Library Media Center

You will only need a database password if you are accessing a database from outside of school. 

CRAAP Criteria to Evaluate Credible Sources

You can use this document to evaluate the credibility of the sources you find online using the CRAAP criteria.

 

Student Resources inContext: Access news content including full-text newspapers and periodicals like The Economist, The New York Times, National Geographic, Newsweek, Popular Science, Smithsonian, and more. Access hundreds of thousands of images, videos, and audio.

 

Science inContext: Provides contextual information on hundreds of today's most significant science topics. Integrating millions of full-text articles that include national and global publications, 200+ science experiments, 300+ interactive simulations, other multimedia, and top reference content, Science is updated daily and offers over 600 pages on topics across the curriculum, covering biology, chemistry, earth and environmental science, physics, and more.

 

Opposing Viewpoints: Feattextual information and opinions on hundreds of today's hottest social issues. Continuously updated pro/con viewpoint essays, topic overviews, primary source documents, biographies, court-case overviews, periodical articles, tables/charts/graphs, and more. 

 

JSTOR: JSTOR provides access to more than 12 million academic journal articles, books, and primary sources in 75 disciplines. Explore a wide range of scholarly content through a powerful research and teaching platform. 

 

Points of View Reference Center: Presents multiple sides of over 400 issues. Helps students assess and develop persuasive arguments and essays, better understand controversial issues, and develop analytical thinking skills.

 

 NoveList: Contains information on over 260,000 fiction and readable nonfiction titles. Features lists of award-winning books, book discussion guides, Read-a-Like recommendations, and complete series information. Also includes reader ratings and reviews. Create your own reading wish list. 

 

Demographics Now: Researchers and entrepreneurs are provided with comprehensive business and demographic information, create sales leads and marketing mailing lists, complete location analyses and business plans, analyze population trends, find potential sponsors and donors and much more. 

 

Consumer Reports: Provides clear reviews of commonly purchased products. Consumer Reports uses careful research, consumer insights, journalism, and policy expertise to help you inform purchase decisions. Also works to improve the products and services that businesses deliver, and drive regulatory and fair competitive practices.

 

Art & Architecture Source: Art & Architecture Source is the largest full-text art research database covering fine, decorative and commercial art, as well as architecture and architectural design. With strong international coverage, it offers hundreds of full-text art journals, magazines and books, plus detailed indexing and abstracts and thousands of images.

 

Project Gutenberg: This site provides access to over 70,000 free eBooks. It includes both fiction and non-fiction books and also provides audio versions of many of the books in its library. The books available through Project Gutenberg are all covered under “fair use” so you can download and print them for free for your own personal use

 

 Global Issues inContext: International viewpoints on a broad spectrum of global issues, topics, and current events. Featured are hundreds of continuously updated issue and country portals that bring together a variety of specially selected, relevant sources for analysis of these issues. Rich multimedia - including podcasts, video, and interactive graphs - enhance each portal. 

 

 Academic OneFile: Provides millions of articles from over 17,000 scholarly journals and other authoritative sources, including videos from BBC Worldwide Learning to thousands of podcasts and transcripts from CNN. It includes more than 11,000 peer-reviewed journals (more than 8,000 in full text), and major reference sets including Gale Encyclopaedia of Science and Encyclopaedia of World Biography.

 

 Literary Reference Center: Includes over 14,000 short stories and 54,000+ poems. Covers information on thousands of authors and their works. Topics include: plot summaries, literary criticism, book reviews, novels, and author interviews.

 

Health Source: Subjects include fitness, nutrition, diabetes, aging, women's health, children's health, and more. Information comes from magazines, books, Clinical Reference System reports, and pamphlets.

 

 Science Reference Center: Contains material from science encyclopedias, reference books, periodicals, and other sources. More than 4,000 full text, full-length biographies. Includes: biology, chemistry, earth & space science, the environment, health & medicine, history of science, life science, physics, science & society, science as inquiry, and wildlife. 

 

Britannica School: Resources including primary sources and references sources in subjects such as people, countries, science, animals, current events, and biographies. 

 

AutoMate: Repair information and schedules, diagrams, parts and labor estimates, service alerts, and recalls. Covers thousands of domestic and imported vehicles.

 

History Reference Center: Documents, photos, maps, film, and video from leading history journals. Also includes biographies of historical figures. 

 

Learning Library Express:Seven interactive learning centers of academic and licensing/certification practice tests. Click "More" for centers links.  Learning centers: High School Equivalency, College Preparation, College, Career Exploration, Adult Learning, School, and Recursos para Hispanohablantes. 

 

explora: Provides hundreds of popular magazines and reference books for high school libraries. Covers subjects such as art, history, sports, and music. Includes thousands of biographies and primary source documents. Also includes photos, maps, and flags.

