9 years ago I had ideas about how some of the advantages of doing online research that I enjoyed the academic world would be commonplace practice for everyone with a library card. It's been years since I've done research in the New York Public Libraries because I have access to most of the electronic databases I need at work, but occassionally I'll get an article citation that isn't covered by the database vendors we normally purchase. I've been having some of those source gaps lately as I start to look into different subject areas.

A few months ago, noticing that I've not been able to find full text for some articles, I ordered a library card for the New York Public Library. A library card is available for free (this is what your taxes are for) to anyone who lives, works, pays property taxes, or attends school in New York State. Others may apply, with payment of a $100 annual fee, for a nonresident library card. Really good deal if you consider all the electronic resources this gives you access to.

Having a library card gives you access to over 300 commercially-produced research databases. I've been spending most of my time searching for articles in Ebsco Host (Academic Search Premier). Ebsco is a database vendor that provides abstracts and indexes and some full text for periodicals in subjects ranging from business to the social sciences. Most of the major information work journals I would read are available here as are newspapers and magazines.

I'm posting this here because I'm sure a lot of people rely primarily on the publicly available web to deliver their information and stop there if they can't find full text for a citation they've found. What's cool is that you don't need to phsyically go to your local public or college library when that happens now, because you can just order a library card and use their online resources. I have a feeling a lot of people don't know you can do that.