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Eighth Grade Persuasive Essay—A Guide from the Library: More Resources

Saint Ann's Library Databases (Reliable Online Sources)

Moving Past "Start Here"

If you've gotten everything you thing you'll be able to get from the resources listed under the "Start Here" tab and would like more information, explore some of the databases listed in the box below.

How to Access the Databases 

CLICK HERE to access the Saint Ann's Databases page on the library website.
If you are not physically in school you'll have to enter a password to get in. If you are in school you shouldn't need a password. You probably know what the password is. If you don't, CLICK HERE to find out (you'll have to log in with your Saint Ann's Google account).

When you get to the Saint Ann's Database page, you'll see an alphabetical list of databases. In school, no additional passwords are necessary. If you are NOT in school you may have to type in an additional username and/or password to access many of the databases. They are listed directly under the link to the database. Look for them BEFORE you click on the link.

There are a lot of databases! Elsewhere on this page you will find suggestions for which databases to use depending on your topic. 

 

NOTE: If you are working from home and the passwords don't show up for remote access CLICK HERE for a list of the passwords. You can also try doing a forced refresh which will hopefully reload the page with the necessary passwords. (Google forced refresh for how-to instructions on your particular device.)

Recommended Databases

 

DO YOU NEED AN OVERVIEW OF YOUR TOPIC? These two encyclopedias can be found on the Saint Ann's Databases page.

CLICK HERE to access the Saint Ann's Databases page. Databases are listed alphabetically. 
If you are not physically in school you'll have to enter a password to get in. If you are in school you shouldn't need a password. You probably know what the password is. If you don't, CLICK HERE to find out (you'll have to log in with your Saint Ann's Google account).

 

U.S. NEWSPAPERS 

  • THE NEW YORK TIMES, can be accessed through PROQUEST on the Saint Ann's Library Databases page. There are two ways to search. You can select Publications at the top and type in New York Times and then search within the publication or you can seclect Advanced Search and type New York Times in the search box and select Publication Title from the dropdown menu on the right.  
     
  • U.S. NEWSSTREAM can be accessed through PROQUEST: NEWS AND ISSUES on the Saint Ann's Library Databases page. Once you click on the database, scroll down to U.S. Newsstream. Users have access to recent U.S. news content, as well as archives which stretch back into the 1980s featuring newspapers, newswires, blogs, and news sites. Newsstream offers access to the Los Angeles Times, Chicago Tribune, and to The Wall Street Journal as well as local and regional newspapers. Selecting Advanced Search allows you to narrow your date range and select the source type you want. Selecting Publications allows you to search for and then within a particular source (e.g. The Wall Street Journal). Once you find an article you can save to Google Drive and save the citation to NoodleTools by clicking on All Options. 

NEWSPAPERS OUTSIDE OF THE U.S.

  • ACCESS WORLD NEWS, found near the top of the Saint Ann's Library Databases page, provides contemporary English-language news sources from around the world. To search this database you can type your keyword in the search box or select More Search Options to narrow your search by date and also by location. THE "SEARCH BY LOCATION" FEATURE IS VERY COOL. Let's say, for example, that you want to search for articles from China about the Uyghur Muslims in China. You can click on the map of Asia and then select China and then type in your search term: Uyghur Muslims. Results include Chinese news sources (in English).
     
  • A variety of international newspapers, newswires, and news sites can be accessed through PROQUEST: NEWS AND ISSUES on the Saint Ann's Library Databases page. Once you click on the database, scroll down to International Newsstream. Selecting Advanced Search allows you to narrow your date range and select the source type you want. Selecting Publications allows you to search for and then within a particular source (e.g. The Guardian newspaper). Once you find an article you can save to Google Drive and save the citation to NoodleTools by clicking on All Options. 

 

CLICK HERE to access the Saint Ann's Databases page. Databases are listed alphabetically. 
If you are not physically in school you'll have to enter a password to get in. If you are in school you shouldn't need a password. You probably know what the password is. If you don't, CLICK HERE to find out (you'll have to log in with your Saint Ann's Google account).

