When people imagine what our library offers, it’s easiest to consider the many shelves of books, the computer stations, and even the Dabble Box Makerspace down on Level 0; that being said, many people are unaware of the many online resources that the library offers as well. Although library patrons may be familiar with a handful of our online resources, such as the MORE catalog or Libby, there are plenty that are offered by LEPMPL (L.E. Phillips Memorial Public Library) that get highlighted far less often. 

For the first blog post in this series highlighting online library resources, I would like to take some time to focus on the Art & Music page on the library’s website, found in the Explore tab. There are four different resources available on that page, all freely accessible, with the only potential requirement being a library card.

The next service listed on this page is Academic Search Premier which is a database run through BadgerLink (a.k.a. Wisconsin’s digital library service, which provides many of the digital resources found on the LEPMPL website). Although this resource was designed with academic institutions in mind, making it a great resource for students in high school and college, it can be a great resource for anyone trying to find accredited sources of information on a wide range of topics. No library card is necessary to use this digital resource!

The third service listed on this page is Artstor, which has around one million images, videos, audio clips, and documents that are all freely and readily available without a library card. You will notice that the actual Artstor website is being retired soon, but there is no need to worry, as the services that Artstor provided will still be available on the JSTOR website for free (note that LEPMPL does not have a JSTOR account, so other services provided by that website will not be accessible in association with LEPMPL).

The Metropolitan Museum of Art is one of many museums that contribute to Artstor. Pictured above from left to right: Two Young Girls at the Piano by Pierre-Auguste Renoir; Paramasukha-Chakrasamvara Mandala by an unknown Napalese artist circa 1100; Sunrise on the Matterhorn by Albert Bierstadt

The fourth and final service listed on this page is Humanities International Complete, which is essentially the same as the Academic Search Premier, but with narrower search results that relate more specifically to the humanities (philosophy, religion, history, language arts, etc.). Again, no library card is necessary to use this digital resource, as it is tied to BadgerLink!

If you have any questions regarding these resources, feel free to contact the reference services department of LEPMPL in person on Level 2 of the library, through email at reference@eauclaire.lib.wi.us, or over the phone at 715-839-5004.