Answers, opinions and everything else you need
Whether you need biographical information on famous people, science fair project ideas, sample practice tests or even help from live online tutors, we have you covered. The resources listed below are just a sampling of all the library offers. Visit our Digital Library page for a full list of available databases.
Don’t forget to change your PIN. And finally, if you have any questions or need help along the way, give the librarians at the Reference Desk a call, 574-522-5669, or email us.
Get Answers
Brainfuse – Live tutors, writing lab, and answers in the chat
Britannica Encyclopedia – The oldest English-language encyclopedia, available with appropriate age levels
INSPIRE – Start your search here for good answers
Read It, Stream It
Contemporary Authors (INSPIRE) – Current biographical and bibliographical data on more than 120,000 modern writers
LitFinder (INSPIRE) – Thousands of poems, short stories, essays, plays and biographies from around the world
NoveList Plus – Find titles and get suggestions on your next great read
Fix It, Do It
ArtistWorks – Music and art self-paced lessons, taught by award-winning performers and professors
AtoZ World Food – Food culture, etiquette and recipes from around the world
Driving Tests – Work toward your CDL and find other Bureau of Motor Vehicles tests and handbooks
Testing and Education Resource Center – Practice tests for hundreds of exams, including SAT, ACT, ASVAB, HSE/TASC, as well as scholarship information and resume builder
History and Current Events
Indiana History – Source documents pertaining to state history, including personal memoirs and speeches, travel guides, pamphlets, sermons, songs, legal documents and children’s books
Elkhart History – Archived news from The Elkhart Truth, with references to books and other materials in the library collection
NewspaperArchive – News, sports, birth announcements and obituaries from newspapers around the world
Language and Travel
Country Reports – Travel information for countries around the world and individual U.S. states
Pronunciator – Learn 80 languages with multimedia tools, participate in live weekly conversation classes, and prep for citizenship tests
Read It (INSPIRE) – History, culture, literature and science reading for English-language learners
News
Biography in Context – Profiles and biographical information on famous authors, scientists, business people, entertainers and politicians
Explora – Magazines, articles and more for for elementary, middle and high school students
Newspaper Source (INSPIRE) – Cover-to-cover full text of 360 regional, national and international papers, along with transcripts of television and radio news providers
PressReader – Same-day issues of publications from around the world, just as they appear in print
Primary Search – Children’s magazines on favorite topics, with photos and more
Salem Press – History resources, particularly on weapons and warfare and milestone documents in U.S. history
TOPICsearch (INSPIRE) – Text on current political, economic and scientific events, as well as current poll information
Reference
Gale Virtual Reference Library – Reference and research books on a variety of topics, with the ability to download, email and print excerpts
INSPIRE – Start your search here for good answers
MasterFile Premier – Reference materials, source documents and magazine articles
Points of View Reference Center – Diverse perspectives on current events and issues
Reference Shelf – Extensive, unbiased explorations on topics in modern society
Science
Science in Context – Hundreds of text books and articles make this a great spot to start a science fair project