I teach English to new Canadians, and each class is like the assembly of the United Nations. This term, I have students from Hong Kong, Israel, Mexico, South Korea, Pakistan, Iran, Bulgaria and Togo – all learning together, and hoping to one day become "true Canadians”, whatever that term means.

As they introduced themselves on the first day of class, I realized that I know a little bit about each of their countries of origin, except Togo. If I were shown an unlabeled map of Africa, could I identify Togo? What kind of place is it? Who lives there and what do they do? I had no idea, whatsoever.

So, I turned to one of my favourite research tools: Encyclopedia Britannica.

Sure, I could have Googled, but when I want to have information that I know is accurate, I eschew the wikis, and use Calgary Public Library’s e-library, instead.

With your library card, you’ve got the digital equivalent of literally hundreds(!) of dictionaries, encyclopedias and other reference books, all at your disposal, and only a few clicks away.

I love Encyclopedia Britannica because it’s comprehensive, provides links to authoritative websites and media clips, and contains all sorts of interactive tools. Compare countries and have the information exported into an excel file, or shown as a graph or pie chart. Follow the development of music, writing, medicine, religion and more, with interactive timelines. Encyclopedia Britannica is an amazing tool for any topic you might wish to research, and it’s updated daily!

From our homepage, select e-library and then Encyclopedias and Dictionaries. Then, Encyclopedia Britannica. Search or browse! Voila!

The moral of the story: Canada and Togo have a lot more in common than I may have originally guessed. French is an official language in both countries, neither has an official religion, and…

I’m not doing your research for you! Go and check out Encyclopedia Britannica today!

My friends and loved ones have learned that in order to spend time with me, they’ll have to endure the British accent that I spontaneously feign from time to time (it usually flares up after I listen to podcasts from BBC radio). Sometimes I’m well-bred and I speak with a mild, lilting accent. Other times, I’m rough and tumble; I’m someone from the heart of London, and almost indecipherable. I’m quite capable of going on at length, but what stops me from sounding truly authentic is that I lack the vocabulary to sound convincing. My accent is British but my words are Canadian.

Luckily enough…

I recently stumbled across a fabulous tool that's comprehensive, accessible from home, and costs nothing, if you’ve already got a library card. It’s Rawson’s Wicked Words.

Rawson’s is a collection of deliciously dirty words. Some are old; some are new. Some are offensive; others are…less offensive. While I don’t recommend you use these words at tea time, they would be an excellent source of inspiration for writers, actors, playwrights, and those wanting to develop authentic characters and voices.

From our homepage, select e-library, and then Dictionaries and Encyclopedias. From the list provided, select CREDO Reference, and have your library card handy.

When CREDO Reference opens, select “Find a Book” at the top left, and then “Languages”. You’ll see Rawson’s near the bottom of the list of dictionaries.

This resource is one of my absolute favourites - and that’s no codswallop! Check it out, today!

In October of this year, I will celebrate my tenth year as a vegetarian. Though it’s hard to believe that nearly a decade has passed since I stopped eating meat, I can still remember my family’s reaction: the warnings about osteoporosis and protein deficiency (not to be taken lightly, of course!), the jokes about hippies and tree huggers. I can’t count how many times I’ve heard “…so, no meat at all? Not even fish?”

Life without meat can be challenging. Restaurants typically cater to carnivores, and for holidays and special occasions, meat has pride of place on the dinner table. I find that the biggest challenge is to stave off boredom by reinventing new dishes using familiar ingredients. Luckily, I’ve discovered the wealth of information that is available in Vegetarian Times magazine.

What I enjoy most about this magazine is that the recipes are so accessible. All of the ingredients are ones that you might actually have on hand, on any given night. Nothing exotic or difficult to pronounce! In each edition, there are a number of recipes that require only 5 ingredients, and recipes that are “kid friendly”, too.

The best thing about Vegetarian Times? It’s available for free on our e-library, all the way back to 1996! If you’ve got a library card, you’re already a subscriber!

1. From our homepage, select e-library.
2. Under “Easy Find”, select Research databases from EBSCO. Be ready to enter your library card number and PIN.
3. Select the “Publications” tab at the top of the page. When a drop-down menu appears, select MasterFILE Premiere.
4. Type “Vegetarian Times” in the search bar and you’re off to the races! Search within the magazine for your own terms, or simply browse.

Enjoy, and Bon Appétit!

