MEDIA CENTER
Welcome to the Library Media Center at Powers Catholic High School
Important information about the library
Hours:
Full days of school: 7:30 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Half days of school: 7:30 a.m. - 12: 30 p.m.
Most Tuesdays we are closed before school due to staff meetings
Late fees:
There is a $.10 a day fee for late books. If you get it back within a week of the due date, the fee will be forgiven. However, the fee accumulates throughout that week, so if it is over a week late, that week will count towards your total fine.
Rules:
- No food or drink (besides water) in the library. Water is only allowed at the tables.
- You must have a pass to come to the library.
- You need to sign on and off of the computer you are using.
- No cell-phones or I-Pod usage.
- The computers are available for educational use.
- Work quietly.
Questions:
Ask Mrs. Stark
New books
Catholic Resources
Databases
Databases are great, because unlike the Web, where anyone can post information, you know that the databases are find infomation from credible, documented sources. In addition to articles and text, you can find pictures, video, transcripts, and more.
The state of micigan offers Michigan residents several databases for free through mel.org . You can access these databases without any log-in information within the library. At home, you may be prompted to enter either a library card number or a Michigan's driver's lincense.
Some of the databases that you might find the most helpful include:
Academic Onefile - for reasearch
Books and authors - do you like one book and want reading suggestions for similiar books?
Culture grams - deals with different cultures
ebooks - lots of books available online
Elibrary - excellent for research
Gale virtual Reference library - Reference books available online
General Onefile - another excellent stop for doing research
InfoTrac newsstand - newspapers from around the world
Job and Career Accelerator - help in finding jobs that would be a good fit for you
Learning library - practice AP and ACTtests
Opposing viewpoints in context - excellent for waiting a persuasive essay
Writing help
General help for paper writing
A+ Guide to writing a research paper
The whole idea about plagiarism is somewhat scary. Go here for additional help on what plagiarism is and how to avoid it.
Background information on plagiarism
Creating citations/references
Citations can be confusing. Do you know the order that each piece of information needs to be in to create a proper citation? What about all of the punctuation? Use the sites below to help you create the perfect citation.
Get Free E-books
Can't get to a library? There are several places that offer many books for free and can be accessd on ether the Internet or one of many of the E-readers that are out there. E-books on the free sites are free because they are out of copyright. So you won't find the newest material on these sites - but they are great for English literature and research!
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print and audiobooks |
audiobooks |
Ebooks from MEL |
Research assistance
Also see databases for more research help
- Almanacs - What is an almanac? An almanac is a statistical resource, you will find data, results, charts and stats in all different areas. Some topics that would be found in a almanac would include: Who won the world series? What was the weather like in a specific year?
- Atlases - An atlas consists of a collection of maps. These can be from any area of the world, and can be found in book form as well as online.
- Biographies - Biographies contain information about people.
- Dictionaries/Thesauri - Dictionaries are used to find the meaning of a word, or to find out how to spell or pronounce a word. Thesauri are used to find synonyms and antonyms.
- Encyclopedias - are arranged alphabetically in either a single volume or multiple volumes, or can be found online, that give basic background information about different topics.
- Biographies
- Wordreference - EXCELLENT dictionary to look up words in other lanaguges.
- Britannica - some of the items only access part of the article
MEL.org and Genesse District Libraries have online encyclopedias you can access, but you do need to enter either a driver's license or a library card number to prove that you are in the state of Michigan.
Academic search engines
We have all used search engines like Google, Yahoo, Bing, or dogpile. But these bring up so much stuff! How do you wade through all of the information? Academic search engines are designed for research, and have much less clutter than some of the other popular search engines.
SCROLL DOWN for a list of the search engines
When completing an online search there are several tips to keep in mind:
1- Come up with a variety of search terms. Sometimes you will think that you have a great keyword, but when you search you may find nothing useful. Make a list of several short words and phrases to look up.
2- Search multiple search engines- Each one will give you different information.
3- Try looking up your keywords in the library databases. These databases can give some great information; it is accurate and will relate to the information that you actually need !
Academic and deep web search sites
Biznar --Business related topics
Complete Planet - this searches the deep web (even more than a site like Google)
Mednar --Medical topics
Science Research --Science only search
SweetSearch - designed specifically for students
World Wide Science --Science search
College (and Career) Prep
Click here for practice ACT/SAT tests: you will need a Michigan library card or driver's liscence to access this from home.
Job and career accelerator: a database avaialble through MEL (you will need a driver's licence or library card to access it at home) that offers helpful information on:
- Paring up interests with appropriate careers
- Finding both internships and jobs
- Writing resumes and cover letters
- Tips on getting hired
Resources for Teachers
General
Library of Congress lessons - this would be most beneficial to social studies and English teachers, but lessons could be designed around any topic.
National Geographic - when we think National Geographic, many of us think science, but it is also a great resource for Social studies, foreign language, and art teachers too. The site includes many short video clips that you can use in the classroom as well.
Discovery Channel - this site also includes video
Math
Science
Social Studies
English
Foreign Language
Public Library Links