1. DISCUS - South Carolina’s Virtual Library
An Overview for Schools
9/2004

2. DISCUS* is an online LIBRARY
The best online information & learning resources
For South Carolinians of all ages & interests
Available online - all the time
*Digital Information for SC USers

3. DISCUS gives you free access to --
Subscription *databases*
From reputable publishers
Organized & regularly updated
Selected, age appropriate materials
Delivered over the Internet – but NOT the free Internet
DISCUS is better than the free Internet !

4. DISCUS *databases* are . . .
Large, organized, electronic collections of . . .
Articles, books & other types of published information . . .
That may be easily searched to find the information you need.

5. DISCUS has over 26 million articles from over 5000 periodicals!
DISCUS includes . . .
Articles from -
Magazines
Newspapers
Professional Journals
Information from -
Encyclopedias
Dictionaries
Reference sources
DISCUS has over 26 million articles from over 5000 periodicals!
and . . .

6. DISCUS also includes . . . . . . and more! Pictures & photographs Maps
Lesson plans
Student & teacher activities
Primary sources
Links to the best web sites
. . . and more!

7. Find information on all subjects!
DISCUS covers . . .
Arts & Literature
Biography
Business
Current Events
Education
Government
Health & Medicine
History
Science & Technology
Social Sciences
and more!
Find information on all subjects!

8. Use DISCUS for . . . and much more! K-12 homework school projects
college research
speech preparation
term papers & reports
teacher preparation
independent study
political awareness
consumer decisions
lifelong learning
and much more!

9. DISCUS goals & vision for SC
Equal access to information
Serve information needs of all
Expand library resources
Offer library resources 24/7
Cost efficient use of public funds
$1 spent on DISCUS buys over $12 worth of resources.

10. DISCUS is for all South Carolinians !
Through the services of your . . .
Public library
Public school
Private school
(SACS-accredited)
College or university
Coordinated by the South Carolina State Library

11. DISCUS Web site - www.scdiscus.org
K-12 users Click here

12. DISCUS site for K-12 users
Click on the name of the database you wish to use.
Click Subject, Grade Level or Search Tips tab for help in choosing the best database
Kids go here

13. DISCUS Kids page

14. Use DISCUS at home, too !
To use DISCUS at home, just ask your school library media specialist for the username & password.

15. Grolier encyclopedias for all age groups
All 3 include teacher resources, magazines, Web links & more!

16. Info News PicturesGames Web links & more!
New Book of Knowledge
for grades 3 & up
Info News PicturesGames Web links & more!

17. Grolier Multimedia Encyclopedia
for grades 5 & up

18. Encyclopedia Americana
for grades 8 & up

19. Find articles & Web sites by topic & reading level
SIRS Discoverer
For grades 1-9
Find articles & Web sites by topic & reading level

20. Articles, Web links & more for advanced middle grades & up
SIRS Knowledge Source
Articles, Web links & more for advanced middle grades & up

21. SIRS Knowledge Source – features
News, audio clips, maps & more!

22. The State Columbia, SC newspaper

23. Gale databases for children - adults
14 periodical & reference databases to meet your needs

24. Kids InfoBits

25. Junior Edition
Easy to use &
has helpful tools!

26. Junior Edition – Tool Box
Build information literacy skills, too!

27. Biography Resource Center + Who’s Who
Find individuals by occupation, ethnicity, gender

28. What Do I Read Next?

29. Scribner Writers Series

30. Focus your search with limit options
Health & Wellness Resource Center
Focus your search with limit options

31. Over 26 million articles at your fingertips!
InfoTrac OneFile
Over 26 million articles at your fingertips!

32. More “InfoTrac” databases from Gale
Broad subject coverage –
Student Edition
General Reference Center
Expanded Academic ASAP
Custom Newspapers
and . . .

33. More “InfoTrac” databases from Gale
Specialized subject coverage –
General BusinessFile ASAP
Health Reference Center- Academic
LegalTrac

34. Thank Your Legislator!
DISCUS is funded by the South Carolina General Assembly, through the K-12 Technology Initiative.
Supplemental funding is provided through the federal Library Services & Technology Act.
DISCUS is coordinated by the South Carolina State Library - in cooperation with school, college & public libraries.

35. To learn more, ask your librarian!
Start using DISCUS Today!
To learn more, ask your librarian!