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Sidney Public Library offers new information databases through NebraskAccess

The Sidney Public Library, in partnership with the Nebraska Library Commission, offers an abundance of online information through NebraskAccess.

As of July, Nebraska residents have complete access to an updated lineup of 15 databases, including 13 new recourses that have been added to expand access to a wide variety of information.

NebraskAccess offers reliable sources that help locals look for information to create a family history, establish a small business, learn about medical conditions, receive help with homework, find information about books and movies, plan for retirement, or research thousands of other topics.

Formerly known as the Nebraska Statewide Database Program, it began in 1998 with a $400,000 state appropriation. Since then, the Nebraska Library Commission has purchased annual statewide access to a variety of databases, on behalf of Nebraska libraries and residents.

The Nebraska Library Commission’s cost for licensing these resources for the 2015-16 year is is $421,422, saving individual Nebraska communities thousands of dollars.

“Normally only large school systems and colleges would subscribe to the EBSCO resources,” said Sidney Public Library Director Andrew Sherman. “The old database offerings were not licensed for use by K-12 schools, but the new agreement with EBSCO now permits school use too.”

This database provides users with free, 24/7 access to premium outlets containing thousands of full text popular magazine and journal articles; primary source documents;genealogical, health, legal, business and science resources.

Nebraska State Documents are also linked through NebraskAccess. Thousands of online Nebraska state government documents can be accessed. Highlights of this program include State Publications Online that brings together links to online publications housed on a variety of state agency websites, and Nebraska Public Documents, a searchable database of historical Nebraska government reports spanning the late 19th and early 20th centuries, hosted by the University of Nebraska-Lincoln Love Library.

Nebraska Memories can also be accessed. Nebraska Memories is a cooperative project to digitize Nebraska-related historical and cultural heritage materials and make them through online searches.

“The EBSCO databases provides reliable information on many topics that a simple web search will not. For example, the MasterFILE Complete database can be used to search for and access Consumer Reports and Consumer Reports Buying Guide articles,” Sherman said. “Normally these can only be accessed via a subscription with Consumer Reports.”

Residents can link to NebraskAccess resources from computers at home, at the Sidney Public Library or at public libraries across the state.

To login, a Nebraska driver’s license and state ID numbers can be used to prove residency for access. Nebraska residents who don’t have a driver’s license or state ID can visit their local library to receive a password that gives users access to these resources. More than 1,000 public schools, colleges and nonprofit libraries partner with the Nebraska Library Commission to offer NebraskAccess resources to their customers and students.

Information can be researched at nebraskaccess.nebraska.gov or through the Sidney Public Library website.

 

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