Using the genealogy databases are fun and they can be accessed from your home computer or at your local MCPL branch. I used the FamilySearch Internet Genealogy Services database to research the family tree of one of my great-great-grandmothers and found many interesting relatives. I found descendants that were kings and queens and one line going all the way back to Adam and Eve!
Let’s face it: most of us know what we like to read and that’s pretty much all we read. That's too bad! We miss out on a lot of good books just because they don’t fit the mold of what we usually read.
I’m extremely impressed with MCPL’s research database subscriptions! I especially enjoy the website’s Books & Reading link. With 15 children's and adult databases to choose from, there is something for everyone. My favorite is the Books & Authors database. I can search my favorite book titles and find other books with similar subjects, settings, time periods, or main characters.
Mid-Continent Public Libraries has access to an overwhelming amount of databases that most of our lovely patrons know very little about. Being that MCPL's specialty is genealogy (Thank you Midwest Genealogy Center), one very useful but slightly unknown resource is the Archive Finder database.
Library staff still get confused faces every once and while when asking that question of patrons. What does that mean? Answer: Most libraries in the United States (and many throughout the world) participate in the Interlibrary Loan system known as WorldCat. This network allows for libraries to share parts and pieces of their collections, trading within different library systems.
Resource Spotlight: Encyclopedia Britannica Online
Many of the reference tools that you may have used as print materials in the past have moved online. Encyclopedia Britannica is no exception. The online version of this well-known reference tool offers numerous ways to get information. These include a quick access dictionary, videos, in-depth presentations on certain topics and links to other online sites for more data. You can use the Adult or Kids version of Encyclopedia Britannica Online.
I was going to create an ongoing blog series that focused on historical figures who were famous but no one remembers why. It was going to be called "Relics of Obscurity". I decided that the first subject would be Millard Fillmore.
Millard Fillmore was President. His first and last name sort of rhyme. It seemed like a good idea, in a cut your own hair sort of way. Its not surprising that"Relics of Obscurity" ran aground.
It seems like summer just began, and it is already time for kids to think about going back to school. A new school year means new research papers and new homework headaches. Let your local Mid-Continent Library branch help!
MCPL's Research Databases are awesome! In addition to helping with "need to know" information, these sites offer interesting and fun information. One of my favorite sites is Global Road Warrior. Besides the information you would expect, like geography, government, economy, and climate, I can find out about their culture, holidays, and religion.
Recently, I was helping a patron get started on his research. I asked him if he knew someone who would have been alive during the 1930 census. His response: "Yes, me. I was." When I asked what his birthdate was, he replied, "May the 5th, 19 and 11". I looked him up in the 1920 Census, and there he was as a 9-year-old son. So, we then had his parents' names, and I was able to help him go back a little farther. I’m not sure how much research he got done while he was here that day, but he told me he would be back when he could spend more time.
