Gale Virtual Reference Library: More Than 1000 Electronic Books At Your Fingertips!
People who want to open their own business or are researching a company would find this online database very useful. Gale Virtual Reference Library has more than 1000 eBooks (electronic books) in many subject areas. Items of interest include multi-volume encyclopaedias, biographical collections, business plan handbooks (with actual business plans submitted by real companies!), company history compilations, consumer health references, and specialized reference sources.
Like all electronic databases you will run into, Basic Search is always the option you will see when you first sign on to the database. This means that you can enter a search word and it will be used to search the entire database. Alternatively, you can click Document Title or Entire Document and the search will be conducted in either of those fields. You can also see ALL the titles available. I checked out the Biography section and saw that there are 2 that I am definitely interested in – Johnny Depp and Will Smith – my favourites!
The Advanced Search option allows you to refine your search for ebooks in this database, using different fields such as Author, Document Title, Subject, Publication Title, etc. For example, you can look in the Business Plans Handbook for business plans for opening a restaurant by typing: Business Plans Handbook, in the Publication Title field and by typing: restaurant, in the Keyword field.
Once you find a title that you like, click on it. To begin reading the book, click eTable of Contents or View PDF Pages. If you wish to download the book, click on a chapter title (so that you will see the entire chapter), then click Email, Print or Download in the red Tools menu box.
This database is available at every branch of the Toronto Public Library as well as by remote access from home if you have a valid Toronto Public Library card. Check it out! Now, if you will excuse me, I am going to have a peek at Johnny Depp's biography…
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