Online Reading and Research
Table of Contents
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Online Books
Los Angeles County Library
How to Access
Use your library card
Use a temporary Digital Library Card (this may take a day to process)
Highlights:
✓ Free e-books, audiobooks, magazines, movies, and music
✓ Online Courses (Lynda.com, Gale Courses, etc)
✓ Live homework help:
Brainfuse Tutors in all subjects (12 pm to 10 pm)
Chat with a librarian for research and homework help (12 pm to 6 pm, M-F)
Other Online Book Services
Audible Stories
Audible Stories is making a limited number of audiobooks available for free, including around 70 young adult titles and 30 literary classics.
Junior Library Guild
Junior Library Guild is offering a set of around 40 free eBooks aimed at teens. The set changes often, so students can access new material as time goes on.
✓ Choose from their High School, Middle School, or Elementary Stream.
✓ You may also read using the Free JLG Digital app for iOS
✓ Listen to JLG's Quaran-teen, a live weekly story about a family stuck in quarantine during the coronavirus crisis.
Instructions for App:
Download from Apple store
Enter username: JLGHI, password: JLGFREE
Do not click "Sign In." Just click "OK."
National Emergency Library
The National Emergency Library contains 1.4 million digitized books. They are temporarily suspending waitlists.
Note: Books in this database are reproduced by taking a picture of each page. These reproductions are not as high-quality as more traditional book vendors provide.
✓ Read about the Emergency Library announcement and controversy
✓ To borrow a book, you will need to sign up for a free account.
✓ For a more visually appealing interface, use openlibrary.org
Special Collections:
or see the Univeral School Library Reading List for K-12 books
ProQuest Ebook Central
Ebook Central contains about 15,000 ebooks, and is available to all California schools.
They are stronger in non-fiction and research material than in fiction.
Username: Use staff or student username.
Password: Eagles#1
Research Databases
Username: semhs
Password: Eagles#1
Launchpad Access ID: elmonte, Password: emuhsd
This general encyclopedia is a good place to start research.
✓ Use LaunchPads in Science and Social Studies
Assign reading activities to students, similar to Newsela.
Access resource bundles on a topic
Send your bundles to students using a resource code.
Username: wbsupport
Password: distancelearn
Ebooks and resources on a wide array of topics, available during the crisis.
Here's a teachers' and parents' guide on how to use these resources.
ProQuest Research Databases
Information on countries and states.
Research articles on controversial issues.
A sampling of newspaper databases within ProQuest:
Database designed for beginning and intermediate researchers
Database designed for intermediate and advanced researchers.
This database contains many sub-databases and can be unwieldy.
✓ Use filtering to help eliminate unwanted search results.
✓ Click on "Change databases" to select a smaller set.
A database for students and teachers doing educational research.
Other Databases
LA County Databases include Virtual Reference Library, Literature Resource Center, Opposing Viewpoints, Biography in Context, The New York Times, Magazine and Newspaper Masterfile, and many others.
✓ See the full list of databases.
✓ Use your library card or apply for a temporary Digital Library Card to access.
✓ Alternatively, use this library ID specifically intended for SEMHS students.
Public Library ID: 1111717395507