Libraries have a computerized database of all materials available in their various branches. If you need help learning how to use these book-locating systems, ask a librarian. You can also learn how to request a book from another branch and how to put a book on hold if it’s currently checked out. Some libraries have access to a digital library service that will allow you to check out the electronic version of a book or journal and read it on your own computer or other device.

If a book is not in your library’s collection, ask a reference librarian whether it can be obtained from another library via interlibrary loan. This is common practice, and you might be able to get medical texts from university or medical school libraries. Some local libraries also have online databases that list all publications available at regional libraries so you can request that a book be sent to your local library for pick up.

If you want to read medical journal articles, you can access them through your local library. The librarian can show you how to use the database to search for articles and where to find the periodicals. Public libraries usually subscribe to only the most popular medical journals, such as the New England Journal of Medicine and Journal of the American Medical Association. If you are able to visit a university or medical school library, you will find many more print medical journals available. If you do not live close to one of these libraries, ask your local librarian to help you obtain copies of the articles you want.

An astonishing amount of information is available through the internet. Libraries from all over the world can be accessed, and you can download information in minutes from huge databases such as MedLine or Cancerlit. Obtaining information from respected organizations, large medical databases, reputable journals, or large libraries is exceedingly helpful for parents of sick children. However, the huge numbers of people using the internet has spawned websites, chat rooms, and social media sites that may or may not contain accurate information. You may want to read information only from reliable sources and adopt the motto: “Let the buyer beware.”