Musings from Nancy: Thing #23 Florida Electornic Library

Finally the twenty-third thing.

I enjoy using the Florida Electronic Library resources, and only hope that the Brevard County Website will get updated on its data bases page and have the inactive ones removed, and the active, Florida Electronic Library one highlighted.

I first used the Florida Electronic Library sites when acting as the Ask A Librarian on duty. I find the websites easy to use and full of lots of good information. I especially like the magazine databases, though at times, it is hard to convince the patrons that these are the actual magazine articles and not just Internet information. I did take two webinars on using these resources, the Business one, and the Books and Authors one. The Business one was especially helpful as I am not very good with this sort of information. I found out that Demographics Now has all sorts of Florida demographic information and you can compare different locations in Florida. The Small Business database is also helpful for peoople want ing to start a business as it has business plans, and other information.

The Books and Authors site is useful and somewhat like Library Thing in #22. It has lots of features you can use to customize it to your library.

For this exercise, I perused the Florida Photographic collection on the Florida Electronic Library. It was interesting to see historical photos of my town from the olden days - back before paved roads! I could also see photos from the heydays of the Space Program when everything in Cocoa Beach was go, go, go! I remember lots of the motels, and when Ron Jon Surf Shop was little (but still the world's largest!)