Grave of two British soldiers killed
in a Revoutionary War skirmish,
St. Helena's Episcopal Church,
Beaufort: Dennis Adams

Don't Know Much About History...

Let's talk about how to find information. These days it can seem a bit like data data everywhere and not a thought to think. With so much information coming at you it's hard to know what to trust and the best places to start looking. That's where libraries come into play.

Most, if not the majority of libraries, have online databases that can provide a wealth of information from trusted publishers. These publishers provide online magazine and journal articles with references on proper citations and additional information. When searching for information try to keep these tips in mind:

Think about your question!

What do you need to know? Is this for a paper or a speech?

Do you need to cite it?

What kind of information do you want?

In other words, do you need statistics, facts, biographies, articles, quotes, or numbers?

Based on the type of information, where might you start looking?

See, asking these types of questions give you little clues to how to begin your search and save some time. You don't want to spend it online all day searching in the wrong place or looking at a site you don't know if you can trust. Check out our online database selection available to library card holders 24/7 365:

Carolina’s Virtual Library has thousands of magazine articles, pictures, sources,
references and listings for all kinds of topics!

Access is free for library card holders via our website: www.bcgov.net/library

Discus Provides:

Gale Group Resource Center: covering biography, health, & a guide to recommended fiction & nonfiction. Also included is InfoTrac full-text magazine, newspaper & reference database.

Grolier Online: 3 general encyclopedias.

SIRS: Full-text topical resources for adults kids.

The State: (Columbia) & Greenville News Newspapers through NewsBank.

Ebsco Host Provides: Seven Databases

Þ Auto Repair Reference Center

Þ History Reference Center

Þ AltHealthWatch

Þ Business Source Elite

Þ RRegional Business News

Þ General Science Collection

Þ MagillOnLiterature Plus

Grove Art Online Provides:

Full Text Dictionary of Art, Oxford Companion to Western Art, plus over 1500 color images and line drawings, & links to over 40,000 images on museum & gallery websites.

Learn-A-Test Provides:

Complete interactive practice tests, Ebooks, & tutorials for:

GED, EMS, ESL, Military, Civil Service, College Prep, Basic Skills, Firefighter, Law Enforcement, Nurse Aide, Real Estate, Teacher Certification and US Citizenship.

La Nueva Enciclopedia Provides:

Interactive online encyclopedia in Spanish.

CQ Press Provides:

Over 44 reports on a variety of topics in health, education, science & technology.

For Online access at home, see your Reference Librarian