From Afghanistan to Zimbabwe

Doing research on different countries, for school, travel or just want to know more? We have a couple of great databases for you. Global Road Warrior and Culturegrams are great sources of information about countries and their cultures.

Global Road Warrior takes an in-depth look at countries around the world. It includes a wide range of topics like education, music, currency, culture and food; along with hot topics like human rights and religion. This is a great database for research and reports on the culture and lifestyles of different countries. 

Culturegrams provides a basic overview of each country including population, history, and cultural information. They also have fun resources like recipes, famous people and pictures. You can even hear the national anthems and the official name of the country. 

So, next time you are doing a report or preparing for a trip use Global Road Warrior and Culturegrams. www.slcl.org > Research > Geography and Travel 

If you have additional questions please call 314-994-3300 ext 2050.

--Tiffany D., Reference

Tax Help

With April 15 drawing near, can St. Louis County Library customers use the library's research tools for tax help?  The answer is yes.  The library has a button on its home page, www.slcl.org, for "tax help."  The site provides a list of the participating library branches where tax preparation help will be available.  

For those looking for more, go to www.slcl.org, then click on the Research tab and scroll down to the subject guide topic Tax Forms. Among the useful sites under the Tax Forms topic is AARP Tax-Aide, which has a list of frequently asked tax questions and answers by category and an online form to submit tax questions.  The Tax Forms research topic also provides links to current and past federal and state tax forms and publications.

The library has provided one-stop tax help for time-pressed filers.

--Harry C., Reference

Did you know?

Americans BBQ more than they bake.  In 2009, ten times more British citizens visited the United States than Canadians.  People are more likely to read each week than participate in any other leisure activity.  

All these facts were found in Proquest’s Statistical Abstract of the United States.  What is a Statistical Abstract?  It’s a compilation of social and economic statistics that allows you to get a snapshot of American life, see how American behavior has evolved over time, or find interesting facts for research papers.  

To find the Abstract, go to Quick Reference under Research (you will be asked to provide your library card number and pin if you access the database outside the library).  Once in the Abstract, you can browse for information by topics, like Population and Price or search for a specific term by typing it in the search box.  You can also download and print tables out.

So, now that you've discovered the Statistical Abstract of the United States, try this out:   

True or false:  More people are injured on toilets than skiing and snowboarding*?  
*Hint: type “toilet” in the search box and click on Table 219.  

--Susie B., Reference

eCourses changes

Our eCourses provider has implemented a couple changes so that students get the most out of their courses.

• Students are limited to 6 passcodes per email address per 4-week time period. 
• Students must remain current and active to maintain access to their course(s). If a student hasn't logged in and viewed lessons one and two by the Tuesday two weeks after the start date, they will be automatically dropped from the course. (Example: A student who enrolls in a course with a January 16th start date will be dropped if the student has not viewed lessons one and two by January 29th.) Students who are automatically dropped will be able to enroll in the course during a later session.

Call Reference at 314-994-3300 x2050 with any questions.