Are your kids always telling you last minute that they have a project on a Mission and when you get to the library all the books are checked out? Worry no more! The Missions of California Books are available in digital format online at sjpl.org. Go to our catalog and do a keyword search for "missions of california." Then click the link on the mission your child has to do report for then type "missions" for username and password and you're set. All the same information online ready for you at anytime.

Learn a language online with Mango Languages!   You are invited to see a demonstration at the Edenavle Branch Library on Thursday, June 23, 2011 at 11:00 am.

Mango Languages can teach you conversation skills for a great variety of languages, including Spanish, French, and Vietnamese.  ESL courses are also available with Mango Languages.  This useful service is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week from the library’s website.

You can find Mango Languages by visiting our Databases Page, then click on "Learn A Language" found under "Subject Specific Resources."   Click on "Mango Languages" then create a profile.   If you are using a computer outside of the library, you will need to enter your library card and pin number.

Happy learning!

Not only available for English learners to improve their English, Mango Languages database offers lessons in many other languages. If you are interested to learn the following languages: Arabic (Levantine), Chinese (Cantonese), Chinese (Madarin), Croatian, Czech, Danish, Dari, Dutch, Farsi (Persian), Finnish, French, German, Greek, Haitian Creole, Hebrew, Hindi, Indonesian, Irish, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Norwegian, Pashto, Portugese (Brazil), Russian, Slovak, Spanish (Latin America), Tagalog, Tamil, Thai, Turkish, Urkrainian, Urdu, and Vietnamese; don't hesitate to take a few minutes to explore this database.

Please follow this video clip to navigate the database.

You will need to have a valid PIN and library card number to access the database. Your profile can be created by entering your email address and password. You will have to go your email and click on the link provided by Mango to activate your account.

To get a library card please go to your local library with a proof of address and valid CA picture ID. The online application is available if you want to fill it out in advance.

The day that you are requested to take an exam for your job is coming but all the books on that career are checked out. What can you do? Don't worry! We have this expanded resourceful database  LearningExpress that covers an on careers exams.

You will find practice career exams for the following categories: Air Traffic Controller, Civil Service, Commercial Driver's License, Cosmetology, Culinary Arts, Electrical, Emergency Medical Services, Firefighter, Green Careers, Law Enforcement, Military, Nursing and Allied Health, Legal, Plumbing, Real Estate, Teaching. Please make sure to click on the plus (+) sign to open the sub-categories to explore more advanced exams.

The video below will help you navigate to more career resources in addition to the mentioned database.  

Do you need to write a position paper on a controversial subject, take part in a debate or just improve your critical thinking skills? With regards to a difficult subject, are you not even sure if you're pro or con?

Points of View Reference Center is designed to help students and researchers understand the broader scope of hundreds of contentious topics like censorship, abortion and factory farming by providing thousands of articles from the world's top political and societal publications.

One of its excellent features is the collection of color graphs and charts that one can use to substantiate one’s arguments in papers and presentations.

If you’re ready to get off the fence, go to:  Points of View Reference Center. You'll need your library card and pin number to access this database from home.

MedlinePlus is a great place to start when you are seeking information on a wide range of subjects in the medical field. For example, under the Health Topics page, you can search; Body Location/Systems, Disorders & Conditions, Diagnosis and Theory, Health & Wellness, or Demographic Groups.

Do you want to know the effects of a certain drug? It's here. Do you have an upcoming surgery? Find out what preparation is needed and choose from a list of surgical video recordings. What about immunization schedules for children you ask?! You guessed it.

Browsers may also choose English or Spanish language text. (I really like the Merriam Webster search component for when I don't know how to spell what I'm trying to find.) This site has a great collection of interactive tutorials and videos. Wow!

MedlinePlus is just one of the many excellent databases offered by the San José Public Library.