas, questions, and concerns for discussion.
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Military and Intelligence Database: Both the historian and reporter on the frontline will find useful information in this collection, composed of content from over 400 journals, which covers all aspects of the past and current state of military affairs.
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Movies at the Library: Find out about our popular “A Wider Angle” Film series, find out about other movies playing at your Library, or find out how to check out movies to take home.
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Newsbank provides access to archives of the Commercial Appeal from 1990 to the present as well as historical scans of the Commercial Appeal from 1968-1969.
Library Card is required when accessing outside of the Library
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Newsstand is an innovative Web-based full-text newspaper database which allows users to search articles instantly by title, headline, date, newspaper section or other assigned fields. It includes the Commercial Appeal from 1996 to 2002 and a separate entry for the Commercial Appeal from 2000 to 2012.
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Nonprofit Resource Center: Provides a description of the resources available at the Benjamin L. Hooks Central Library as well as links to other online resources.
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Nursing and Allied Health Collection: All aspects of the Nursing profession — from direct patient care to health care administration — are covered. This collection’s current and authoritative content will be of use to both professionals already working in the field as well as students pursuing a nursing-focused curriculum.
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Opposing Viewpoints is a premier online resource covering today’s hottest social issues, from Offshore Drilling to Climate Change, Health Care to Immigration. Opposing Viewpoints in Context helps students research, analyze and organize a broad variety of data for conducting research, completing writing assignments, preparing for debates, creating presentations and more.
Tip Sheet
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OverDrive eBooks & eAudiobooks: Download eBooks, including Kindle books, and eAudio books from OverDrive. Checkout up to 3 titles at one time and keep them for up to 21 days. Titles will return automatically with no checkout fees!
Library Card Required | Getting Started Instructions | Mobile App Available |
Try the Libby app for an easier experience!
OverDrive for Kids, OverDrive for Teens
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Personal Finance Center: This page is the online home of the Personal Finance Center located on the 3rd floor of the Benjamin L. Hooks Central Library. Here you will find resources on banking, debt management, investing, retirement, and more.
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Physical Therapy and Sports Medicine Collection: Both researcher and practitioner alike will find relevant, authoritative content in this collection, which includes over 100 titles covering the fields of physical therapy and sports medicine.
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Pop Culture Collection: It’s all around us and influences our lives every day. This collection provides useful information for any researcher in a social science, history, art or liberal arts course. This collection is made up of more than 100 subject-appropriate full-text periodicals.
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Professional Collection is a custom selection of full-text journals for educators that is updated daily and provides 24 hour access from school or home. The Professional Collection offers balanced coverage for any professional educator or user interested in professional development.
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Psychology Collection: This collection gives individuals a basic understanding of the study of the mind, emotions and how the human mind develops and diminishes over time.
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RBdigital eAudiobooks (formerly OneClickdigital): Download up to 3 eAudiobooks at a time.
Library Card Required | Registration Required | Getting Started Instructions | Mobile App Available
Childrens Titles | Young Adult Titles
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RBDigital eMagazines through RBdigital allows you to check out select current magazines and keep them forever with no checkout limits.
Library Card Required | Getting Started Instructions | Mobile App Available
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Reading Lists: Not sure what to read next. Browse these lists of best-sellers, award winners, and titles just added to our catalog. You can check our catalog straight from these lists or browse similar titles.
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Reading Lists for Children: Not sure what to read next? Browse our reading lists of award winners and recently added picture books and chapter books.
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Reading Lists for Teens: Find reading selections for various genres, award winners, and more.
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Reference USA: Provides quality information to help you: 1) Search for jobs; 2) Find new business opportunities; 3) Research executives and companies; 4)Track down addresses, phone numbers; 5) Find news articles; 6) Locate out-of-town companies; 7) Profile a neighborhood, city or state.
Library Card required if accessing outside of the Library
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Religion and Philosophy Collection: Why do some people believe in Heaven? Is it fear, hope, upbringing or blind faith? Users of this collection can research different religions, philosophies and how they impact our daily lives.
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Science Fair Information: This page is a great place to start your science fair project.
