Searching for Reading Materials by Lexile

Searching any Camden OPAC to recommend appropriately leveled reading materials

The bad news: You can’t. Our current automation system (Mandarin) won’t let you search by Lexile. Even worse: the MARC records that describe each book within your library may or may not have Lexile information within them, so you won’t be able to search EVERY book within the database.

The good news: This summer, the Camden libraries will be switching to a NEW automation system (OPALS), where you will be able to search materials by Lexile. Even more good news! Over the past few years, each Camden librarian began insisting that any book they ordered have a record that when possible, included Lexile information. So newer materials should show up, and the number of books that can be searched by Lexile will get bigger each year.

In OPALS, a Lexile search will look like this: 1 2

What else can you try to recommend Lexiled print reading? Metametrix has a website called Find a Book whereFind a Book you can search by title to see what Lexile the book is rated. If you don’t have a particular book in mind, but want to know what’s appropriate for a particular child, Find a BookFind a Book can also suggest books based upon a known lexile range. So can Barnes and Noble.Barnes and Noble So does Scholastic’s Book Wizard.Book Wizard If you have a book in mind but need to know the Lexile,

* Of course, this doesn’t guarantee the student can get a copy of the book from your school library, but we can interlibrary loan most requests, given some lead time.

Searching the NOVELNY Electronic Databases for Lexiles: More good news! Madison Oneida BOCES School Library Systems Madison Oneida BOCES School Library Systems received a grant called Search 4 Success that has let them make searching the NOVELNY databases (and any other database a school district has bought through one of their COSERS) with a single password. Some of the databases can be searched by Lexile if you are looking for a way to differentiate materials on the same subject. Unsure about the new password? Check with your building’s librarian.

So what will you have to do to search by Lexile? It depends upon which database you search. But generally, you will need to look for the advanced search function to search by Lexile. For instance…

Encyclopedias Golier Multimedia Encyclopedia, Encyclopedia Americana and the New Book of Knowledge are all Grolier products, and their advanced search screens are identical.

Encyclopedia Britannica does not allow Lexile searching, but does differentiate by allowing you to search for elementary, middle and high school articles on the same subject at the same time. Additional Content (right hand column) is listed the same way. Related to, but not part of Britannica

General Indexes Searchasaurus is a primary database with the ability to search by Lexile range on the first search screen.

General Indexes Kidsearch is a primary database with the ability to search by Lexile range on the first screen.

General Indexes EBSCO Primary Search is a primary database with the ability to search by Lexile range on the first screen.

General Indexes Infotrac General OneFile allows searching by Lexile range on the advanced search screen.

Newspapers NewsBank (America’s News) first Screen allows search by “readability”, which is actually Lexile.

Newspapers Infotrac Newsstand’s advanced search screen allows searching by Lexile range.

Newspapers Infotrac’s New York State Newspapers advanced search screen allows searching by Lexile range.

Other Searchable Databases TeachingBooks.net’s advanced search function allows searching by Lexile range.

Other Searchable Databases EBSCO’s Science Reference Center advanced search screen allows searching by a limited Lexile Range.

Other Searchable Databases Infotrac’s Health Reference Center advanced search screen allows searching by Lexile range.