Media Center
Dennis Posner
Media Specialist, Teacher
An access point to our online databases, guide students in the research process, and assist our community in locating relevant educational or “of interest” information.
Databases
Databases
Source is a one-stop research platform combining citable reference content with instructional videos and tutorials, as well as access to your other subscription databases. Source is a great
starting point for research.
ABC-CLIO Databases Home Page - Access to all databases.
ABC-CLIO is an award-winning publisher with a fifty-year tradition of quality and integrity. All content in their online resources is reviewed and approved by subject experts, scholars and elite educators.
Access to individual databases:
In Daily Life through History discover details about past eras that make historical accounts relevant and meaningful from their modern-day perspectives. A truly unique reference resource, DLtH explores ordinary life through time and across the globe, bringing the past to life through details and insights that turn flat descriptions of historical characters into real, "just like me" human beings. Supports American history classes and literature as well as cross-disciplinary resources for examining historical topics like food and cooking, celebrations, clothes, romance, work, religion, housing, language and social customs.
World History: Ancient and Medieval Eras explores ancient civilizations, dynasties, and empires and profiles city-states, countries, and regions of the ancient and medieval world. It encompasses intellectual developments, wars, religion, cultural practices, and more from prehistory through to the beginning of the Renaissance.
This resource will cover a broad range of topics in depth - the evolution of modern Europe since the Renaissance; concurrent developments in Asia, Africa, and the Islamic world; the global impact of the Industrial Revolution; and the last 100 years of conflicts and international cooperation.
Britannica School is the go-to site for learning more about any subject-for all grades and all reading abilities-offering thousands of up-to-date, curated, and curriculum-relevant articles, images, videos, audio clips, primary sources, maps, research tools, recommended Web sites, and three separate databases-Elementary, Middle, or High.
Gain access to Journals, Magazine, Newspapers, Encyclopedias, General Reference, Novel List, Literary Reference Center, Points of View, Salud en Espanol and Non-Fiction collection.
Available Databases: American History Online, American Women's History Online, African-American History Online, American Indian History Online, Modern World History Online, Ancient and Medieval History Online, World Atlas, Science Online, Health Reference Center, Curriculum Resource Center, Curriculum Resource Center: Junior Edition, Literary Reference Online, Ferguson's Career Guidance Center, Personal & Business Forms Online, High School / Middle School ebook collection, and Issues and Controversies
Gale Virtual Reference Library - Gale Virtual Reference Library is a database of encyclopedias and specialized reference sources for multidisciplinary research. These reference materials once were accessible only in the library, but now you can access them online from the library or remotely 24/7.
A non-profit educational company that publishes and maintains articles, images, videos, podcasts and interactive educational tools related to history. Curated resource on history, with short, user-friendly articles on a vast array of topics.
eBooks
Through the Sora Reading App, Students and Staff will gain access to a shared collection, curated by Overdrive, of hundreds of age-appropriate eBooks, audiobooks, and magazines on virtually any device. You can download the app onto a phone or tablet by going to your respective App Store and searching for Sora the Reading App. You can also connect your Sora account with the Morris County Library System to access their digital collection. You will need a Library Card and pin number.
Other Libraries
Mountain Lakes High School Library Catalog & Databases - Access MLHS Library catalog and databases.
Mountain Lakes Public Library - Access from school to the Mountain Lakes Public Library catalog and databases. May need library card number to use some features and databases.
Tools
Noodle Tools provides innovative software that teaches students and supports teachers and librarians throughout the entire research process.
- Search intelligently
- Assess the quality of results
- Record, organize and synthesize information using online notecards
- Format your bibliography in MLA, APA, or Chicago/Turabian style
Research Process
Big 6 Research Process Model
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Task Definition What is my current task? |
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Information Seeking Strategies What are all the possible sources to check? |
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Location and Access Where can I find these sources? |
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Use of Information What information do I expect to find in this source? |
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Synthesis How will I organize my information? |
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Evaluation Did I do what was required? |
The "Big6™" is copyright © (1987) Michael B. Eisenberg and Robert E. Berkowitz. For more information, visit: www.big6.com
Handout created by: Barbara J. Shoemaker, School Media Specialist, Mill Road Elementary, K-2 Red Hook Central School District, Red Hook, NY
Information Search Process Model
During the 1980s and 1990s many information process models were developed. One model of particular interest is the Information Search Process (ISP) by Carol Kuhlthau. Her model is quite unique because her research was specifically designed for this area.
Kuhlthau observed the reactions of students, examined various strategies and tracked student progress while engaged in the inquiry/research process. Her observations make her approach to information inquiry incredibly valuable and insightful. The Information Search Process goes beyond the basic model, her research stresses the "attitudinal and emotional aspects of the inquiry process."
Every time I am engaged in the research process for myself or work with students involved in research, I find myself thinking about this model. It explains why I feel the way I feel. Knowing that I am not alone in these feelings, the fact that they are felt by everyone, helps me to persevere and accomplish my research goals and task. I hope that by reading this it will help you too. :)
The Information Search Process Model includes seven stages. Within each stage is a task, thoughts, feelings, actions, and strategies.
- Initiation - when a person first becomes aware of a lack of knowledge or understanding and feelings of uncertainty and apprehension are common.
- Selection - when a general area, topic or problem is identified and enitail uncertainty often gives way to a brief sense of optimism and a readiness to begin the search.
- Exploration - when inconsistent, incompatible information is encountered and uncertainty, confusion, and doubt frequently increase and people find themselves "in the dip" of confidence.
- Formulation - when a focused perspective is formed and uncertainty diminishes as confidence begins to increase.
- Collection - when information pertinent to the focused perspective is gathered and uncertainty subsides as interest and involvement deepens.
- Presentation - when the search is completed with a new understanding enabling the person to explain his or her learning to others or in some way put the learning to use.
Kuthlthau, Carol C. "Information Search Process." School of Communication and Information - Rutgers University. Rutgers State University, Jan. 2012 Web. 22 Jan. 2012. <http: comminfo.rutgers.edu="" ~kuhlthau="" information_search_process.htm="">.</http:>
Helpful Research Resources
Information Seeking
Once you know, or kind of know, what information you’re seeking you need to consider what tools and resources are available to you and how best to gather the information you need to either complete a school assignment or personal endeavor.
If your search is for a school assignment you should begin searching the Databases or Print material provided to you by our school and Mountain Lakes Public Library. Once you feel confident in your knowledge of the subject matter its time broaden your search to the world wide web.
The links that follow should be helpful in deciding what search engine would be best and how to effectely and efficiently use them.
A chart of the major search engines capabilities and searching options.
Thank you Noodle Tools!! Our subscription to this awesome resource provides extremely helpful chart that suggests the best search engine for your research task.
This guide helps you make the most out of Google’s advance search option to produce more relevant search results.
An interactive Boolean machine that illustrates how the "and", "or", and "not" operators work.
An online tutorial on using search engines and subject directories for finding information
Use of Information
This link takes you to an interactive tutorial, for Vaughan Memorial Library, on plagiarism and ethical researching.
Internet Citation Generators
Create properly formatted MLA (other formats available) citations for your research paper or project. Be sure to fill out forms as completely as possible as sometimes these sites do not get everything. If you can not find a component for an entry move on to the next one.
Landmarks Son of Citation Machine
Shrink up those long URL's with this handy tool!!