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Small Business Collection: Search this database to learn how to start, finance or manage your small business. Resources include sample business plans, how to guides, articles and websites.
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Small Business Resource Center: Offers users complete small business management resources via a combination of unparalleled periodicals and reference content. From conducting industry research to financial planning, to marketing a product and franchising a business, the Small Business Resource Center provides users with all the information they need to succeed.
Tip Sheet
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Small Business Resources: Located in the Business/Science Department of the Central Library, the Small Business Center is geared to serve the potential small business owner, the recently-licensed entrepreneur and the established small business operator. Find out more information about this center as well as links to other resources.
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InfoTrac Student Edition provides high school students with access to magazines, newspapers, books, and other reference content. The database offers audience-appropriate information on current events, the arts, science,popular culture, health, people, government, history, sports, and more.
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Student Resources in Context: This next-generation portal reaches out to today’s learners with a Web-like user experience, which intuitively conveys needed information on all core subjects from Science to Literature to History. From the eye-catching, media-rich homepage to the fast navigation options, Student Resources in Context helps students develop both research and critical-thinking skills while covering the spectrum of student-focused subject matter.
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Teen BookLetters: This monthly newsletter can be delivered to you via email. This list includes reading selections from our teen Librarians. Access the current Teen BookLetters or subscribe to have it delivered to your email.
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Testing and Education Reference Center: Helps users embark on new education and career paths with in-depth information on colleges/universities, graduate/professional programs, distance learning, corporate training, available scholarships/awards, and more. Practice tests include entrance exams, certifications, and licensing tests. With the Career Assessment tool, students can map a career path using a multiple-choice exam that determines their Holland Type and matches their answers to the most suitable job categories, industries, and occupations. The Resume Builder and Virtual Careers Library tools helps students build essential career skills like how to build a resume, cover letter, and interviewing tips.
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Timelines (World Book): Browse World Book’s timelines by category. Create your own timeline by searching the World Book database for events, writing your own events, or a combination of the two. Add media from World Book or upload your own images to bring your timelines to life.
Training Video
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Transparent Language Online provides a fun, effective, and engaging experience for learners of all levels looking to build their listening, speaking, reading, and writing skills in a foreign language. Combining extensive courses and supplemental resources for over 100 languages, including English, Transparent Language Online is the most complete language-learning system.
hispanohablante: aprenda ingles | Getting Started Instructions | Video Tutorials | Mobile App Available
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U.S. History Collection: As any historian will state, the study of history is as much about the present as the past: to that end, this collection provides well-rounded coverage of both the current thinking and events in US History, as well as scholarly work being established in the field. This compilation of journals provides robust and balanced coverage of this field, useful both to the novice historian as well as to the advanced academic researcher.
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Vocations and Careers Collection: Finding the right career can be a daunting and high stakes task: finding an appropriate institution of learning, job searching, and maintaining a career are all topics covered by this collection, providing current and applicable content for all vocational milestones. Offering content from nearly 400 journals, this collection provides content from general career guides to highly specialized industry journals.
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War and Terrorism Collection: A definitive periodical collection of hand selected titles for analysts, risk management professionals and students of military science, history, social science.
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The World Book Web is a suite of online research tools that includes encyclopedia articles, primary source collections, educator tools, student activities, pictures, audio, ebooks and video, complemented by current periodicals and related Web sites. Includes:
World Book Advanced for High School students and adults. Citation Builder included for any type of source (select “Take me to…” at the top-right and select “Citation Builder”.
World Book Student for Elementary/Middle School. Citation Builder included for any type of source (select “Take me to…” at the top-right and select “Citation Builder”.
World Book Timelines View or build your own Timelines.
Training Videos
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World History Collection: As any historian will state, the study of history is as much about the present as the past: to that end, this collection provides well-rounded coverage of both the current thinking and events in World History, as well as scholarly work being established in the field. This compilation of journals provides robust and balanced coverage of this field, useful both to the novice historian as well as to the advanced academic researcher.
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WYPL Books and More Blog: A blog featuring schedule information of FM89.3 WYPL, the radio reading service for the Memphis Public Library and Information Center.