St. Charles Parish Library provides new tools for literary searching

The St. Charles Parish Library is pleased to announce the addition of three databases to its extensive database collection.

For Students Online, Scribner Writers Series and Twayne's Authors are geared toward literary research and are especially useful for middle and high school students as well as individual readers and members of book clubs.

"The State Library provides informational databases for use at home or work, a service that provides a 10-to-1 cost savings to the citizens. Almost a million searches are done in these databases each year," said Lt. Governor Mitch Landrieu, whose office oversees the State Library of Louisiana.

"New technologies have allowed us to expand these valuable services."

The database collection is provided free of charge to users of the St. Charles Parish Library by the State Library of Louisiana. The databases can be accessed through the library's web site, www.stcharles.lib.la.us.

"Through local public libraries, every citizen in this state has access to the Louisiana Library Connection databases, which include more than 60 resources," said State Librarian Rebecca Hamilton. "The only requirement is that you hold a valid public library card." Anyone who lives, works or owns property in St. Charles Parish is eligible for a free library card.

For Students Online is a comprehensive literary reference collection. The easy-to-understand essays were chosen specifically for students, and each part of the entry is designed to support students and teachers of literature.

Scribner Writers Series features more than 2,000 original essays on more than 1,400 important authors. The series is designed to work the way students conduct literary research so students can go directly to an entry on a specific author, combine search criteria for a much more complex search or explore a variety of topics to make connections among writers.

Twayne's Authors offers in-depth introductions to the lives and works of writers, the history and influence of literary movements and to the development of literary genres.

This online series features content that was carefully coordinated by librarians and educators, including authors regularly studied in high schools and colleges.

Students can quickly get results by searching for a specific author or combining search criteria for a more complex search.