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Home - Harford County Public Schools

Online Databases (HCPS Subscription Only)

Online databases are available in all schools with home access available to all students. The elementary schools have seven databases, while the secondary schools have access to eleven databases. All schools have access to the online database C.E.R.F. (Curriculum Educational Resource Finder), a safe and efficient directory of educator-selected web sites that should answer student research questions without directly searching the Internet.

All services are available for home use. Ask your school media specialist for the user name and password.

Secondary School Subscriptions

C.E.R.F. The internet is disorganized, sometimes inaccurate and information may be questionable. This company evaluates web sites for schools and allows you to search topics and retrieve sites that are relevant to the curriculum. You can request websites for a specific subject that C.E.R.F. does not have. C.E.R.F. will automatically create a bibliography for you of the online sites.
http://www.cerfinfo.com

CultureGrams Online Database links you to all CultureGrams editions, including World, Kids, Provinces, and States material, in an engaging interface that can be accessed anywhere, anytime. It includes unlimited printing rights, along with exclusive online features: worldwide photo gallery, slideshows, video clips, famous people collection, and a unique recipe collection that offers five homegrown recipes from all countries in the database. Plus, sortable (create-your-own) data tables help put dozens of facts into perspective.
http://online.culturegrams.com

Gale Resource Center Gold 1000 full text journals and magazines. Four newspapers: Washington Post, New York Times, Dallas Morning Herald, and LA Times. World of Health. American Decades. Discovering Series: Authors, Biography, Science, U.S. History, World History, Multicultural America, Novels., Short Stories, Poetry, Shakespeare. Primary Source Documents: African American Experience, The Civil Wark, Civil Rights in America, The Vietnam War, AND MANY OTHERS!
http://infotrac.galegroup.com/itweb/fall64368

Gale Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center This database, available from the Student Resource Center Gold web site, accesses information on social issues with viewpoints, statistics, and topic overviews.
http://infotrac.galegroup.com/itweb/fall64368

Grolier Multimedia Encyclopedia Grolier Multimedia includes three encyclopedias. The Americana is based on the Encyclopedia Americana and intended for users in middle school through adult, this database contains links to related web sites. Grolier Multimedia Encyclopedia online is based on the Academic American Encyclopedia and is intended for students in middle school and up. It includes a quick reference look-up tool with web links, timelines and an interactive atlas.The New Book of Knowledge online is based on The New Book of Knowledge Encyclopedia and suitable for grades 3 and up. This database contains NBK News, a current events site for use in classrooms and libraries.
http://go.grolier.com

Lands and Peoples A highly interactive and continually updated encyclopedia of geography, countries, cultures, and current events for students in elementary and middle school. Available at the Grolier Encyclopedia web site.
http://teacher.scholastic.com/products/grolier/program_LAP.htm

Mandarin M3 This is the library media center's online catalog of each school's collection of book and other materials housed in their school media center. These databases are specific to each school and may be accessed only within each school.

Reference Suite at Facts.com Facts on File World News Digest (full text coverage from 1980 to the present plus selected content dating back to 1940). Today's Science on File (Science news with special section for teachers). Issues and Controversies on File (broad range of current issues). Editorials on File. Reuters Online News Service. The World Almanac and Book of Facts
http:/www.2facts.com

SIRS Discoverer SIRS Discoverer is a full-text article database that helps elementary and middle school students develop researching, reading, writing, language and computer skills. Students can do research, read stories, learn about important people, places and events. Students can also access Photo Essays that portray social issues and global concepts through colorful photos accompanied by brief text.
http://discoverer.sirs.com

SIRS Researcher A general reference data base which contains social issues, health, science,and business. Thousands of full text articles exploring social, scientific, health, historic, economic. business, political and global issues.
http://researcher.sirs.com

World Book Encyclopedia World Book Encyclopedia includes maps and news in addition to the regular encyclopedia type articles. All updated on a daily basis.
http://www.worldbookonline.com/

Elementary School Subscriptions

America The Beautiful A complete online source for students that contains the latest demographic information on states, capitals, and major cities, as well as complete and current geographical, historical, and cultural information about the United States and its territories. It includes timelines, biographies, maps, fun facts, and teacher resources, this database is based on the definitive reference source "America the Beautiful" published by Children's Press.
http://teacher.scholastic.com/products/grolier/program_ATB.htm

C.E.R.F. The internet is disorganized, sometimes inaccurate and information may be questionable. This company evaluates web sites for schools and allows you to search topics and retrieve sites that are relevant to the curriculum. You can request websites for a specific subject that C.E.R.F. does not have. C.E.R.F. will automatically create a bibliography for you of the online sites.
http://www.cerfinfo.com

CultureGrams Online Database links you to all CultureGrams editions, including World, Kids, Provinces, and States material, in an engaging interface that can be accessed anywhere, anytime. It includes unlimited printing rights, along with exclusive online features: worldwide photo gallery, slideshows, video clips, famous people collection, and a unique recipe collection that offers five homegrown recipes from all countries in the database. Plus, sortable (create-your-own) data tables help put dozens of facts into perspective.
http://online.culturegrams.com

Grolier Multimedia Encyclopedia Grolier Multimedia includes three encyclopedias. The Americana is based on the Encyclopedia Americana and intended for users in middle school through adult, this database contains links to related web sites. Grolier Multimedia Encyclopedia online is based on the Academic American Encyclopedia and is intended for students in middle school and up. It includes a quick reference look-up tool with web links, timelines and an interactive atlas.The New Book of Knowledge online is based on The New Book of Knowledge Encyclopedia and suitable for grades 3 and up. This database contains NBK News, a current events site for use in classrooms and libraries.
http://go.grolier.com

Mandarin M3 This is the library media center's online catalog of each school's collection of book and other materials housed in their school media center. These databases are specific to each school and may be accessed only within each school.

SIRS Discoverer SIRS Discoverer is a full-text article database that helps elementary and middle school students develop researching, reading, writing, language and computer skills. Students can do research, read stories, learn about important people, places and events. Students can also access Photo Essays that portray social issues and global concepts through colorful photos accompanied by brief text.
http://discoverer.sirs.com

SIRS Researcher A general reference data base which contains social issues, health, science,and business. Thousands of full text articles exploring social, scientific, health, historic, economic. business, political and global issues.
http://researcher.sirs.com

World Book Encyclopedia World Book Encyclopedia includes maps and news in addition to the regular encyclopedia type articles. All updated on a daily basis.
http://www.worldbookonline.com/