ipl2 for Kids Website Poster Image

ipl2 for Kids

(i)

 

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

What parents need to know

Positive messages

Encourages kids to dig further into subjects by using the Internet as a research tool. Also encourages kids to ask librarians for help directly through the "Ask an ipl2 Librarian" tab.

Violence

Some of the links in the World section may include information on war or references to violence in history.

Sex

Some of the links in the Health and Nutrition section include information on puberty, sexuality, and other sensitive topics that parents may want to read with their kids or beforehand.

Language

While there's no inappropriate language used on this site, it links to many outside sites.

Consumerism

The site has no ads, but links to some sites that do have ads.

Drinking, drugs, & smoking

Some sites in the Health and Nutrition section discuss the use of illegal drugs, but in clearly negative ways.

Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that ipl2 for Kids is a section of the huge Internet Public Library experimental resource, which is created and maintained by professors and students at library and information science programs. The site is organized by subject and does link to other sites. It may be a bit too cluttered for younger students to find what they're looking for on their own, but for older students, parents, and teachers, it's a well-stocked resource. Kids can submit a question (barring medical, legal, tax, and personal opinion) to a volunteer librarian and receive a well-researched answer back within about a week.

Parents say

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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?

QUALITY

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."

Families can talk 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

This review of ipl2 for Kids was written by

Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are conducted by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.

Quality

Our star rating assesses the media's overall quality.

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Learning ratings

  • Best: Really engaging; great learning approach.
  • Very Good: Engaging; good learning approach.
  • Good: Pretty engaging; good learning approach.
  • Fair: Somewhat engaging; OK learning approach.
  • Not for Learning: Not recommended for learning.
  • Not for Kids: Not age-appropriate for kids; not recommended for learning.

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About Our Rating System

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Great handpicked alternatives

  • Most trusted resource will cost you $70 a year.
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What parents and kids say

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Kid, 9 years old December 5, 2011

Great!

great!
What other families should know
Great messages
Kid, 11 years old May 29, 2010

Perfect for tweens and up

I think this website is great. I had to do a research project when I was looking at the commonsense website I found this website. I checked it out then it said "Ask an ipl2 Librarian " so I clicked it, I filled out a form then within the next day It gave me a ton of useful information.
What other families should know
Educational value
Great messages

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