Ebscohost [1], with its academic, public, medical, and school databases, has long been a librarian favorite. However, the members we serve tend to find it intimidating and overwhelming. That’s where Explora comes in. A member-friendly interface, Explora overlays the databases in Ebscohost: Explora for Public Libraries [2], Explora for Elementary School Student Research [3], and Explora for Secondary School Student Research [4].  

Ensure student and educator success with EBSCO’s interface for schools and public libraries. Designed to meet the unique needs of its users, Explora supports both student research and classroom instruction with rich, reliable content and easy-to-use functionality. – from the vendor

This week’s open site is another crowd pleaser, Snopes.com [5]. Long known in library circles for its reliable and thorough coverage of urban legends, the modern Snopes goes beyond schoolyards. Here you’ll find reports on celebrity rumors, political fact checking, and news. Don’t worry though, all your favorite legends are still archived and searchable.

Action Steps (pick one or two)

• If you haven’t already, take a peak at one of the Explora interfaces and list one feature you think your library members will appreciate.
• Pick a topic from one of the main categories and list an interesting fact taken from the topic overview.
• What’s your favorite urban legend (clean legends only please!) and is it True or False? 

Random stuff for the first 10 respondents!