 

If you are researching a HISTORICAL EVENT or a period of time in history, your first stop should be:

For  AMERICAN HISTORY (including AFRICAN AMERICAN HISTORY and AMERICAN INDIAN HISTORY) the following databases might be helpful:

These databases could also be useful:

CLICK HERE to access the Saint Ann's Databases page. Databases are listed alphabetically. 
If you are not physically in school you'll have to enter a password to get in. If you are in school you shouldn't need a password. You probably know what the password is. If you don't, CLICK HERE to find out (you'll have to log in with your Saint Ann's Google account).

 

Newspapers are PRIMARY SOURCES. Locating a primary source can be very helpful, depending on your topic. Below you will find tips on where to look for historical newspapers.

  • THE HISTORICAL NEW YORK TIMES (1851 - 2019) can be accessed through PROQUEST: NEWS AND ISSUES on the Saint Ann's Library database page. Once you click on the database, scroll down to ProQuest Historical Newspapers: The New York Times. If you select Advanced Search you can search for your subject within a particular date range, on a particular date, or before or after a date. You can also narrow your search by type of article such as obituary, editorial, or front page. Once you find an article you can save to Google Drive and save the citation to NoodleTools by clicking on All Options. NOTE: In the old days newspapers reported on big events a day or two after the event.
     
  • Looking for a CURATED SELECTION OF HISTORICAL U.S. NEWSPAPERS? Check out AMERICA'S HISTORICAL NEWSPAPERS WITH TIMELINE on the Saint Ann's Library Databases page. The collection includes newspapers from all over the country from 1690-2000. You can search a particular era, such as the Civil War, or search the collection without using the timeline.
     

CLICK HERE to access the Saint Ann's Database page. Databases are listed alphabetically. 
If you are not physically in school you'll have to enter a password to get in. If you are in school you shouldn't need a password. You probably know what the password is. If you don't, CLICK HERE to find out (you'll have to log in with your Saint Ann's Google account).

 

For SCIENCE TOPICS your first stop should be:

Other databases to explore:

  • NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC MAGAZINE (1888-present) Why not? Could be interesting.
  • PROQUEST. You should definitely look here. You can start with a general search. After getting initial results you can modify your search on the left. You can search in a particular date range, type of source (like a newspaper), or even full text (useful for weeding out abstracts). On the upper right you can select modify my search and add another keyword.
  • SCIENCE DIRECT This is only available within school. To use it outside of school you need to contact a librarian to set up an account. It is a very academic resource and is NOT a good place to start.

CLICK HERE to access the Saint Ann's Databases page. Databases are listed alphabetically. 
If you are not physically in school you'll have to enter a password to get in. If you are in school you shouldn't need a password. You probably know what the password is. If you don't, CLICK HERE to find out (you'll have to log in with your Saint Ann's Google account).

 

OXFORD ART ONLINE is a good source for information about artists and related topics.

OXFORD MUSIC ONLINE is a good source for information about music, musicians, and related topics.

ARTSTOR is a digital image library with one million images.
For remote access, create an account at school. If you need access when school is closed, please contact a librarian to set up an account for you.

BERG FASHION LIBRARY contains written and visual material searchable by time, place, culture, and theme

CLICK HERE to access the Saint Ann's Databases page. Databases are listed alphabetically. 
If you are not physically in school you'll have to enter a password to get in. If you are in school you shouldn't need a password. You probably know what the password is. If you don't, CLICK HERE to find out (you'll have to log in with your Saint Ann's Google account).

 

If you are exploring a particular author or title be sure to look at BLOOM'S LITERATURE (provides overviews, synopses, analyses, and literary criticism).

If you are looking for more in-depth and scholarly sources, look at:

  • JSTOR, an archive of scholarly journals.

CLICK HERE to access the Saint Ann's Databases page. Databases are listed alphabetically. 

If you are not physically in school you'll have to enter a password to get in. If you are in school you shouldn't need a password. You probably know what the password is. If you don't, CLICK HERE to find out (you'll have to log in with your Saint Ann's Google account).