Why are Online Resources Important?

The Mid-Continent Public Library is proud to offer access to over 200 online resources. These are research tools that provide free, unbiased information.

We live in an age with more information than ever before, but not all that information is reliable. It is more important than ever to educate ourselves using multiple sources, fact-check, ask questions, and learn more. 

If you are a Library user, you already know that Libraries provide users with an amazing collection of physical and digital books. Looking for the new hot New York Times Best Seller? We got you. Do you have a child who’s wild about reading and needs 200 books about dinosaurs? Done.

Libraries are a place for communities to gather, friends to meet, and everyone to learn. Online Resources are a crucial part of that mission.

Online Resources can be used in a wide variety of ways. When you connect to the KC Star Image edition, you’re using an online resource. When you conduct Genealogy Research on Ancestry.com, you’re using an online resource. When you’re looking for Live Homework Help on Tutor.com, you’re using an online resource. If you have a question on car repair and do a search on Chilton Library, you’re using an online resource.

People who use online resources from their classrooms or from the comfort of their homes can sometimes look like invisible users to the untrained eye. However, the folks who monitor and manage online resources track usage statistics to make informed decisions about what our community needs.

We see when there’s a spike in usage in Mango. Okay, Kansas City! Look at you learning another language.

Is everyone suddenly learning about personal investing on Morningstar? We see you. Get that retirement ready.

Libraries sometimes have a reputation for being out of date or full of cranky, cat-loving people obsessed with their cardigans. And it’s a little true. We do love our cardigans. That doesn’t mean that we’re not also obsessed with reference questions. If you’re a genealogy researcher who wants to get over that “brick wall” and learn more about your family history, then we want to help. If you’re interested in starting a small business, we want to answer your questions.

At Mid-Continent Public Library, we always do our best to connect you with the resources you need, whether physical, digital, or beyond that.

If you’ve had a positive experience using an online resource, then please reach out to us and let us know. We always appreciate feedback.

Meghan P.
Electronic Resources Librarian