Britannica Online is an interactive, digitized version of the world famous Britannica Encyclopedia!  It also includes the Compton’s Encyclopedia and is designed for elementary and middle school student users.  This database is an ideal resource for accessing up to date and concise information for a wide range of topics.

This resource is brought to you, FREE of charge, through both the King County Library system and the Seattle Public Library system!

How can I access Britannica Online for Kids?

Britannica Online is one of the many databases to which the Seattle Public Library (SPL) and King County Public Library (KCLS) subscribes.  You can access Britannica Online with a valid SPL or KCLS library card and PIN number.  Here’s how:

Seattle Public Library:

v  Simply follow this link

v  Scroll down to locate Britannica Online

v  Click on the Britannica Online heading

v  Log in with your SPL library card number and PIN number

v  Start exploring!

King County Public Library:

v  Simply follow this link

v  Scroll down to locate Britannica Online

v  Click on the Britannica Online heading

v  Log in with your KCLS library card number and PIN number

v  Start exploring!

 Britannica Online is simple to use.  Once you log into Britannica Online, you can search for a topic in the search box, browse by topic, or explore the numerous features on the homepage such as Animal of the Day, Headlines, and Discover America. Once you reach a desired topic, Britannica Online will provide a host of resources on that topic from encyclopedia entries and articles in journals and magazines, to websites and media clips.

From the Home page, students can also take advantage of the Student Center, which is a compilation of “How to” tips such as How to Write a Book Review and How to Prepare an Oral Presentation.  It also provides links to other useful resources like Timelines, Biographies, World Atlas, and more!

What can I do with Britannica Online for Kids?

• Read popular news Headlines of the day
• Take advantage of current data that is updated daily
• Navigate through lengthy articles with the easy to use Table of Contents
• Explore Important People, Big Events, and Britannica Highlights
• Access videos, media clips, and images on a diverse range of topics
• Double click on unfamiliar words to access definitions and pronunciations
• Email articles to classmates or to yourself
• Listen and follow along as articles are read aloud
• Expand your research through additional links
• Create your own Workspace by collecting and saving articles to review
• Take advantage of the correctly formatted citations to cite your sources
• And much, much MORE!!

What is CultureGrams?

CultureGrams is a dynamic database, designed to deliver up-to-date, concise facts and figures about all the countries, from Afghanistan to Zimbabwe.  The world is at your fingertips as you browse the immense collection of country reports that include maps, exclusive interviews, history, photos, and more!  Take advantage of all four CultureGrams editions—the World, the States, the Provinces, and the Kids editions!

 

This resource is brought to you, FREE of charge, through both the King County Library system and the Seattle Public Library system!

 How can I access CultureGrams?

CultureGrams is one of the many databases to which the Seattle Public Library (SPL) and King County Public Library (KCLS) subscribes.  You can access CultureGrams with a valid SPL or KCLS library card and PIN number.  Here’s how:

Seattle Public Library:

v  Simply follow this link

v  Scroll down to locate CultureGrams

v  Click on the CultureGrams heading

v  Log in with your SPL library card number and PIN number

v  Start exploring!

King County Public Library

v  Simply follow this link

v  Scroll down to locate CultureGrams

v  Click on the CultureGrams heading

v  Log in with your KCLS library card number and PIN number

v  Start exploring!

How do I use CultureGrams?

 CultureGrams is simple to navigate.  Once you log into CultureGrams, select the edition you would like to access.  Regardless of which one you chose, you can access information either by clicking on a country, state, or province on the interactive map on the home page OR by directly accessing your desired country, state, or province in the Accessible Index on the left side panel of the screen.

Once you have reached the desired country, state, or province, find out all you ever wanted to know about that area!

 What can I do with CultureGrams?

Read about the People & Places, History, Lifestyle, Society, and Culture Facts & Contacts of countries around the world

• Read about The Place, History, The People, Cultural Notes, and Fun Facts & Contacts of each of the United States and Canadian provinces

• Explore photos, videos, and slideshows from specific areas
• Learn about famous people and read interviews of children and adults living all over the world
• Create your own graphs and tables OR access ready-made graphs and tables
• Listen to national anthems
• Access numerous maps
• Look up recipes
• View state, country, and provincial flags

BookFlix is a fantastic “interactive literacy resource that builds a love of reading and learning” and is brought to you by Scholastic!  BookFlix features a wide selection of fictional video storybooks and “pairs them with nonfiction eBooks from Scholastic to reinforce reading skills and develop essential real-world knowledge and understanding.” It is designed for children in Preschool through 3^rd grade and is perfect for those students who might be reluctant readers, early readers, or English language learners.  “The engaging way to link fact and fiction, BookFlix reinforces early reading skills and introduces children to a world of knowledge and exploration.”

This resource is available through both the King County Library system and the Seattle Public Library system!

 How can I access BookFlix?

BookFlix is one of the many databases to which the Seattle Public Library (SPL) and King County Public Library (KCLS) subscribes.  You can access BookFlix with a valid SPL or KCLS library card and PIN number.  Here’s how:

Seattle Public Library:

• Simply follow this link
• Scroll down to locate BookFlix
• Click on the BookFlix heading
• Log in with your SPL library card number and PIN number
• Start exploring!

King County Public Library

• Simply follow this link
• Scroll down to locate BookFlix
• Click on the BookFlix heading
• Log in with your KCLS library card number and PIN number
• Start exploring!

How do I use BookFlix?

 BookFlix is very easy to use.  From the BookFlix homepage, you will have several general topics from which to choose, such as Animals and Nature, Earth and Sky, ABCs and 1,2,3’s, and more!

