Whether we like it or not, research is a part of the college experience. As Reedley College students, we know all about the research databases made available via the Reedley College Library webpage. This includes databases ranging from Business Source Complete to History Reference eBook Collection and everything in between. Recently, five new databases were added to the list. These were OverDrive, The African American Experience, The American Indian Experience, The Latino American Experience, and The New York Times.
To those who may be bookworms and regularly read, OverDrive may sound a little bit familiar. OverDrive is very common among public libraries and even has two accompanying mobile applications, OverDrive, and Libby. Signing in through your student account allows you to use this resource and gives you access to a number of digital formats, including audiobooks, eBooks, graphic novels, and digital comic books. OverDrive usage has become more popular since the pandemic began due to public libraries being temporarily closed. Recently, many of the Fresno County public libraries have opened for limited capacity but for those wanting to be safe, OverDrive is a great option to consider.
Another new research resource that has been acquired is The New York Times. Publishing around 250 pieces of journalism every day, The New York Times is an amazing resource to have as a student. Not only does this offer a great resource for research, but it is also a great source to keep up to date on the news. To gain access, all you need to do is create a free account after clicking on the database for the first time. As long as you follow the directions, it is a fairly easy process to get started. Similar to OverDrive, there is also an accompanying app that you can download for easy access across all your devices, The New York Times. Whether you are looking for articles covering political, scientific, or cultural topics, this publication has just what you need.
The other three databases are found through a multi-database page, The American Mosaic, published by ABC-CLIO, an award-winning publisher of reference, contemporary thought, and professional development content. According to their webpage, ABC-CLIO was created to help students, educators, librarians, and general readers of all ages wrestle with complex challenges. They specifically concentrate on the development of new content genres, giving more diversity and the chance for users to explore deeper into topics that matter. The American Mosaic offers up three databases that give students a chance to delve into the history of three very diverse cultures: African-American, American-Indian, and Latino-American.
The African-American Experience is a database that gives access to content on African American history, covering a broad expanse of challenges such as in political, social, artistic, and literary contexts. The content covers topics from early slavery to the presidency of Barack Obama and everything in between. Navigating the database is easy and straightforward because all the content is categorized by time periods. For example, if you are looking for information on the Civil War and Emancipation, it is easily found by locating the category called “Civil War and Emancipation, 1846-1877”.
The American Indian Experience is a database that gives access to content covering American Indian history. Often a neglected part of American history, this database gives users access to specific and important historical moments. Covering both historical and contemporary practices of more than 150 tribes across North America, this resource follows a similar layout to The African American Experience. Topics such as Indian Activism, Early Native America, and Western Expansion and Removal, are among the various topics you can find in this easy-to-navigate database. For example, I recently read An American Sunrise by Joy Harjo, who happened to speak at Fresno City College as part of the Big Read event, and she mentions the Trail of Tears in some of her poems. So, if I wanted to find out more about that I could easily find it by finding “Western Expansion and Removal, 1800-1851”, which includes Trail of Tears.
The last database is The Latino American Experience, which gives students an overview and deeper understanding of the national identity that includes Mexicans, Puerto Ricans, Guatemalans, Cubans, Dominicans, Columbians, Ecuadorians, and other Latino peoples in the United States. This is definitely the larger of the three included in The American Mosaic, with over 5000 sources and categories that range from The Mayan Empire to The New Millennium. Some of the topics include the Cuban-Spanish-American War, Early Latino Civil Rights Movements, and The Impact of Free Trade in the early 2000s. This database even covers topics as recent as the immigration changes made by Former President Donald Trump.
As you can tell, each of these five new databases has something to offer everyone. The New York Times gives access to news on a variety of topics, OverDrive helps you find something to read or listen to, and The American Mosaic gives you access to a variety of cultural databases with content covering a variety of historical topics. One thing they all have in common is that they each, in their own way, provide necessary tools to gain cultural literacy. Let’s be honest, we all could use that.
Works Cited
About, ABC-CLIO, africanamerican2-abc-clio-
“The American Mosaic: The African American Experience by ABC-CLIO: EBSCO.”
EBSCO Information Services, Inc. | Www.ebsco.com,
“The American Mosaic: The American Indian Experience by ABC-CLIO: EBSCO.”
EBSCO Information Services, Inc. | Www.ebsco.com,
“The American Mosaic: The Latino American Experience by ABC-CLIO: EBSCO.”
EBSCO Information Services, Inc. | Www.ebsco.com,
“Company.” The New York Times Company, www.nytco.com/company/.
The New York Times, www-nytimes-com.reedleycollege.idm.oclc.org/.
OverDrive, reedley.overdrive.com/.