Recently, a friend and I were chatting about the TV series Dexter. Admittedly, the show may not appeal to everyone. The protagonist is Dexter Morgan, who works as a blood spatter expert in the Miami Metro Police Department, but moonlights as a serial killer. Dexter lives by a strict code: he doesn’t kill innocent people. Rather, just the murderers who slip through the legal cracks, and deserve to have swift justice meted out. I’d seen season 1 and 2, but none of season three. My friend suggested that I Google:

“Watch Dexter Season Three Online”

Presto! Truly, it seems that in the world according to Google, if you type it, it will come. But, although Googling is a fast and efficient way of searching (and spell checking, incidentally), it does not always generate reputable sources of information. When you want to ensure that the information you have is reliable, use your library card instead.

Start from our homepage and select e-library. The content that you will find in our e-library has been reviewed by human editors, and selected for accuracy, currency and relevancy. Access literally hundreds (!) of encyclopedias and full length reference books, and thousands of peer-reviewed academic articles. Articles from the e-library can be saved and e-mailed. There are even tools that will format citations for you!

Want to know which websites we use when we help to answer your questions? Check out our list of Best Websites. Our librarians have edited this “go-to” collection so that the information you receive is from reputable and current sources. No Wikis here!

The idea that you can either visit the library or use the internet for your research is a false choice. Use our e-library to access all kinds of library material from home, and your research will be timely, relevant and Google-free!

Now…back to the blood spatters…

Recently, a friend and I were chatting about the TV series Dexter. Admittedly, the show may not appeal to everyone. The protagonist is Dexter Morgan, who works as a blood spatter expert in the Miami Metro Police Department, but moonlights as a serial killer. Dexter lives by a strict code: he doesn’t kill innocent people. Rather, just the murderers who slip through the legal cracks, and deserve to have swift justice meted out. I’d seen season 1 and 2, but none of season three. My friend suggested that I Google:

“Watch Dexter Season Three Online”

Presto! Truly, it seems that in the world of Google, if you type it, it will come. If there’s anything you want to learn about, purchase, or see an image of, Google will likely be able to find it for you within seconds. But, although googling is a fast and efficient way of searching, it does not always generate reputable sources of information.

When you want to ensure that the information you have is reliable, use your library card instead.

Start from our homepage and select e-library. The content that you will find in our e-library has been reviewed by human editors, and selected for accuracy, currency and relevancy. Access literally hundreds(!) of encyclopedias and full length reference books, and thousands of peer-reviewed academic articles. Articles from the e-library can be saved and e-mailed. There are even tools that will format citations for you!

Want to know which websites we use when we help to answer your questions? Check out our list of Best Websites, now on Delicious. Our librarians have edited this “go-to” collection so that the information you receive is from reputable and current sources. No Wikis here!

The idea that you can either visit the library or use the internet for your research is a false choice. Use our e-library to access all kinds of library material from home, and your research will be timely, relevant and Google-free!

Now…back to the blood spatters…

(...and did I mention that we also have Dexter on DVD?)

In October of this year, I will celebrate my eighth year as a vegetarian. Though it’s hard to believe that nearly a decade has passed since I stopped eating meat, I can still remember my family’s reaction: the warnings about osteoporosis and protein deficiency (not to be taken lightly, of course!), and the jokes about hippies and tree huggers. I can’t count how many times I’ve heard “…so, no meat at all? Not even fish?”

Life without meat can be challenging. Restaurants typically cater to carnivores, and on holidays and special occasions, meat has pride of place on the dinner table. I find that the biggest challenge is to stave off boredom by reinventing new dishes using familiar ingredients. Luckily, I’ve discovered the wealth of information in Vegetarian Times magazine.

What I enjoy most about this magazine is that the recipes are so accessible. All of the ingredients are ones that you might actually have on hand, on any given night. Nothing exotic or difficult to pronounce! In each edition, there are a number of recipes that require only 5 ingredients, and recipes that are “kid friendly”, too.

The best thing about Vegetarian Times? It’s available on our e-library, all the way back to 1996! If you’ve got a library card, you’re already a subscriber!

1. From our homepage, select e-library.
2. Under “Easy Find”, select Research databases from EBSCO. Be ready to enter your library card number and PIN.
3. Select the “Publications” tab at the top of the page. When a drop-down menu appears, select MasterFILE Premiere.
4. Type “Vegetarian Times” in the search bar and you’re off to the races! Search within the magazine for your own terms, or simply browse.