When/where is the best time to get help from Mrs. Rice? Mrs. Rice is available in the Student Center most of the time, unless she is teaching a class. If you come in and she is not there, please send her an e-mail with your question or to schedule a time to get together. She is here before school and after school for help. Stop in between 7:30 and 4:30.
What if I can't find the information I need for my research? This would be a good time to see or email Mrs. Rice. See the information above regarding how to reach her.
What are the Student Center hours? Generally, you can come in for library business reasons between 7:30 - 4:30.
What is Mrs. Rice's e-mail address? Mrs. Rice's e-mail address is jennarice@skuttcatholic.com
Will Mrs. Rice update resources throughout the year? Yes! As classes begin projects, if teachers share their projects with her, Mrs. Rice will develop a list of resources to help students with projects. These lists of resources can be found on the Library-Media website under "Research Help."
Where can I access the links to the online databases? Click on the "Databases" link at the top of the Library Media website.
Where can I find the user ID's and passwords for our online databases? You can locate the Google Doc with the online database login information on the "Classwork" tab in your Library Google Classroom.
How often are the databases updated? Our online databases are updated weekly.
Which database is the best for me to use? It depends on what you're researching. If you're doing general research, as a guideline, start with Gale in Context - High School or if your topic is a social issue, SIRS Researcher. For controversial topics or topics that have differing viewpoints (debate topics, persuasive essay or argumentative research), start with Gale in Context - Opposing Viewpoints or SIRS Researcher. For biographical research, start with Gale in Context -High School. NebraskAccess also has two really good biography databases you can try. For research on pieces of literature, authors, or literary techniques/criticism, use Bloom's Literature.
Are these databases free for me to use? Yes! Skutt Catholic pays a yearly subscription rate so that you can use them without any extra cost. Unless a database is marked as a trial database, it will be available to you all year long.
How do I find the citations for articles I find in online databases? One of the greatest features of online databases is they provide the citations for us! Look for the "Cite" or "Citation" tool in any database. See Mrs. Rice if you need any help with this.
Will additional resources be added during the year? Our databases are pretty set for the year. However, we often get opportunities to use databases on a trial basis. Mrs. Rice will notify students via Google Classroom when trials are available. Links will be added to the database section of the library website and login information added to the online databases user id's and passwords document in Google Classroom. She will always note the ending date of a trial. It is important to save or print all information you are using from trial databases before the trial ends. After that date, we would not be able to access them. Mrs. Rice will update the class websites with new resources as projects begin. Check on the media website under "Research Help."
Is there an online catalog I can use to search for books? Yes! Use the link for Destiny Discover on the Home tab of the Library Media Website. You can search by title, author, subject, keyword or genre. When searching Destiny, you can see our print collection, as well as the books available through the Nebraska Schools Shared Digital Collection (Sora).
Can I come into the Student Center to check out books? When can I check out books? Yes! You may check out books anytime the Student Center is open.. If Mrs. Rice is not here, simply follow the instructions on the sign on her desk to check the book out.
How long can I keep a library book I've checked out? Books are checked out are due back in 3 weeks; however, you can always renew the book if you need more time. Just bring it in to renew it or send Mrs. Rice an e-mail.
How many books can I check out at one time? You may take as many books as you can reasonably read/use for research in three weeks, as long as you return or renew them on time.
Does the library charge fines? The library does not charge fines for overdue books, but if you lose a book or damage it beyond repair, you would be charged the replacement cost for the book.
What happens if I place a hold on a book? If you place a hold on a print copy of book, Mrs. Rice will notify you by e-mail when the book is ready to pick up and how you can get it from her. If you place a hold on an e-book, see the information below on placing holds in Sora.
Do I have to pay for the e-books and digital audio books I check out from Sora? No, Skutt Catholic pays a yearly subscription fee. There is no fee to you if you check something out.
How long can I keep an e-book or digital audio book I've checked out from Sora? How many ebooks/digital audio books can I have out at one time? The checkout period is three weeks. You can have three items checked out at one time.
How do I renew an ebook or digital audio book from Sora? Two or three days before your checkout expires, you can request a renewal. Go to your "Shelf" and click on the options button next to the book you wish to renew. Click on the renew button and follow the steps after that.
What happens if I place a hold on a book in Sora? If you place a hold in Sora, you will receive a notification in Sora when the book is ready to download. You will need to accept the download by a deadline within a few days. You will also be given the option to defer your hold 7 days and let someone move ahead of you while still staying on the hold list. If you do not respond, the book will pass to the next person in line and your name will be removed from the hold list. Here's a link to more information about holds.
How often does Sora get more books? Sora is frequently updated with new materials. On average, I receive notification of new materials twice per month.
Is Sora available during the summer and other school breaks? Yes! Sora is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week year-round.
Should I search for ebooks/audiobooks in Destiny or in the Sora app? If you know that you want an e-book or audiobook, starting in the Sora app will save you some steps. If you are just looking for something to read, searching in Destiny, the library catalog, will allow you to see both the print books available as well.
Does Sora have an audio book for every book? No. Unfortunately, only some titles are available in audio format.
Why are e-books only available to one person at a time? A digital copy of a book is viewed by the publisher as a single book, just like a typical print copy. Due to copyright and publisher rules, the purchase of one e-book only allows one student at a time to access. Some publishers make ebooks available for multiple users, but they tend to be very expensive.