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Homework Help

The Sherborn Library has lots of resources to help get your homework done (and done well). Librarians are ready to help you with any homework question. You can call (508-653-0770) or visit the Library. Here you’ll find several scholarly search engines, databases and a list of helpful websites for all of your homework needs. You’ll also discover a few additional resources listed here.

Scholarly Search Engines

Here you'll find several search engines especially designed for academic research that will help you get your hands on relevant information.

  • Google Scholar - Broadly search for scholarly literature across many disciplines and sources.
  • Googlebooks - Browse an index of thousands of books, look through the pages and learn where you can get a hard copy.
  • Microsoft Academic - A reliable, comprehensive research tool that you can use to search by topic or field of study.
  • Educational Resources Information Center - Populated by the U.S. Department of Education, you can search here for education-related literature.

Databases

If you’re doing research on your own, the Library offersdatabases where you can find information on a variety of topics. You might find some of these databases -- roughly divided by subject -- helpful:

General Information

  • Britannica Online Public Library Edition - Britannica Online Public Library Edition includes 4 full encyclopedias, full-text magazine articles, verified web sites, homework help, a world atlas, Merriam-Webster dictionaries and thesauri, a Spanish-English dictionary and video and audio content.
  • GALE Academic OneFile - Academic OneFile is a comprehensive collection of periodicals and scholarly journals, on a wide range of topics.
  • GALE General OneFile - General OneFile offers millions of articles covering a full range of academic and general-interest topics.
  • GALE Student Edition - Offers periodicals and reference book content supporting high school student research.
  • GALE The New York Times - This database includes full-text of the New York Times from January 1, 1985 to the present.

Geography

History

Foreign Language

  • Mango Language Learning - Learn everyday conversations in multiple world languages! The Boston Public Library offers Mango Language Learning to all Massachusetts residents.To use Mango, you’ll need a Boston Public Library card.If you have one, great! If not, it's easy to get an electronic card online, by clicking here and completing the electronic form---no visit to Boston required.
  • Word Reference - Word Reference is an online bilingual dictionary from/to English and many other languages.

Literature

Science and Technology

Websites

Beyond these databases, you might try these websites for additional homework help:

  • The Purdue Online Writing Lab - Learn how to write and cite in MLA and APA styles, write a basic business letter and develop a resume.
  • Khan Academy - Offers short instructional lectures on a variety of science, math and language topics, all in the form of YouTube videos.
  • Merriam-Webster Visual Dictionary Online - Find just the right word – along with an image and definition – with this online dictionary.
  • No Fear Shakespeare - Puts the bard’s language side-by-side with a facing-page translation into modern English – the kind of English people actually speak today.

Additional Resources

Beyond the databases and websites, you may find these additional resources useful:

  • OverDrive Digital Media Catalog - Provides popular audio-books and e-books (“unputdownables!”) to download.
  • Hoopla - The Library at your fingertips, any time, anywhere. Allows you to borrow music, audio-books, e-books, comics and TV shows to enjoy on your computer, tablet, phone or TV.

You may wonder: what’s the difference between a Library database and a website?

Library databases

Websites

Library databases get their information from professionals or experts in the field. Websites can be written by anyone regardless of expertise.
Library databases contain published works where facts are checked. Website content is not necessarily checked by an expert.
Library databases are easy to cite in a bibliography and may create the citation for you. Websites often don’t provide the information necessary to create a complete citation.
Library databases can help you narrow your topic or suggest related subjects. Websites often are not organized to support student research needs.
Library databases are updated frequently and include the date of publication. Websites may not indicate when a page is updated.
Chart from Enoch Free Library