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New Database: Literary Reference Center

Chelmsford Library patrons now have a new way to research books and authors: Literary Reference Center.

Searchable from either your home or the library, this database has full-text information on thousands of authors and their works. Content is broken down into a number of categories (plot summaries, synopses and work overviews, author biographies, literary journals, poems, short stories, classic texts, author interview and more). All search results are gathered into convenient tabs for easy organization.

Information can best be found in one of two ways:

1. For broad searches on topics or subjects, use the Find: search box near the top of the screen
2. To find specific authors or works, use the Browse Authors/Browse Works links near the middle of the screen

Other features include a Literary Glossary (for definitions of literature-related words), a timeline of works and their historical context, a research guide, help with citing sources, and frequently-updated books and author highlights.

Access to Literary Reference Center is funding by NMRLS. For help accessing or using the database, please contact the Reference Desk.

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Improvements to the InfoTrac PowerSearch Database

Database vendor Gale has released a set of new features to the InfoTrac databases and the PowerSearch platform. These databases can be used to find articles appearing in magazines, journals and books on a wide variety of subjects.

Many of the features were developed in response to end-user feedback. Some of the key features to note are:

• Enhanced Navigation, including a new "Document Tools" box (print, email, cite, download, translate) on each document
• RSS feeds for instant search and/or journal alerts
• "Did You Mean?" search feature provides alternate spellings and more preferred search terms
• Search Within Results, to help pinpoint specific information
• Enhanced Bookmarks, allowing direct access to articles
• Improved "How-to-Cite" tools

If you're interested in learning about more enhancements or seeing what the changes look like, Gale has prepared a presentation (requires Microsoft PowerPoint): http://www.gale.com/Technical/PowerSearchSummer.ppt [ppt, 1.25MB]

To begin searching InfoTrac, please log in from the Library's Databases webpage.

For help with this or any other Library database, please contact the Reference Desk.
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New Resources Available at the Library

Rosetta Stone Language Learning Database
Are you taking a trip to Europe, and would like to learn a bit of the language before you go? Would you like to brush up on your high school French? Are you new to this country and are still practicing English?

If you answered yes to any of the above questions, then the Rosetta Stone Language Learning database is for you. Using an award-winning approach to learning languages, Rosetta Stone teaches through listening comprehension, reading, speaking, and writing, using interactive programs that are both educational and fun. Nine languages are covered, including English (US & UK), French, German, Greek, Italian, Russian, Spanish (Latin American & Spain).

Business & Personal Forms On File
This database contains common personal, business and government forms, ranging from financial aid, real estate, sales, employment, and much more. Access to them is available in the library or at home, 24 hours a day, and the forms are the most up-to-date versions required for legal real estate health and social services, immigration, and other transactions.

Forms can be found by both browsing categories or searching for keywords, and they are available as convenient Adobe PDF files. This single repository is easier and more reliable to search than the internet, and with at-home access no photocopying is needed.

How to Get Started:
Forms on File is provided by the library, Rosetta Stone is being funded by the Merrimack Valley Library Consortium, and both are available to all Chelmsford residents. To log in and start learning from home or in the library, visit our Reference web page. For help, please contact the Reference Desk.

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Updated Career Guidance Resource

Our career guidance database has a new look! The changes to the database include a fresh and cleaner look, better search capabilities, a Career Opportunity News newsletter, and a great deal more content.

The Library subscribes to Ferguson's Career Guidance Center, from Facts on File, which is a resource offering information on jobs, careers, scholarships, industries, work skills, resumes & cover letters, and more. Patrons looking to find a job, change careers or just improve their job qualifications, can use this database to find out what skills different jobs require, and then get tips on how to obtain those skills.

To log in and start using this information, go to the Career Guidance listing of our database page, and either click on "In Library" (if you're in the library), or if you're at home, enter your library card number and click the Login button.

For assistance with this or any of the library's other databases, please contact the Reference Desk.

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