The Wayne Hills High School Media Center offers 4 comprehensive database suites – ABC-Clio, Gale Cengage, EBSCO & Facts-on-File, as well as an assortment of other databases (educational and technology training videos, college/career digital library and more) that together cover all subject areas. A database is a collection of digitized information that is easily searchable. Databases provide reliable, homework-appropriate information and can be accessed by multiple users at the same time. Database information can be saved to your student folders, emailed or printed. You can access the databases from school or home, 24/7. Be sure to use the login and password (which you can get by clicking on any of the specific topics below - please note that to see these files, you will need to be logged into your Google Docs with your school email).

We also have a page of Lib Guides, which have been curated for specific classes.

Why are databases and eBooks better than a free web search engine like Google?

Google is best if you’re looking for non-academic information, like the latest sports or music news or the price of a car that you’re interested in buying. But for locating reliable academic information, free search engines like Google aren’t so useful. They may direct you to websites authored by people who may or may not be qualified to give you the correct information. Some websites will simply be interested in making a profit, rather than providing reliable information.

The databases and eBooks, on the other hand, are written by experts in the appropriate fields and will contain trustworthy information. Your parents’ property tax dollars go toward paying for subscriptions to the databases, which are therefore password-protected for your use only. The information found in the databases will not be found on the free web.

Databases and eBooks are also faster and easier to use than a free web search engine like Google. Google will give you 100,000 returns for your search…and most of those returns are links to commercial websites that won’t have reliable information. Why search through so many inappropriate returns when the database will give you a much smaller number of good returns? Best of all, the databases will provide citation information in the correctly-formatted MLA style that WHHS requires. You won’t have to pull together your own citations for unknown resources.

Accessing Digital Resources

For copyright reasons, your user IDs and passwords can’t be provided on this publicly accessible website. You can get a copy of the WHHS ID/PW charts at the help desk in the Media Center page or on the Media Center page in School Fusion.

For tips on how to effectively search digital resources, speak with the Media Specialist or pick up one of our helpful guides.

HOW TO BEGIN YOUR RESEARCH:

1) Enter search terms in the ONLINE CATALOG to locate print resources in Media Center (feel free to ask for help in locating them)

2) Then try the DATABASES and WEBSITES

3) Use INDEX CARDS to keep a record of the sources you use

4) Create a BIBLIOGRAPHY

5) Save your research in your online STUDENT FOLDER

6) Don't forget to LOGOFF when you leave the Media Center.