By Codie Winslow, Director of Library and Learning Resources
Learning to use virtual resources and perform digital research takes practice. The Calvary Chapel University Library has a wealth of free online resources to support your course of study. In order to become proficient at online learning and develop research and study skills, much like learning to play an instrument or ride a bike, you’ve got to repeat it over and over – practice.
One of the resources we point to in the CCU Library is the Digital Public Library of America (DPLA). As the website describes, “DPLA is an all-digital library that aggregates metadata — or information describing an item — and thumbnails for millions of photographs, manuscripts, books, sounds, moving images, and more from libraries, archives, and museums across the United States. DPLA brings together the riches of America’s libraries, archives, and museums, and makes them freely available to the world.”
Practice makes perfect, so jump into learning by embracing the scavenger hunt that is DPLA. Once you’ve perused the home page and gotten a feel for the site, you may need tips on how best to search.
The site also offers Frequently Asked Questions and Guides to help you navigate the “how” of this digital library collective. With over 22 million resources in this impressive collection, there is wealth of learning to be found. Dig in, the practice will be worth it!