With the digital age squarely upon us and researching a topic as easy as visiting Google, I fear you still may be missing out on a MAJOR source of the truth close by:

Your local library

You can certainly find an amazing amount of useful information on the Internet, and Web browsers designed to accommodate multiple search engines make it easier than ever to over-rely on them. Nevertheless, the fact remains, you can't find anything and everything on the Web as a result of copyright laws and the sheer bulk of material that exists.

So if you live in the United States your property taxes pay for this incredible service, and you should take full advantage of it. It has been my experience that most people forget what an amazing resource your local librarian can be.

On Vital Votes, reader Mary from Cabool, Missouri adds:

"The library is very important ... many people are unaware of the I-Lite system, where if you know the title and author of a book you can get it through your local library.  I have not found a library that is not a member of it.  They do have some limitations, and depending on the interest and age of the book there might be a slight charge for it.  Still it is usually less then purchasing a copy of the book, if one is available."

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