All About America's News

Posted by Jacob D.

America’s News from NewsBank allows you to read daily newspapers from across the country with full issues going back to the 1980s. Major metro newspapers like USA Today, The Oregonian, Los Angeles Times, and hundreds of small town papers are available to search and browse. Edwardsville Public Library cardholders can access America’s News and browse the service from home with remote access.  You will find the link to America’s News under Newspapers on the Research page on Edwardsvillelibrary.org.

The service makes research and homework easy with features like Find a Topic, Special Reports, and Hot Topics. You can quickly access all newspaper articles related to Harry Potter if you go through the Leisure Activities page under Find a Topic. This is a great way to browse your areas of interest and stay on top of current trends and goings-on.

Special Reports is featured prominently in the navigation bar on the left side of the page. If you were to click the US Presidential Campaign link, you would find extensive coverage on all candidates, debates, and all things pertinent to the election. There are links to articles, maps, images, external websites, and more. There really is a wealth of information for any of the topics covered in Special Reports.

Hot Topics can be accessed by clicking the link directly under the Current Events heading on the navigation bar. Hot Topics provides prepared search terms for the hottest trending topics for a variety of interests from world news to fine art.

The Library WonderSource

Posted by Katherine R.

One underutilized resource at the library is our database collection. Because the kids are all heading back to school, in this post we're highlighting databases that are useful for students. No matter what the topic, we have a WonderSource to help you find the information you need. It's important to realize that these are all print sources that are available online only through the library.  Making things even easier for school projects, source citations are included at the bottom of each article. And, with your library card number, most can be conveniently accessed from your home computer. 

Biography in Context
If you need biographical information about a historical or contemporary figure, this is the place to look. There are entries on 528,000 people. You'll find multi-media content like videos, images, magazines and newspapers. Kids will also find this fun to look at for information on their favorite actors, athletes, writers, and singers.

Issues and Controversies
This database helps students understand the crucial issues we face today, exploring more than 800 topics in business, politics, government, education, and popular culture. This is a great resource for helping kids understand both sides of an issue.  

Testing & Education Reference Center
You can access 300 practice tests and courses, a scholarship search tool, and a college search tool. Included in the practice tests are High School Advanced Placement (AP) tests, ACT, PSAT, SAT, SAT subject tests. To take practice tests you will need to create and account.