School Library Systems Resources

From the Eastern Suffolk BOCES website: In 1984 the New York State Legislature established School Library Systems. Currently 40 School Library Systems exist around the state. The systems are based within each BOCES and the five Big City School Districts. School Library System is a state funded program providing a variety of resources for the school library and the school librarian. Funding comes from the library component of the New York State budget. Resources available from the School Library System include system wide databases, and regional resource sharing for all member libraries.

At Eastern Suffolk BOCES Co-Ser 516 Library Services/Media is a shared service for the purchase and use of online databases to the students, teachers and librarians in each of the participating buildings. The Virtual Reference Collection (VRC) is a selection of databases and special software that permits the user to log in with the same password for each of the different databases, and then continue to search moving from one to another. This access is available from the building site and home. Also, available through Co-Ser 516, is the Digital Media Library (DML). This service provides video streaming appropriate for grades K-12. Training in the use of VRC and DML is provided.

Participants in the Learning Technology Grant have access to the Virtual Reference Collection and receive free professional development during the grant period. There are specific databases in the collection that are more helpful than others to ELLs and SwDs. These will be noted and explored.

Click here for more information or watch the videos below on how to use recommended databases:

Virtual Reference Collection Videos


Using Choice Boards with Gale in Context Elementary to Meet the Needs of All Students.mp4

Using Choice Boards with Gale

Curate Science Resources using Wakelet.mp4

Curate Science Resources with Wakelet

Differentiate Instruction with Google Forms and AV2 World Language eBooks.mp4

AV2 World Language eBooks

Using Interactive Google Slides with Lincoln Library Science.mp4

Using Interactive Google Slides with Lincoln Library

Mind Maps with Kids Discover.mp4

Mind Maps with Kids Discover

Use Britannica School & Britannica Escolar to Support your ELL Students.mp4

Using Brittanica School and Brittanica Escolar


Link to VRC PDF GUIDE

School year 2019-20 Flyer for training on databases

In NYS, schools have the opportunity to subscribe to the school library system virtual reference collection, a group of online reference resources accessible through a BOCES portal. As a part of the NYSED LTG grant, schools were offered the ability to gain access to the paid for subscriptions.


Schools, students and their families residing in NYS also have access to the NOVELny website which contain many of the same resources. Follow the link below to resources from NOVELny which are free and available to all New Yorkers:


Current list of available references


ESB Link to NovelNY resources: https://www.galepages.com/nysl_li_esuff


Videos below are provided as additional support for those looking to use these databases.




Research database geared toward younger learners (English and Spanish available.)

Multi-disciplinary content with articles written by journalists

Comprehensive K-12 research database









Providing real-world, project-based, authentic experiences, and lessons.

Providing K-12 standards-based digital content.

Research database with notecard option and Google integration for citations

Leaders in the educational DVD distribution industry. Includes informational videos about careers, science and other related topics. Search by grade level.

Multimedia resource with videos, interactives, printables, audio content, maps, and flags.

Library collection of copyright-free music and background sounds for podcasts, etc. as well as other resources for media literacy.