Lesson 1b: World Book Public Library Edition

1.  In Worldbook Kids, I searched for information on rabbits. I found a Beatrix Potter style image first (at the top of the page), and a video of a jackrabbit located slightly further down. Information about a rabbit's habitat can be found in the second sentence of the article. Come to find out, rabbits live in nearly every part of the world except Antarctica.

I think that the article provides a sound overview, but I was disappointed to discover that the first image is a drawing and not a photograph. I would have preferred a true to life image to depict the animal. I am pleased that when selecting articles I could choose from several and that the content appears to be wide ranging in scope.

2.  In World Book Online Info Finder the information presented is both more in-depth and more scientific in nature than World Book Kids. Overall, facts are presented in a manner more closely resembling a scholarly article. Information is grouped by category and in turn easier to browse through to find relevant information. That said, the Online Info Finder article does say that rabbits live "throughout the world in all climates."  Finding this to be in slight conflict with World Book Kids statement that rabbits live everywhere but in Antarctica, I did a quick google search and sites of various reliability confirm that rabbits do not live in Antarctica. I was pleased that Info Finder went into greater detail regarding rabbit homes, and in differentiating between the types of rabbits and how and where they live.

3.  Using World Book Online Reference Center, I searched for Egypt. I was immediately prompted to choose between Egypt and Ancient Egypt, an important distinction for both students and patrons doing research. I found the information provided in the left and right sidebars to be useful in searching for specific information within such broad search terms (ie Egypt).  Being able to select specific areas of interest -- climate, history, language, etc. would expedite the research process. Links to other articles and sources would be especially helpful for those required to diversify their references. Overall, I found Reference Center to be accessible and easy to use and would imagine it to be quite useful to patrons.