Use the following online reference databases to find background information on your topic.
Try your specific topic. Also, think about the larger context.
For example, if you're writing a proposal for the adoption of low-cost and free textbooks, you might want to find background info on student debt, the real price of college with textbooks, barriers to completion, the cost of living, the textbook publishing industry, etc.
Also keep in mind, you don't have to find information solely about Green River College. Sources on community colleges and community college students may provide the context and information you need.
Sample search of "student debt"
This search returned 23 articles, including a few from an encyclopedia I discovered called The College Affordability Crisis..
As shown in the image below:
(click on image to enlarge)
Reference sources, such as academic subject encyclopedias, can be a great starting place for researching a topic, though be aware that reference books are unlikely to cover local issues and because they take time to publish, they may be a few years old.
Read reference for:
A reference collection is a set of encyclopedias, dictionaries, and other items that provide core factual information on a topic.