Media Center

Gross Catholic Card Catalog – Search for the books on our shelves.

NebraskAccess (Password: Use your State ID or Driver License ID.) – Hosts several databases, magazines, other resources. A good place to begin is the Explora- EBSCOHost database.

Google Scholar – Academic, peer-reviewed articles for research projects; many of the articles are free to access. You may not get 100% access though.

Digital Public Library – Get primary sources, timelines, news, and see exhibitions on a variety of topics.

SmithsonianEDU – Explore the Smithsonian’s various digital galleries, exhibits, and countless digital resources on all topics.

StatWorld – 400+ interactive maps of world statistics.

ERIC – Academic peer-reviewed educational topics and journal articles

GC Library’s Newsletters – Monthly and bi-weekly communications are sent out to students about technology, books, and library events.

Looking for a book to read? Start here!

GC Card Catalog – Once you are on the Follett Destiny page, select Gross Catholic High School. You can search by title, author, subject, keyword, and series.

Recommendations for Library Books: Please fill out the recommendation form to help your media specialist add new books to the library

NovelList Plus – Part of the NebraskaAccess database; password: use a valid Nebraska driver’s license ID or state ID.

ALA YALSA Teens’ Top Ten Books – The American Library Association creates a yearly Top Ten YA Books list. You can look at previous years too.

Epic Reads – Full of reviews, booklists, but most importantly– they provide information about new releases or upcoming titles from YA authors.

Reading Rants – One book is selected each month and a summary with commentary is provided.

Goodreads – A social media platform to share about books. There are reviews, tp book lists, and many other tools to help you find books to read.

YALSA Teen Book Finder Database and website – The Young Adult Library Services Association maintains this database to help you find books by genre, awards, or year. Check it out!

Omaha Public Library 
http://omahalibrary.org/

Bellevue Public Library
http://www.bellevuelibrary.org/

Papillion Public Library
http://www.sumplibrary.org/

La Vista Public Library
http://cityoflavista.org/library

Ralston Public Library
http://ralstonlibrary.org/

Barnes and Noble
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/
3333 Oakview Dr.
Omaha, Nebraska 
(402) 691-4557

The Bookworm
www.bookwormomaha.com
2501 South 90th Street, Suite 111
Omaha, Nebraska 
(402) 392-2877

Half Price Books
www.hpb.com
12355 W. Center Rd.
Omaha, Nebraska 
402-330-0640

University of Nebraska-Omaha Bookstore
www.unobookstore.com
Milo Bail Student Center
6001 Dodge St
Omaha, Nebraska 
(402) 554-2336

Creighton University Bookstore
www.bkstr.com/creightonstore
Harper Center
602 N 20th St
Omaha, Nebraska 
(402) 280-2796

Bellevue University Bookstore
http://www.bellevue.edu/student-support/bookstore/
1008 Galvin Rd S. 
Bellevue, Nebraska 
(402) 557-7070

How do I start research?

Start with this helpful flowchart

Academic databases help you find reliable and relevant sources
NebraskAccess (Password: Use your State ID or Driver License ID.) – Hosts several databases, magazines, other resources. A good place to begin is the Explora- EBSCOHost database.

Google Scholar – Academic, peer-reviewed articles for research projects; many of the articles are free to access. You may not get 100% access though.

Digital Public Library – Get primary sources, timelines, news, and see exhibitions on a variety of topics.

SmithsonianEDU – Explore the Smithsonian’s various digital galleries, exhibits, and countless digital resources on all topics.

StatWorld – 400+ interactive maps of world statistics.

ERIC – Academic peer-reviewed educational topics and journal articles

MyBib – A user-friendly Chrome extension that helps you create Work Cited or Reference pages. See here for more information too.

Purdue OWL – Great resource for both APA and MLA formats. See examples of how to cite sources (print and digital), how to format a paper, and how to format a Resources/Works Cited page.

What is Plagiarism? When you try to claim work you did not originate yourself as your own.

Types of Plagiarism Infographic – View this infographic to find out what it is and how to avoid it.

How do I cite sources in my writing?

See these links for the specific style you are writing in.
MLA In-Text Citations
APA In-Text Citations

Copyright Free music, videos, and photos/images
BenSound – Royalty-free music
Videvo – Free video clips
Unsplash – High-resolution stock photos
Pixabay – Free stock photos
Creative Commons – Search for images and videos

Resource Apps for Education – Several apps for shortening URL’s, creating QR codes, taking/storing notes, publishing, etc.

