Credo and TexShare Partner to Improve Research Capabilities for Millions of Texans

Boston, MA, August 8, 2018 - Credo Reference and TexShare, a consortium of over 700 libraries in Texas, have announced a new partnership to increase access to high-quality digital research materials for millions of Texans. Credo Online Reference Service will support the Texas State Library and Archives Commission (TSLAC), through the TexShare consortium, in its goals of closing the digital divide, helping Texans better navigate the world of online information, and providing residents of all ages and backgrounds with the tools they need to conduct excellent research.

K-12 learners, college students, and public library patrons will all benefit from Credo’s exploratory search platform, which offers a robust collection of full-text reference titles while fostering the development of essential 21st-century skills.

TexShare works with libraries to provide users with the latest and most effective products for facilitating higher levels of teaching, learning, and research. Representing a diverse array of K-12, academic, public, and medical libraries, the consortium sought a resource that could improve digital literacy skills among its younger and less experienced populations, while still delivering the authoritative content required by its scholarly community. Credo’s intuitive interface, helpful features like Topic Pages, Mind Map, and world-class titles proved to be a perfect fit.

"We're thrilled to have more Texas libraries using Credo to provide a better foundational research platform for users across the state," said Credo General Manager, Ian Singer.

Credo helps learners at all levels start their research by providing an easy-to-navigate exploratory search platform stocked with multimedia content from the world’s most well-respected publishers. Librarians will also find the platform useful and versatile, with simple options for creating subject guides for courses and embedding videos and articles in Learning Management Systems or websites. One of Credo’s newest content features, Real-time Reference, offers users rigorously vetted background information on topics unfolding in the headlines, creating a bulwark against fake news and biased media. Whether individuals are crafting an argumentative paper for their English Comp 101 course or conducting research to inform themselves on current events, Real-time Reference will show them multiple facets of controversial topics and cut through partisan agendas in order to gain a better understanding of issues.

Texas’s diverse population will benefit from the accessibility of digital resources for learners of all types as Credo is ADA and 508 compliant, which includes a translate feature incorporating over 60 languages, and gives users the option of ReadSpeaker in English to aid ESL learners, seniors, and those with disabilities. TexShare joins regional groups in Arkansas, Iowa, Louisiana, North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, and others in providing Credo Online Reference Serviceto member libraries in a larger effort to improve user skills around information literacy, research, and critical thinking.

TSLAC provides Texans access to the information needed to be informed, productive citizens by preserving the archival record of Texas; enhancing the service capacity of public, academic, and school libraries; assisting public agencies in the maintenance of their records, and meeting the reading needs of Texans with disabilities.