 

Business Book Summaries: Provides summaries and key takeaways from recently published books about all business topics. This database is useful when trying to stay informed on the latest trends and practices in business. 

eBook Collections

Academic eBook Collection

: 172,300+ titles ranging from literary criticism to health, mathematics, sports, and religion. You may access the full text of these eBooks from your computer, or download titles to most popular portable devices.

 

High School eBook Collection: 17,700+ titles for high school students and educators. There is a selection of teacher resources and titles align with Common Core Curriculum Standards. You may access the full text of these eBooks from your computer, or download titles to most popular portable devices.

* Please note: The following is a brief overview of library policies. Please refer to your student handbook and Board Documents for a full description of library policies. Students are expected to follow all THS school policies while visiting the library. Policies on this page are subject to change at the discretion of the library staff.

Student Visitation Policy

• Students must sign in/out on the Chromebook at the entrance 
• No eating or food in the IMC
• Water with lids only (must be kept on floor in computer areas)
• No backpacks or book bags
• Respect yourself, others, and the space
• Cell phone use allowed during lunch or before/after school only
• Students visiting from class
  • Must have a pass from classroom teacher
  • Need to be working on school related tasks

Student Checkout Policy

• Students may checkout up to 5 items at a time
• Checkout limits
  • Books: 3 weeks
  • Magazines: 1 week
  • DVDs: 1 week
  • Kindles and Tablets: 2 weeks
  • eBooks and audiobooks: 2 weeks
  • Calculators: year
  • Headphones: 1 day
  • Chromebooks: year
• Students may not checkout items for other students 
• We do not charge late fines but you will be charged for lost/damaged items

Collection Management Policy

• Criteria for the Development of Media Center Materials Collection Development: The media collection should be developed systematically so that it is well balanced in coverage of subjects, types of materials and variety of content.
• Selection Criteria:
  • Materials will be chosen to support and supplement the curriculum, to promote wise use of leisure time, to develop literary discrimination and appreciation, and to encourage students to become 21st century scholars and lifelong readers.
  • Materials will be chosen on various reading levels presenting different points of view concerning the problems and issues of the times.
  • Books and other instructional materials will be evaluated before purchase, either through direct examination or by consulting reputable, unbiased, professionally prepared selection tools.
  • Accuracy, currency, relevance, text features, format, and authoritativeness will all be considered before making purchases of materials.
• Weeding Criteria: Weeding is the removal of materials from a media center collection in a systematic and deliberate way. It is an ongoing part of collection development, a planned and thoughtful action that will ensure library materials are current and enticing.
  • The media specialist should weed media center collections regularly in order to improve resource accessibility and maintain collection relevance.
  • The following criteria should be considered when weeding a collection: copyright, content, relevance, physical condition, use, supersession and accessibility. 

Procedures for Evaluating Challenged Materials

The parent(s)/guardian(s) of any student in the District shall have the right to register a complaint about controversial reading materials that are part of their child’s curriculum. Supplemental material shall be substituted for completing the requirements of the course for that student.

The parent(s)/guardian(s) may notify the teacher in writing using the request for reconsideration form attached to these rules and schedule a meeting with the teacher and/or Principal to set forth the part or parts of the assigned material, which the parent(s)/guardian(s) finds to be objectionable.

Should the parent(s)/guardian(s)exercise the above right, the student shall not be penalized in any way in academic endeavors because of the complaint. In the case of a complaint, the person receiving the complaint shall present the complainant with "the request for reconsideration form," invite the complainant to file objections in writing and notify the building Principal, the school library media specialist and the Director of Curriculum that a complaint has been registered.

When the form has been completed and returned, the review committee composed of the building Principal, media specialist, two (2) subject area specialists and two (2) community members will be asked to evaluate the material in question. Challenged materials shall not be removed from the classroom during the evaluation periods.

The following guidelines shall apply to the evaluation process:  

• To examine and evaluate the material as a whole, not based on passages pulled out of context,
• To check appropriate selection aids for evaluation of the material,
• To weigh strengths and weaknesses and form opinions based upon the selection criteria, the appropriateness of material to the reading ability and maturity level of the student, the nature of its use in the educational program, relevance to the curriculum and educational goals of the school, (Cf. 7800)
• To meet to discuss the material and prepare a written report containing conclusions and recommendations within 30 days,  
• To direct the written report to the Board, and  
• To send the complainant a copy of the written report.

If the complainant is dissatisfied with the decisions of the media review committee, an appeal of the decision may be made through the Superintendent to the Board for a hearing and final decision. The report shall be discussed with the Board by the members of media review committee.

Request for Reconsideration of Materials Form

Swank Film Streaming

Swank Teacher Guide