Bitly  – A URL shortener. You must create an account to use.
TinyURL – A URL shortener.
Storybird  – Simple tools to help you build books in minutes; great presentation tool for projects.
Paper.li  – Publish web content into your own on-line newspaper.
QR Code Generator – A free QR code generator.
StudyBlue  – Create and study on-line flashcards and class notes.
Evernote  – Your work saved together all in one digital workspace.
Quizlet – Create and study online flashcards.
Canva  – A simple-to-use graphic design tool for creating posters, letters, presentations, and more.
NewsELA  – Delivers daily news articles at five different reading levels.
Khan Academy  – Video tutorials in several subjects including math, reading/writing, science, economics/finance, arts/humanities, computing, and test preparation.
Lino  – On-line sticky notes, bulletin-board style.

Resources for Research Projects

NebraskAccess – Find academic, peer-reviewed journal, magazine, and newspaper articles. See Mrs. Harris for the password, or use a valid Nebraska driver’s license number to access the databases within NebraskaAccess.
Google Scholar –  Academic, peer-reviewed articles for research projects; many of the articles are free to access.
Digital Public Library  – Get primary sources, timelines, news, and see exhibitions on a variety of topics.
StatWorld  – 400+ interactive maps of world statistics.
ERIC – Education Resources Information Center with links to peer-reviewed journals.

Research Paper Formatting and Citing Sources

Purdue OWL  – Great resource for both APA and MLA formats. See examples of how to cite sources (print and digital), how to format a paper, and how to format a Resources/Works Cited page.

What is Plagiarism? View this tutorial to find out what it is and how to avoid it.

Plagiarism Tutorial

Copyright Free Pictures, Music, and Videos

Pixabay: Free Images 
Google – Click on Settings in the bottom right-hand corner, select Advanced Search, scroll down to “usage rights,” and select “free to share use or modify.”
Free Music Archive  
Audio Farm 
Videvo  – Free video clips

AASL Position Statements – Various position statements by the American Association of School Librarians (AASL) on the school library and librarian’s role in the library.

AASL Standards Framework – The American Association of School Librarians (AASL) created this PDF to show the national standards used by school librarians.

How does the school library support your child?

The following websites are helpful when writing papers for your classes, college applications, or even the ACT:

Ten Rules for Academic Writing – This infographic provides 10 of the more important rules when one is using academic writing.

Purdue OWL – Purdue Online Writing Lab.

Transitional Devices – Using appropriate connecting words and phrases and can elevate your analysis.

Resources for Writing from MIT – Includes strategies for writing introductions and conclusions, grammar tips, and how to avoid plagiarism.

The Five Paragraph Essay -Basic format and suggestions for creating a five paragraph essay.

Writing a College Application Essay – This slideshow offers 8 tips for writing an essay for your college applications.

How to Improve Your ACT Writing Score – If you choose to do the Writing section on the ACT, this article provides some helpful tips.

Printer Software

Papercut Pro Mobility Printing – The needed print driver to use school printers in the commons and media center. Click here for: Windows, Chromebook, but Mac products use AirPrint. Mac Laptop: Add the printers through System Preferences → Printers Scanners → Click + and add Media Center and Commons printers.

Tech Tools
TinyURL – A URL shortener or custom link maker.
QR Code Generator – A free QR code generator.
Lino – On-line sticky notes, bulletin-board style.
Google Keep – Google’s solution for a digital “notebook”

Visual Learning/Presentation Tools
ThingLink – create visual experiences for learning
Prezi – create striking visual presentations with linked-in media (videos, music, etc.)
Sutori – create interactive timelines for class assignments

Digital/Print Product Creation
Canva – A simple-to-use graphic design tool for creating posters, letters, presentations, and more.
Storybird – Simple tools to help you build books in minutes; great presentation tool for projects.
Paper.li – Publish web content into your own on-line newspaper.

Reading Apps/Tools
NewsELA – Delivers daily news articles at five different reading levels.

Study Tools
Quizlet – Create and study online flashcards.
Khan Academy – Video tutorials in several subjects including math, reading/writing, science, economics/finance, arts/humanities, computing, and test preparation.

Resources for Lesson Planning, Instruction, and Assessment

Be sure to check out the Recommended Apps and Research Options Links for even more tools for presentations and research options.

Nebraska Department of Education – Online resources for teachers including lesson plans, assessment ideas, articles, and more.
Edmodo  -A social learning platform website for teachers, students, and parents.
Learn Zillion -Thousands of standards-aligned lessons and videos.
TEDEd Lesson Plans  -Videos with lessons built in and the option to create more.
Big History Project -Information covering 13.8 billion years of history and science.
Student Handouts -Free materials for teachers in all grade levels and subjects.
Khan Academy  -Video tutorials. 
PlayPosit -Online learning environment for interactive video lessons.
Class Flow -Tool for delivering interactive multi-media lessons.

Assessment Tools

Poll Everywhere -Live polling of votes or comments to presentations.
Kahoot – classroom response system; game-based for polls, voting
Socrative -classroom tool for visualizing and measuring understanding
Plickers  -collects real-time formative assessment data without the need for student devices