PIERRE - Free online access to the World Book Web now is available at school and local libraries around the state.

The online reference was developed by the makers of The World Book Encyclopedia and provides multimedia content, online language encyclopedias, magazine articles, e-books, student activities and teacher resources.

"While search engines lead users to a huge quantity of information, the quality isn't always there," said State Librarian Dan Siebersma. "The information in World Book Web comes from a trusted source, and we know that it has been thoroughly researched and validated."

The online reference also is available at home to those with a South Dakota Library Network member library card.