Once a topic has been chosen and ‘clicked’, you will have a wide array of fiction books to watch that are paired with nonfiction books to read along!  Coupled with the books are games, internet links, and more!  BookFlix is a fun and entertaining way to read, learn, and discover!

 

What can I do with BookFlix?

• See some of your favorite books come to life in the video storybooks
• Read along with those books or simply choose to listen
• Read and learn through nonfiction books that introduce, explain, and describe!
• Learn new words with BookFlix’s vocabulary-building feature; scroll over the highlighted words to learn definitions
• Follow-up the stories with fun, educational games that reinforce reading comprehension, vocabulary and more!
• Meet the Author by reading numerous author biographies
• Learn more about topics by clicking on internet links through the Exlore the Web feature
• Access lesson plans and pinpoint curriculum correlations and standards by exploring the Educator Resources

I have crafted this Newsletter in an effort to spread the word about the extremely handy AND free databases available through our local public libraries.  I believe that the databases featured in this Newsletter are fantastic tools that can be used in the classroom, in the library, at home, and beyond!

What is Novelist?

Novelist is a fantastic resource that is all about reading and all about books!  It is a HUGE database of fiction books for children, teens, AND adults.  In addition to information about specific books, it also offers:

• book recommendations and reviews
• interesting articles about books
• book read-alikes
• author read-alikes
• book lists on an array of topics
• book discussion guides
• award winning books and more!

This resource is available through both the King County Library system and the Seattle Public Library system, though SPL’s version deserves a PLUS because it includes non-fiction books as well!

 How can I access Novelist?

Novelist is one of the many databases to which the Seattle Public Library (SPL) and King County Public Library (KCLS) subscribes.  You can access Novelist with a valid SPL or KCLS library card and PIN number.  Here’s how:

Seattle Public Library:

• Simply follow this link
• Scroll down the page until you locate Novelist Plus
• Click on the Novelist Plus heading
• Log in with your SPL library card number and PIN number
• Start exploring!

King County Public Library

• Simply follow this link
• Scroll down the page until you locate Novelist
• Click on the Novelist heading
• Log in with your KCLS library card number and PIN number
• Start exploring!

How do I use Novelist?

 Novelist is very easy to use.  Simply enter a title, an author, a subject, a book description (yes, you heard me correctly!  Novelist will search for books based only on a DESCRIPTION such as ‘mystery in New York’ or ‘adventure with trolls’.), and series title in the search field and Novelist will track down titles for you.  You can then limit those results by age group, genre, writing style, location, award-winning titles, fiction or non-fiction (in the case of Novelist Plus via SPL), and more!

What can I do with Novelist?

•  Do you love books by Gary Paulsen or some other famous author?  Discover authors that write in a similar style or about similar themes to one of your favorite authors.
• Have you just finished reading a series, such as the Percy Jackson and the Olympians, loved it, and not sure what to read next?     Novelist offers book recommendations and series’ read-alikes based on what you have already read.
• Are you looking for a Book Discussion guide for your Book Club? Novelist maintains a massive collection of Book Discussion Guides complete with discussion points, story summaries, questions to ponder, and more.

• Do you need to read a Coretta Scott King Award winner for school? Search Novelist’s numerous Award winning Booklists to find what you need.
• Do you love Sci-Fi books about aliens OR historical fiction set during World War II?  Browse a variety of themed booklists to discover new titles to read.

What is America the Beautiful database?

America the Beautiful is brought to you by the encyclopedia masters from Grolier and the fine folks of Scholastic, Inc.  This fantastic online resource is inspired by the Scholastic book series of the same name. America the Beautiful is stock full of facts and figures about our 50 states and U.S. territories,  our U.S. presidents, U.S. history, current events, and much, much more!  This interactive database is easy to use, enhanced with colorful illustrations, photos, panoramas, and maps, AND provides students’ with an educational and entertaining package, all wrapped into one!

 How can I access America the Beautiful?

America the Beautiful is one of the many databases to which the Seattle Public Library (SPL) subscribes.  You can access America the Beautiful with a valid SPL library card and pin number.  Here’s how:

•  Simply follow this link
• Scroll down the page until you locate America the Beautiful
• Click on the America the Beautiful heading
• Log in with your SPL library card number and pin number
• Start exploring!

How do I use America the Beautiful?

 As already mentioned, America the Beautiful is very simple to use and easy to navigate from one page or menu to the next.  The home page of America the Beautiful is an interactive map of the United States.  Simply click on a state to get started OR click on one of the five menu tabs: U.S. Topics, Timelines, Profiles, Games and Almanac.

What can I do with America the Beautiful?

• Explore U.S. Topics like Native Americans and Natural Wonders
• Find interesting facts and figures in the online Almanac
• Click on the highlighted Links to find out more or to access supplementary websites
• View Timelines that pertain to such topics as U.S. History, Arts and Entertainment, and World History
• Read up on Current Events that are updated monthly
• Play educational games about the U.S.
• Learn the lay of the land with more than 400 interactive maps that feature such topics as topography and economy

• Enjoy short and informative slide shows about state history, geographic landmarks, and more!
• Read Profiles of famous people from the 50 States
• Search America the Beautiful for specific U.S. information
• Take advantage of the Dictionary feature to look up words that may be unfamiliar
• Find out more by clicking on the Further Reading links

I have crafted this Newsletter in an effort to spread the word about the extremely handy AND free databases available through our local public libraries.  I believe that the databases featured in this Newsletter are fantastic tools that can be used in the classroom, in the library, at home, and beyond!