Resources for Teens

Check out these helpful resources, or ask your school librarian for more information!

Bartleby.com

Imagine this. You’ve just been given a speech assignment where you’ll need to define some terms for your audience. You’ll also need to choose a couple of quotations to include in your speech, but you’re not sure which resource will have what you need. Luckily for you, your librarian just introduced you to Bartleby.com. This is an amazing resource that is extremely user-friendly and easy to search and navigate. Bartleby.com is a searchable database of over 370,000 Web pages. Within the reference section you can search dictionaries and thesauri or choose from the following categories: Quotations, English Usage, Religion & Mythology, Literary History & Literature, Anatomy, Cooking, Etiquette, and Parliamentary Procedure & Government. There are also thousands of illustrations, maps and flags from all nations, and the full-texts of hundreds of fiction and non-fiction books, as well as poems. This resource is free and printer-friendly, too. Ask your librarian about Bartleby.com or just start searching today!

Reference: Bartleby.com, Inc. (2008). Retrieved July 21, 2008, from Bartleby.com: Great books online Web site: http://www.bartleby.com/


The Occupational Outlook Handbook

If you’re an upperclassman, chances are, counselors, teachers, and even your parents are starting to ask about your future plans. This can be frustrating, especially if you’re not sure what kind of career options are available. Don’t worry, though. There is a free resource at your library, and online, that can help you sort through all of the options. The Occupational Outlook Handbook lists hundreds of occupations, and with each occupation, you can find out more about the training or education needed, the working conditions, the expected job prospects, and the average earnings of someone in a specific field. This resource also provides job search tips that may be helpful, too. You can search for a specific occupation, or you can simply browse a category. Once you find a career that interests you, you can print the information easily. Then you are free to read through it yourself, or talk it over with the guidance counselor or your parents. The Occupational Outlook Handbook also provides resources if you’re curious about what the job prospects are in other states, or how that career compares to a similar one. So, next time someone asks you about your future, be prepared! Check out the Occupational Outlook Handbook or go online to www.bls.gov/OCO/.

Reference: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Division of Information Services. (2008). Occupational Outlook Handbook (OOH), 2008-09 Edition. Retrieved July 21, 2008, from U.S. Department of Labor Web site: http://www.bls.gov/OCO/


Biography.com

Have you ever been curious to know what famous person shares your birthday? Well, the “Born on This Day” feature on Biography.com is just one of the many interesting links you should check out! This Website is also a great starting point when your teacher assigns a research topic on a famous person. Biography.com has 44 categories of people to search ranging from actors/actresses, to explorers, inventors, painters, saints/martyrs, and writers, to list just a few. Some people have audio, video, and Web links associated with their biographies to provide you with more information. There is also a wide variety of people represented. For example, you can use Biography.com to do research on Barak Obama, Judy Garland, Carlos Santana, Anne Frank, and even Led Zepplin! You might even enjoy the quizzes and photo galleries while you gather the information you need for your project at the same time! Best of all, it’s free! Just go to www.biography.com or ask your librarian for more information.

Reference: A & E Television Networks. (2008). Retrieved July 21, 2008, from Biography.com Web site: http://www.biography.com


Merriam-Webster's Visual Dictionary

Are you a visual learner? Do you remember something better when you see a picture or illustration instead of just memorizing a definition? If so, then stop by the library and browse through Merriam-Webster’s Visual Dictionary! Don’t worry. This dictionary is not just an alphabetical list of a bunch of boring definitions. It is a VISUAL dictionary with over 6,000 colored illustrations that covers everything from plants, animals, and the human body, to clothing, personal accessories, and sports. If you’ve ever wondered how many people it takes to play the game of lacrosse or what positions the players take on the field, this dictionary will give you a detailed illustration of the game. Or, maybe you are studying the nation’s postal system and a flow chart of the mail process would help everything make more sense. You can find it in the Merriam-Webster’s Visual Dictionary along with hundreds of other topics. Come and take a look today!

Reference: Corbeil, J. & Archambault, A. (2006). Merriam-Webster's visual dictionary. Springfield, MA: Merriam-Webster, Inc.