7 Free Online Resources for TESU Students at the New Jersey State Library

“There is no problem that a library card can’t solve,” said author Eleanor Brown.

And she’s right, especially for TESU students working on their next assignment or looking to expand their knowledge.

The New Jersey State Library (NJSL) is an affiliate of TESU. And as an affiliate, all TESU students, whether in or out of state, have electronic access to most of NJSL’s resources, including databases, online journals and articles, career assistance sites, ebooks, audiobooks, programs and more.

The first step is to obtain a library card. It’s easy and free. TESU staff, students and mentors need only register as borrowers with NJSL. Simply visit njstatelib.org and select “Get a Library Card” from the top of the page to get started.

So, apply for an NJSL card online and solve your scholarly problems with these unique, free resources and services.

1. Pronunciator Online Language Program

The Pronunciator program contains resources to learn 80 languages and up to 9,000 instructional phrases at your own pace. To help reinforce retention of your new language, the program includes quizzes, audio lessons and pronunciation tutorials as well as language phrase books in PDF format. Learners have the flexibility to move through lessons based on their skill level and learning goals. English as a second language (ESL) lessons are translated from 50 non-English languages.

Pronunciator’s features include:

• Speech recognition – Test your pronunciation in real time;
• Scored quizzes – Track your progress and measure your results;
• Virtual Coach – Real-time, lifelike instruction;
• Downloadable audio lessons – Extend your learning offline with printable phrasebooks;
• Conversations – Hop into interactive stories with native speakers through hundreds of live, weekly or virtual conversation classes led by qualified native speakers;
• ProCitizen – A comprehensive citizenship prep course; and
• ProTour – Hundreds of cultural videos highlighting culture destinations in major world cities.

All Thomas Edison State University students can register to use Pronunciator with the barcode on the back of their NJSL borrower’s card. To become a Pronunciator user, visit the Databases page and select Pronunciator from the list. Once logged into Pronunciator’s homepage, follow the instructions to register. After receiving your temporary username and password, choose “Launch Pronunciator” from the homepage. Pronunciator’s software will run a quick browser support check and launch the program. The program’s technical staff is also available through the site’s helpdesk link to promptly answer your questions.

2. Research Databases

The State Library provides access to a wide array of databases and most are available for remote searching by TESU staff and students with a New Jersey State Library card. Databases include:

• Policy Map (mapping tool with U.S. statistical data from federal, educational and institutional sources)
• ProQuest Statistical Insight
• Statistical Abstract of the U.S.

3. Newspaper Databases

With your NJSL borrower’s card for access, search the full-text content of thousands of newspapers and news sources.

The collection includes more than 1,300 U.S. newspapers, including 50 New Jersey newspapers and assorted weeklies from around the state, such as:

In addition, News Source Plus and NewsBank allows you to search the full text of 1,400 newspapers, including the Christian Science Monitor, San Francisco Chronicle, The Sydney Morning Herald (Australia), The Times (UK), Toronto Star, USA Today, The Washington Post and The Washington Times (DC). The NJSL databases also include television and radio news transcripts, such as ABC News (American), ABC (Australian), CBC (Canadian), CBS News, CNBC, CNN, CNN International, FOX News, MSNBC, National Public Radio and PBS.

4. eBooks and Audiobooks

More than 15,000 nonfiction ebooks are available in the NJSL’s EBSCOhost collection. Most can be downloaded to your computer or to an eReader compatible with Adobe Digital Editions.

As a participating member of eLibraryNJ, the NJSL has more than 17,000 downloadable fiction and nonfiction eBooks, and more than 7,200 digital audiobook titles.

All that’s needed for access is your State Library borrower card.

5. Research Guides

State Library staff have created research guides on a variety of topics that can be useful for students, including Information Literacy for TESU Students, which covers everything from how to start a research project to citing sources and discussion forum best practices to online tutoring resources. Meanwhile, the Fact Checking & Media Literacy guide can help you determine any website’s credibility and if the article is false, misleading, clickbait-y and/or satirical.

6. Archives Tutorials and Webinars

Students can access a collection of archives, tutorials and webinars at any time, including how to locate nursing literature, download ebooks and audiobooks and more on the Tutorials and Webinars page. 

7. Staff Subject Specialists

A knowledgeable staff of subject specialists can provide assistance on your next paper, project or assignment:

• Law reference: email reflaw@njstatelib.org or call 609-278-2640, ext. 102
• All other reference: email refdesk@njstatelib.org or call 609-278-2640, ext. 103