Shelf Life [adult]

Consumer Reports Online
Library Database

For many, holiday shopping is in full swing. In today’s economy, it is even more important to stick to a budget and make every dollar count.

Get help with your holiday gift choices and staying on budget by using Consumer Reports. With the unbiased comparisons and ratings from Consumer Reports, you can choose wisely before you spend your hard-earned money.

You may have already looked at the Consumer Reports website when searching for reviews on LED TVs, toasters, or even the best baby monitors. This may have become frustrating as the best content isn’t free. However, if you have a Stratford Public Library card, you have free access to the full website 24 hours a day.

Access is simple. Start at the library’s website – www.stratford.library.on.ca – then click on “Articles & Research” in the Quick Link menu.  Click “Consumer Information” and then “Consumer Reports.” Enter your full library card number when prompted.

You then have immediate access to reviews for over 5,000 products, with overviews, ratings, brand reliability, user reviews, specs and information where to buy.

As with the print magazine, it is important to remember that the pricing provided is American. For specific Canadian content, click on “Canada Extra” in the lower right corner.

Feel free to come by the Stratford Public Library at any time and ask at the Information Desk for a personal demonstration. If searching online isn’t for you, we still have the monthly Consumer Reports magazine and additional buying guides in print available at the library.

For those who don’t have a library card, stop by the circulation desk and we’ll get you fixed up with a card in no time. Please ensure that you bring something which shows where you live (driver’s license, utility bill, lease, etc.). The good news? It’s all free.

This review appeared in The Stratford Gazette on December 6, 2012.  Written by Krista Robinson, Systems Librarian