Summary
This subscription database made available through the Dallas Public Library system is a comprehensive and current literature resource geared towards high school and undergraduate students, but applicable no matter what the age. Some of the resources available in this database include biographical entries on authors, full text articles and essays from scholarly sources, a variety of materials on literary criticism of every kind, overviews and reviews of literature, interviews, cross referencing tools that allow users to identify authors and works that share characteristics such as theme and genre, and a large collection of literary works in full. The format is clear and diverse, so as to be applicable to a variety of users. Many convenient features are included, such as a cite button, a quick link to email what you've found, and so on.
Evaluation
The user interface for Gale Cengage's Literature Resource Center is clearly laid out and easy to understand. A teenager comfortable with the Internet should have no problem manipulating it initially, although some of the more complex search features might need to be explained by a librarian to ensure they are used properly and to their full extent. When a search term is entered, such as an author's name, the results come up under labeled tabs so that the content is clearly divided into the following categories: Literature Criticism, Biographies, Topic and Work Overviews, Reviews and News, Primary Sources and Literary Works, and Multimedia. The number of hits for each one is displayed underneath the category in parentheses. An impressive number of entries in each category came up for the author I searched. The multimedia hits were particularly interesting and included, among others, website lists, videos, broadcast transcripts, and tables and charts. This resource is thorough, current, and above all user-friendly.
Why I Included This Database
This database is universally applicable, across all curricula and courses of study, and teens will find it easy to use. In fact I will most likely be using it as a grad school student now that I have discovered it.
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