I'm not going to lie. I was a little bit nervous about taking some of the practice tests in the Learning Express Library featured on the South Dakota State Library's database list. It's been a long time since I took a college test (I'm not telling how long, either). And I always get a little bit flustered about test taking. Fortunately, since I was just "trying out" the database for the South Dakota Library Challenge, I felt a little less anxious. Still I was a bit curious to see how I would do. Naturally, I chose the reading comprehension section. My practice test was in literary reading. I was relieved to see when I scored my partially-taken test that I answered all my questions right. Whew! On to the next step.

My next investigation was into the career center, where I discovered a plethora of helpful topics if I was interested in changing careers (I'm not!). I also checked out the course on writing cover letters. While attending college, I was fortunate enough to work for a resume business. My boss was an excellent resume and cover letter writer, and to this day, I still keep her advice in mind when going about my writing. The tips provided on the Learning Express Library looked to be spot-on.

Finally, I took a look at various resources available. I focused on writing skills -- which I must need. When I took a practice test on essay writing, my score wasn't so hot. Admittedly, I wrote only a few sentences, but my score sort of stung my pride. How does a computer judge a creative essay, anyway? Just sayin' ...

A car person, I am not. That's why the ChiltonLibrary database on the South Dakota State Library's website is a wonderful thing. Here's what I discovered about the maintenance schedule on my car:
At 50,000 miles, I should service/inspect my cooling system hoses and clamps; service/inspect the exhaust system and heat shields; and inspect the fuel system. What? In my world, that's practically a foreign language. But I'll be sure to relay that pertinent information on to the proper individual (my husband). In addition, I need to replace my air cleaner filter. Got it.

In April 2013, a recall was issued for my car: Water Pump Shaft Seal Leaks. Hmmmm. I wonder if this is related to that yellow recall card I re-discovered the other day. Guess I need to call the dealership -- that recall is almost a year old!

I checked out the information on brakes in the repair section. An amazing amount of information was presented on brakes. None of which, of course, I understood. I guess I'll have the dealership check my brakes when I schedule my recall appointment. Come to think of it, those brakes have been a little bit noisy lately ...


Now, onto Mango Languages -- although foreign, perhaps more comprehensible to me than car-speak?

I chose to try out the language Spanish (Latin America), which is spoken by about 329 million people as their first language. It is spoken from Costa Rica to Chile to Buenos Aires (and everything in-between). While I have visited Machu Picchu in books, I'd love to actually see these mysterious ruins in person. The one thing holding me back (besides money!), is the language. I do not know Spanish. (I'm thinking it would have been more helpful to take Spanish in college instead of German!) Besides traveling, though, speaking the Spanish language right here -- where I live -- would be very beneficial. I attend a church that shares a building with a Spanish-speaking congregation. Some patrons at the library, where I work, speak Spanish as their first language. My sister-in-law is originally from Mexico. Really, the benefits of speaking Spanish are too numerous to mention.

So I was brave, and tried out the first lesson. While I was a bit confused about genders of certain words, I was amazed at what I learned about just a few basic phrases in the first lesson. Not only does Mango teach you how to speak the language, but it also teaches you informal/formal uses, genders, and so on. It was easy to understand, and I could listen and repeat each phrase as many times as I needed.

Next, I took a look at Little Pim, which is aimed at teaching languages to children ages 0-6. While I'm finding out that sometimes it's hard to teach an old dog (me) new tricks, I think I'll start my 4-year-old watching Little Pim. He's going to be able to learn much faster than me. And he'll remember it!

Welcome to the tundra!
Retrieved from
http://www.worldbookonline.com/pl/forkids/article?id=ar834065

What's not to love about polar bears? They're white, furry, and (appear to be!) lovable. My 4-year-old son is particularly interested in bears right now, so we've been checking out bear books.

I researched polar bears on the South Dakota State Library's World Book Online Public Library Edition. First, I browsed information available on the World Book Online for Kids (grades K-5). Then I checked out the same topic on World Book Online Info Finder (grades 5-9). The first version doesn't include as many details, and it is written in a way that is comprehensible to elementary-age children. The latter version goes into greater detail, and uses bigger words for upper grade students.

Next, I perused the World Book Online Reference Center, which is research tool for high-schoolers and adults. I was amazed at all the information I discovered here. I checked the interactive maps for the Arctic (especially interesting to me right now, as with the current temperatures I feel as if I live on the tundra), where I viewed numerous pictures showing life in the Arctic. But, really, there is no end to the amount of information available on the Reference Center. I discovered a dictionary, an e-books center (where there are hundreds of poems and books available to read and research), primary sources center (with documents such as the Declaration of Independence and Martin Luther King, Jr.'s speech), and a pathfinder to all sorts of information. The Center also has links to current events.

The possibilities are endless for those library patrons who are researching topics.