I WILL NOT USE WIKIPEDIA FOR MY REPORT…

The joys of Summer Reading are behind us and the time has come to start writing those essays. We all know the library is a great place to go to find books for an assignment. But you can also come into the library (or use computers at home or at school if you have your library card number handy) and find access to an even bigger pot of information through the e-library, opens a new window at Pima County Public Library!

History paper to write? Book report to complete? Science Fair coming up? The library has resources for all of those things!

Need to do a profile of Costa Rica? First, find it on a map, opens a new window. Get the basics from CultureGrams, opens a new window, and then dig deeper with news and academic journal articles through World History in Context, opens a new window.

Writing a persuasive essay about current events? Find your topic by browsing Global Issues in Context, opens a new window and then build your understanding of both sides with Opposing Viewpoints, opens a new window. Or peruse some of our various newspaper collections, opens a new window, with both current and historical newspapers from around the world.

Have a French test coming up? Check up on your skills with one of the library's several language learning, opens a new window tools. Or hop into Tumblebooks, opens a new window and try reading a few Archie Comics...in French!

I could go on (and on...and on...) but you get the idea. There are so many more resources than the ones you see in your library's reference books section, and they're much easier to sort through than the top 500 hits on Google.

Not every library is like Mission Library, where you have a constant reminder that you have more than just books and Google to help you find truthful, thoughtful and meaningful answers to big homework questions.

But try to remember without the visual. They're there for you when you need them. For now, here's a link to the E-Library Homework Center, opens a new window, where your go-to online resources are all gathered into one place.