The EBSCO Reference Centers from MeL.org contain thousands of articles, eBooks, images, and videos about a variety of topics. In the past, we have highlighted the hands-on content in Hobbies & Crafts Reference Center and Home Improvement Reference Center. MeL also provides Reference Centers with academic content to help patrons, students, and faculty with research.

Know Your Rights

Knowing your rights is important. With Legal Information Reference Center, over 30 full-text NOLO Guides such as NOLO’s Essential Guide to Buying Your First Home and Building a Parenting Agreement That Works are free. There are also links to state-specific legal forms including fillable forms for the state of Michigan and Federal forms for the Eastern and Western Districts of Michigan.

Lives of Famous People

Searching for biographical information is easy with Biography Reference Center. Including biographical articles photographs, there are usually several sources from which to gather and compare information. The biographies can help enhance displays and programming for Women’s History Month with information about people such as poet Maya Angelou and biologist Rachel Carson.

Free Classics

Classic novels are commonly taught at the high school and college level. Literary Reference Center provides the text of many classic books, as well as related information such as author biographies, extensive literary criticism, plot summaries, and reviews of the works. Examples of included works are Charles Dickens’ Great Expectations and Herman Melville’s Moby Dick.

Research Multiple Viewpoints

When seeking information from multiple perspectives, Points of View Reference Center has curated resources to support over 400 issues such as Concussions in Pro Sports and Voter Identification Laws. Each year there is also a set of material specific to the National High School Debate Topic. Each topic includes an overview, a point, a counterpoint, and related books, articles, and media. A Guide to Critical Analysis is also provided for each issue. Students seeking research material, as well as community members wanting to learn more about stories they hear in the news, will appreciate the depth of this eResource.

Spanish Language Resources

For patrons that are seeking information published in Spanish, Referencia Latina is an ideal eResource. With general topics such as Arts and Literature, Science and Technology, Religion, and Current Issues, this extensive collection of magazines, reference books, and health reports provides content to help Spanish-speaking patrons easily find the information they need.

From hands-on projects to articles and eBooks, each Reference Center provided by MeL has unique content that can help you find just the right information for your patrons.

If you are having any issues linking to items on this page, please explore the MeL eResource Access Page. Contact melerhelp@mcls.org for help.

Brought to you by Laura Warren-Gross from the MeL Team. 

Supporting Michigan Libraries by Putting You First. 

Hey front line staff: The MeL Maven Badge is a 6-part Information Literacy and eResource adventure designed for you. Start earning your Badge today at MeL.org!

Want more information on MeL?  Stay tuned for the next MeL Minute available on many Michigan library listservs,  visit http://mel.org, or sign up for the MeL Minute and other Library of Michigan e-mail lists via GovDelivery. We encourage you to share MeL Minutes with your colleagues and networks. 

MeL eResources are available to Michigan residents or for Michigan library or school access only. 

#IMLSGrant

Laura Warren-Gross

Engagement Specialist for Public Libraries

Midwest Collaborative for Library Services (MCLS)

1 800 530 9019 ext 152