7 Things My Students Should Know About EBSCO

We are very fortunate to receive a free subscription to the databases of EBSCO from our state library.  It's a resource that offers a long list of databases, and so few of my students know how wonderful it is. I decided to make a poster which explains the 7 most important things they should all know about EBSCO. Here's the information I covered on it:

1. You can trust the information you find on EBSCO.
Although too many students feel that all they need is Google, I have tried to explain to them that Google does a great job of searching, but it doesn't tell them which sites they can trust. EBSCO's databases can be trusted.

2. You can create an account and save articles to your folder "in the cloud".
Once a student is logged into our EBSCO site, they can create an account, which can then be accessed from any computer with an Internet connection. As articles are searched, favorite ones can be saved to the folder for the future.

 3. Always choose "FULL TEXT" when searching for an article.
Not every article is available beyond the abstract. You MUST refine your search to include only full text articles. They are available as either HTML text (view in your browser) or PDF. Either format can be saved to your folder.

4. If the full text of an article is not available on our school's connection to EBSCO, they can try the public library's EBSCO just by entering their library card number.
Our school's package of databases is not the same as the public libraries or colleges. Although the specific database might claim to offer full text articles as far back as 1975, you might find that many are unavailable. I always explain to the student that as long as they have a library card, they can utilize the databases through the county library cooperative. Our county system offers ProQuest, EBSCO and Infotrac.

5. When you choose HTML text and view your article in the browser many of the articles will allow you to listen as someone reads it to you.
Choose from 3 accents and speeds if you like. This is a great feature for ESL or SPED students who could use assistance. The option is also available for downloading the MP3 file to the iPod or computer.

6. Points of View offers pros and cons on hundreds of topics.
From alternative energy to Zionism, this database will assist you when presenting both sides of your topic. Resources include newspapers, periodicals, books, radio/TV transcripts, primary source documents and images.

7. EBSCO has a mobile app.
The digital generation should be familiar with this, right? The app is available for iPhone, iPad and Android devices. Every time I share this with a student, they are surprised this app is available.