Hone Your Skills Using LearningExpress Library!

The library subscribes to many excellent databases to which you have free access!  To visit these resources, simply go to www.tiffinsen.lib.oh.us and click on "Research Help" under the Main Menu.  There are plenty of resources of use to genealogists, students, businesses, adult learners, and more.  All you need to do is enter your library card number or zip code, depending upon the database, to enter these sites.

We will be doing a series of blog posts about our database offerings here at Search Smart.  Today we will focus on a powerful resource called LearningExpress Library.  This site includes a little bit of everything.  You'll notice the Learning Centers on the left-hand side of the screen.  Resources to help students from grades K-12 are included, as are others for college students.  Students will also be pleased to learn that practice exams and guides for the ACT, SAT, GRE, GMAT, LSAT, and more can be taken.  GED preparation assistance is available, too.  LearningExpress will even track your progress, though you will have to create a quick account with them to do so, which is as easy as coming up with a username and password.

The software tutorials are extremely popular.  You can take interactive tutorials on products like Word, Excel, Windows and Mac Operating Systems, Photoshop, and more.  The best part is that tutorials are available for the different versions of each product.  For instance, you can take a tutorial for Word 2003, 2007, 2008 for Mac, or 2010.

Adult learners can visit the Workplace Skills Improvement Learning Center and improve their skills in resume/cover letter writing, interviewing, business writing, and networking.  If you are interested in practicing for a civil service or occupation exam, you can do so here.  Practice exams for nursing, firefighting, CDL, real estate, law enforcement, and more are available to you. 

Take some time to visit LearningExpress Library today!

Excel 2007 Course

Project Gutenberg

If you looking for rare, out-of-print, or eclectic books, you have to try out Project Gutenberg.  Volunteers have provided this terrific resource by diligently scanning in over 42,000 full text books.  These titles are then transferred into a variety of formats.  You can access EPUB, PDF, HTML, Plucker, and even Kindle format for most of the titles in the database.

How does it work?  Simply go to the homepage and enter a search term.  You can also browse the book categories.

Once you find the title you are looking for, click on the format you wish to view.  You will need Adobe Digital Editions to access the EPUB.  Unfortunately, the Kindle format does not work with the Kindle Fire, but you can download the Overdrive Media Console and then check out the EPUB version.

Looking for Financial Advice? Check out this FREE eBook!

There are tons of resources out there on how to become a savvier investor.  The folks at the Morningstar Investment Research Center are helping by providing their latest publication for free as an eBook.

Investing For the Long Run: Strategies and Solutions to Help You Shape Up Your Personal Finances is a tremendously useful guide.  This PDF document provides chapters on preparing emergency funds, getting started in investing, maintaining investments, home ownership, preparing for retirement, and more.

Don't forget that the library offers terrific personal finance materials, too!  The Value Line Investment Survey, S&P Stock Reports, and Kiplinger's Retirement Newsletter are just a few of the great resources available at our business table.  You can also check out such great titles as The Handy Personal Finance Answer Book, Personal Finance for Dummies, and The Investment Answer.

Access Statistical Data Online

Looking for comprehensive statistics on everything from the latest U.S. Census to Economic Indicators to Internet Use and everything in between?  Fear not!  Much of this data is available online for free!  Check out this website entitled Statistics Resources and Big Data on the Internet 2013.

Here are just a few of the sites you may find useful:

2012 Statistical Abstract- This amazing resource includes statistics on a little bit of everything.  Income, law enforcement, voter turnout, and federal government finances are just a few of the categories covered.

Bureau of Labor Statistics- This site includes statistics on unemployment, pay and benefits, inflation, productivity, and more.

City-Data.com-  Simply enter a city, county, or zip code and you will be taken to a detailed portrait of that area.  The homepage also includes a map of the United States where you can quickly compare states by average income, commute time to work, average family size, population density, and more.

Name Statistics- This fun resource shows the most common first and last name.  You can search for a name to see its popularity.

National Center for Health Statistics- Provided by the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention, this database includes statistics as well as health information on a number of diseases.

United States Census Bureau- The Census Bureau database includes tons of information on people, business, and the economy.