A friend and I were talking recently and somehow we got into a conversation about our early days with computers. It's our age, of course, our demographic. But anyway, in the beginning we could never read things on the screen. We had to print them up and hold a page and then we could deal with the matter at hand.
Now of course we are seasoned travellers and the screen is a familiar and legible place. We have joined forces with the young ones. We can hold our heads high in the human race. We are surfers of the net. Screen readers. We just need to find our specs and we're away.
We have joined the zillions of people who seek out the world wide web for all sorts of information and news. Which is why most libraries now provide so much for you on their web pages. Through our
web page you can access online databases - newspapers, magazines, journals and reference books from around the world. You can look up a
Choice magazine test, for example, or find a 1993 film review for
The Last Days of Chez Nous. You could read Ruth R.Wisse's 1995 article "
My Life Without Leonard Cohen" or the latest on
Paul Keating's daughter.
Odd examples, I know, and I'll think of much better ones after I post this! But the point is really a simple one. You can access all these databases for free, because we're paying the subscriptions. We can take you back in time to find things you'd probably be charged for otherwise.
You'll find the databases under Online Librarian on our
web page. Click the little house next to the one you want and then enter your library number and pin. And you're away.
You can print (if you must!) or email most articles if you don't want to read them straight away. Articles have clear citations if you need them for essays or articles. Cut down the paperwork , give our databases a go, and you'll walk through a doorway into a whole new world. If you get stuck on the way there our library staff will be happy to help you, or you can ring 53322615 for assistance.
