The book on the world available online

By TINA MRAZ / Off the Shelf
Published November 15, 2007

The Hernando County Public Library System has been utilized by children for both recreational and informational print materials for many years.

County residents are often surprised to learn that the library offers not only print resources, but also a variety of online resources that can be accessed at the library or from home. While many of these databases are for adults, there are several that focus on the needs of children and students.

One of the library's premier online resources is World Book Online.

The online version of the World Book encyclopedia contains all of the articles in the 22-volume set, plus thousands more. The articles are written in a clear and concise manner and are frequently updated. Additionally, the site has more than 9,500 pictures, 115 videos, 9,300 sound bites and hundreds of editor-reviewed Web sites to enhance the learning experience.

In order to assure students' understanding of the information, the editors of World Book have created four databases to meet the differing information needs of students.

The World Book Online Reference Center is geared toward students in sixth grade and higher. World Book Kids is designed for the younger researcher and reluctant readers. World Book Advanced is centered around the research needs of the high school student. Finally, there is the Spanish Student Discovery Encyclopedia, also known as Enciclopedia Estudiantil Hallazgos, a Spanish-language encyclopedia.

This article focuses on the World Book Online Reference Center.

The reference center is filled with a variety of ways to access information. Researchers can submit a basic search on the home page or a more detailed search from the "search" tab to locate information within the encyclopedia.

Utilizing the "search" tab allows the user to do a Boolean search, a method of searching for information in databases that combines search terms with the operators "and," "or," "not" and parentheses; users can simply browse options or navigate the features listed on the home page.

The site also has numerous special features for browsing. Students can search the World Book atlas and a 250,000-entry dictionary.

"What's New" alerts readers to new additions to the site, including articles, maps, photos and dictionary entries. "Today in History" provides interesting facts about important events that have occurred on the present date. Each fact is linked to an encyclopedia article, which provides more detailed information.

"Behind the Headlines" presents summaries of current events and links to articles within the encyclopedia. This feature is designed to keep the site up to date in between the regular uploads of information. "Explore Florida" provides reference information specifically relating to the state of Florida.

One of the more creative features is "Surf the Ages," which imagines what the Internet would have looked like had it existed since ancient times. This is a great resource for teachers as well as students.

The encyclopedia articles themselves typically build from basic concepts and facts to more advanced concepts. Longer articles are often divided into sections. The sections are listed on the left side of the screen in an area labeled "article contents." This listing allows for easy navigation of the article.

Throughout these sections, the editors have placed media features related to the topic, such as photographs, maps and illustrations. By clicking on the thumbnail image, the user will get a full-size image for better viewing.

On the right-hand side of the screen, the student will find "related information." This area contains links to Web sites, magazines and additional World Book articles related to the topic. At the end of each article, citation information is provided in Modern Language Association (MLA) documentation style.

The World Book Online Reference Center and many other online resources are available to any of the Hernando County Public Library System's patrons free of charge. Simply visit the library's Web site atwww.hcpl.lib.fl.us and select "databases and websites" to see all of the wonderful online resources we have to offer.

Remember, if you have any problems, feel free to contact any of your local branch libraries for assistance. We are always at your service.

Tina Mraz is a reference librarian for the Hernando County Library System.

[Last modified November 14, 2007, 20:30:24]