Quick Summary
Take my advice and be ready for your next research project or essay by using resources available through eLibrary Minnesota!
It’s your last class of the day. Five minutes stand in the way of you and the weekend. But something seems off. No homework has been assigned, and this class always gives homework. You choose to stay on the hopeful side; maybe, just maybe, you'll escape without homework. Finally, you hear the bell. You rush towards the door, it's inches away… but then you hear those dreaded words: “Wait, there's one more thing.” You're assigned an essay, and you'll have to start researching this weekend. The little hope you had evaporated. You knew, but you let yourself believe.
You get over it though, and you make a plan to start early. But Friday passes by, then Saturday, and now it’s Sunday. You're staring at your computer screen trying to start your research. Your immediate thought is to go to Wikipedia. I was a student not too long ago, I can relate. Wikipedia can be a good starting point, but you should be looking into eLibrary Minnesota for your primary sources and academic journals!
eLibrary Minnesota provides access to many different databases for all grade levels, ranging from elementary to high school and beyond. You can search for scholarly sources such as journals, articles, primary sources, videos, and many other forms of media on a seemingly endless number of topics. You can even tailor your research using grade-specific resource portals that offer information across all areas of knowledge and interests. Academic Search Premier offers a vast array of scholarly resources and is a great tool for expanding or narrowing down your research. ELM also features databases that specialize in specific topics such as the Science Reference Center, magazines and journal-specific databases such as Gale in Context, a databases that provides insights on opposing viewpoints called Point of View Reference Center, and much more. No matter the topic of your research, eLibrary Minnesota has the databases to help you explore it!
In addition to facilitating research, eLibrary Minnesota has many other resources, such as LearningExpress Library, to help you build skills and prepare for college admissions tests, something I definitely could have benefitted from during my high school days.
Now, with all that in mind, you'd better get started with your research. It’s already midnight!
