Sometimes the local library doesn't have the book you're looking for. Or you need to look up something from a famous document that no one seems to have on hand. Maybe you're just looking for information on an author who isn't very well known.
Then what do you do? Well, if you have access to the Internet, you'll probably find—or at least get directions to—what you need!
There's a lot of books, writing resources, and author information out there on the Internet—you just have to know where to find them. And if you don't find what you're looking for, you'll probably at least talk to someone who can give you information! A very good starting point is Author, Author! This site is put together well, and contains lots of information. You can click on links about authors, books, and writing.
If you want to find a certain book, from there you can go to The Online Books Page. This has links to over 1,000 books on the Net. You can search for an author or just browse a list. Another good resource is The Project Gutenberg Master Index. The index has lots of fiction books—plus many references, too. The Data Text Library has a small selection of books that may be hard to find elsewhere. None of the sites above are very flashy, but they get the job done.
Looking for a specific author is easy if you start from the right sites. Again, Author Author! has a large list of authors. Bantam Doubleday Dell has a very good page with lots of adult, recent authors (e.g., John Grisham, etc.). And, of course, Yahoo has a long list of author links.
Writing resources are also easy to come by on the Net. A good resource for children's writers is Inkspot, which is very well done and has lots of links for writers—even young writers! The Internet Book Information Center has lots of information on writing.
The Internet is also a good way to advertise your writings if you have written stories, poems, etc. A good publishing place is the Writer's Gallery, where you can read what others have written and let others read your work. If you have a home page, you can post some of your works there. There are many, many places you can publish on. Inkspot, again, is a good resource, as is Yahoo.
Here are a couple more links that you should use on your literary journey:
For more serious writers, this site guarantees critics for your work.
For younger writers who want to have their work published.