InfoTrac Junior Edition
What is it for?
This database has full-text articles from periodicals and reference books. It is mainly for use by middle school students and works best when searching for broad topics.
How do I get to it?
1. Start at the Grafton Public Library homepage. Click Online and Digital Resources from the menu on the left.
2. Scroll down to "InfoTrac Junior Edition".
3. Click on InfoTrac Junior Edition.
4. If you are asked for a login or password, type in your library barcode number.
How does it work? Try it out!
On the first screen, the Subject search screen, enter a word or phrase and click Find. You can also check any of the source material, or leave the default checked (All Sources). Options of sources are: encyclopedias, magazines, maps, newspapers, and reference sources.
Enter DOG BREEDS and search all sources. You should get articles from encyclopedia sources, reference books, and periodicals, and you should see related subjects. Click to see the encyclopedia sources. You will see a list of citations. Click Check Out to read the article.
At the end of each article you have three choices: You can reformat the article for printing, you can view it and print it from Adobe Acrobat Reader, or you can email it. Printouts from library computers cost 10¢ per page. If you email it, you should see it in your inbox within minutes.
Notice the little checkboxes beside each article in the citation list and also on the article page. If you put a check in one or more then click Save List on the left of the screen, you can save articles that look promising. You can then view the list and print or read them.
Infomarks
This database has full-text articles from periodicals and reference books. It is mainly for use by middle school students and works best when searching for broad topics.
How do I get to it?
1. Start at the Grafton Public Library homepage. Click Online and Digital Resources from the menu on the left.
2. Scroll down to "InfoTrac Junior Edition".
3. Click on InfoTrac Junior Edition.
4. If you are asked for a login or password, type in your library barcode number.
How does it work? Try it out!
On the first screen, the Subject search screen, enter a word or phrase and click Find. You can also check any of the source material, or leave the default checked (All Sources). Options of sources are: encyclopedias, magazines, maps, newspapers, and reference sources.
Enter DOG BREEDS and search all sources. You should get articles from encyclopedia sources, reference books, and periodicals, and you should see related subjects. Click to see the encyclopedia sources. You will see a list of citations. Click Check Out to read the article.
At the end of each article you have three choices: You can reformat the article for printing, you can view it and print it from Adobe Acrobat Reader, or you can email it. Printouts from library computers cost 10¢ per page. If you email it, you should see it in your inbox within minutes.
Notice the little checkboxes beside each article in the citation list and also on the article page. If you put a check in one or more then click Save List on the left of the screen, you can save articles that look promising. You can then view the list and print or read them.
Infomarks
You may have noticed a little purple ball with a yellow “i” on it on some screens. This is an InfoMark. You can click one to get more information, but basically if you see a screen with one, you can bookmark the page for use later. InfoMarks are useful for making pathfinders, saving searches for later, or assisting with school projects where many students will be looking for similar information. You can bookmark the articles or results list instead of doing the search each time. If you are using the database outside the library and you bookmark a page, you will need to sign in to Junior Edition with your library card number to get back to the articles.
Other Searches
On the left of the screen are two more choices for searching: keyword and advanced. Keyword is handy when you are not sure of the exact subject heading, or if you want the database to search within the articles instead of just the article titles. You can also sort the results by relevance. Try looking for information on MARCO POLO. You can also use Boolean operators (AND, OR, NOT). Advanced lets you specify keyword, article title, author, magazine title, etc. It may not be very useful for middle school students, but it does have a search history, letting you combine two or more previous searches. This can help narrow results to a more manageable number should your searches prove too broad.
Go back to the first screen. On the left, you will see a button named Tool Box. This includes information for the student who needs help on topics such as organizing the research information, putting together a project, or writing a citation.
Help
Help is screen-specific, meaning if you click on it, it will give you hints on using the particular screen you are viewing at the time.
Other Searches
On the left of the screen are two more choices for searching: keyword and advanced. Keyword is handy when you are not sure of the exact subject heading, or if you want the database to search within the articles instead of just the article titles. You can also sort the results by relevance. Try looking for information on MARCO POLO. You can also use Boolean operators (AND, OR, NOT). Advanced lets you specify keyword, article title, author, magazine title, etc. It may not be very useful for middle school students, but it does have a search history, letting you combine two or more previous searches. This can help narrow results to a more manageable number should your searches prove too broad.
Go back to the first screen. On the left, you will see a button named Tool Box. This includes information for the student who needs help on topics such as organizing the research information, putting together a project, or writing a citation.
Help
Help is screen-specific, meaning if you click on it, it will give you hints on using the particular screen you are viewing at the time.