Parents' Guide to

ipl2 for Kids

By Dana Anderson, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 10+

Staffed by information pros, e-library is a solid resource.

Website http://www.ipl.org/div/kidspace
ipl2 for Kids Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this website.

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What’s It About?

IPL KIDSPACE brings the talent of librarians right into the home or school of any student, parent, or teacher looking for some research assistance. The site is divided into two main categories: the general subject categories that include scores of links to approved related sites and features created by information scientists that focus on specific projects such as science fairs, a virtual marine biology experiment, or an authors' page. The Ask an IPL Librarian feature allows users to submit a question and receive a well-researched answer back from a volunteer librarian within about a week; however, it does warn users that it may not always be as timely or thorough, depending on how many questions are in their queue.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say Not yet rated
Kids say (2 ):

Generally, IPL2 is a top-notch site. But with thousands of other sites linked to here, some may be objectionable to some parents, while others may be age-appropriate only for older kids. Design-savvy kids may find this site less attractive than some other popular educational sites. It's still worth a look-see, though, for the uber amounts of research that have clearly gone into compiling all of this information onto one site -- and for the great individualized help via "Ask an ipl2 Librarian."

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about using reference tools responsibly. Discuss the ethical way to use the information from a site like this without plagiarizing. The site has a great primer on how to cite information found from this source in school reports.

  • Explore the differences between going to a brick-and-mortar library and visiting this online library. How is it different to ask a librarian a question online vs. in person? Is one better than the other?

  • Wikipedia is another source kids use for Internet research. Our Wikipedia Tips can help you guide your kids.

Website Details

  • Genre: Educational
  • Pricing structure: Free
  • Last updated: November 4, 2015

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