Educator Tools

Interactive books, educational games and activities designed for young learners ages 2 to 8+. The playful ABCmouse online curriculum is designed to help young learners (ages 2 to 8+) build a strong foundation for future academic success.

Covers major subject areas like reading, math, science, social studies, art and music with more than 10,000 interactive learning games, books, videos, songs and more. Also features a selection of learning activities in Spanish.

In-Library use only. Use a Library computer or connect your laptop to the JoCoLibrary Public Wireless network. For compatible mobile devices connected to the Library network, use the ABCmouse app. Learn more »

Service provider: Age of Learning

A comprehensive resource for the study of literature covering thousands of great writers and their works. Edited and curated by Yale University professor Harold Bloom, this resource includes thousands of critical essays and discussion questions, synopses, character analyses, author biographies, print and audio author interviews, timelines, full-length poems, full-reference books and full-length videos of classic plays and films.

Service provider: Infobase

This resource is made available through the State Library of Kansas.

Online encyclopedia for college students and adults that combines the Encyclopedia Britannica plus Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary and Thesaurus, magazines and other periodicals. Provides a variety of research tools and reliable sources.

Service Provider: Encyclopedia Britannica

This resource is made available through the State Library of Kansas.

Seleccione alguno de los niveles de escolaridad (primaria y secundaria) o busque en las bases de datos para encontrar la información más relevante a sus necesidades. Provee acceso rápido a múltiples recursos como artículos, diccionarios, recursos multimedia, sitios web y mucho más. Todo el contenido de Britannica Escolar es confiable y apropiado para los diferentes niveles de comprensión y aprendizaje.

Este recurso está disponible através de la Biblioteca del Estado de Kansas (State Library of Kansas).

Spanish language database. Select one of the levels of schooling (primary and secondary) or search the databases to find the information most relevant to your needs. It provides quick access to multiple resources such as articles, dictionaries, multimedia resources, websites and much more. All content of Britannica Escolar is reliable and appropriate for different levels of understanding and learning.

Proveedor del servicio / Service Provider: Encyclopedia Britannica

This resource is made available through the State Library of Kansas.

Online encyclopedia presented at reading levels for elementary, middle and high school. Includes age-appropriate encyclopedia entries, articles from journals and magazines and websites. The Workspace feature allows you to collect your own research materials that you can refer to later.

Service Provider: Encyclopedia Britannica

This resource is made available through the State Library of Kansas.

Education-related abstracts including adult education, comparative education, government funding, higher education, school administration, teacher evaluation and more.

Service provider: EBSCO

This resource is made available through the State Library of Kansas.

Database of reading material designed to support learners who are developing English language proficiency and need content on many subjects adapted for reading level. English Language Learner (ELL) articles provide information on the topic and a short comprehension quiz with the answers. Includes nonfiction articles and reference texts about a variety of topics; vocabulary and reading practice quizzes; illustrations, diagrams and maps; audio to listen to articles aloud; translation of articles by an automated program; and research guides and tips on note-taking, academic writing and more.

Read It! was jointly developed by EBSCO and Course Crafters, internationally-known as specialists in developing ELL products, and ELL specialists across the country identified content, features and functionality desired in an online research resource.

La base de datos Read It! ofrece artículos y textos de no ficción adaptados para estudiantes de inglés. Cubre una variedad de temas e incluye pruebas breves de comprensión. Este recurso está solamente en inglés. Este recurso está disponible através de la Biblioteca del Estado de Kansas (State Library of Kansas).

Service Provider: EBSCO

This resource is made available through the State Library of Kansas.

Authoritative resource for education literature such as journal articles, books, conference papers, curriculum guides, dissertations and policy papers. Contains more than a million abstracts and full-text articles dating back to 1907. The Education Resources Information Center (ERIC) is an sponsored by the Institute of Education Sciences of the U.S. Department of Education.

Service provider: EBSCO

This resource is made available through the State Library of Kansas.

Explora Educator's Edition offers an easy place to browse or search for articles and literature from professional education resources in EBSCO databases such as Academic Search Premier, ERIC (Education Resources Information Center), Professional Development Collection, Teacher Reference Center and a variety of eBooks on EBSCOhost.

Topics cover assessment, best practices, continuing education, curriculum development, elementary education and secondary education, higher education, instructional media, literacy standards, pedagogical research, school administration and teacher education.

Service provider: EBSCO

This resource is made available through the State Library of Kansas.

Explorations of books, authors, genres and topics. Includes numerous book lists of expert picks and award winners from the U.S. and internationally. Curated by Gale, content covers fiction and non-fiction titles for all ages with highlights of individual books including summaries, settings and time periods, subjects, main characters and read-a-likes.

Service provider: Gale, a division of Cengage Learning

Digital historical documents including books, manuscripts, letters, newspapers, photographs, maps and more ranging across topics of national and global relevance. Explore primary sources across these collections:

• Archives Unbound: Kansas History, Territorial through Civil War Years, 1854-1865
  Kansas history documented through personal narratives, political speeches, songs and more
• Associated Press Collections Online
  Archive of AP coverage of events, people and trends from the mid-19th through 20th centuries
• Indigenous Peoples of North America
  Cultural, political and social history of American and Canadian Indigenous Peoples from the 17th-20th centuries
• The Making of Modern Law: American Civil Liberties Union Papers
  Records from 1912-1990 on free speech, citizenship, race, discrimination and more, plus mid-20th century content from the Southern Regional Office
• The Making of Modern Law: Foreign Primary Sources
  Historical legal codes, statutes, regulations and commentaries on codes from various European countries
• The Making of Modern Law: Foreign, Comparative and International Law, 1600-1926
  Foreign and international legal literature including treatises and monographs
• Political Extremism and Radicalism
  Campaign materials, periodicals and propaganda from U.S. and global fringe political movements during the 19th through early 21st century
• Religions of America
  Materials documenting religious movements that originated in the U.S. and Canada in the 19th and 20th centuries
• Slavery and Anti-Slavery: A Transnational Archive
  Content and research guides related to the history of slavery including legal issues, Atlantic slave trade, race and the American Civil War, modes of resistance and emancipation
• Women's Studies Archive
  Documents presenting the roles, experiences and achievements of women in 19th and 20th century society
• Women: Transnational Networks (Nineteenth Century Collections Online)
  North American, European and other regional suffrage movements, culture, immigration, health and other gender and class issues

Service provider: Gale, a division of Cengage Learning

This resource is made available with support from the State Library of Kansas.

Articles covering all aspects of managing and maintaining information and technology, including usability, cataloging, circulation, business information and more. Curated for library science students, information science and technology professionals.

Service provider: Gale, a division of Cengage Learning

Accurate, accessible and authoritative exploration of today's crucial issues and hot topics spanning government, business, society, education and popular culture. Each article is presented in a clear, unbiased manner with a balanced pro/con format, key facts, arguments, history and current context. Ideal for research papers, debate preparation and persuasive writing assignments.

Service provider: Infobase

This resource is made available through the State Library of Kansas.

More than 40,000 historical photographs, newspapers, maps and more documenting the people, places and organizations of Johnson County, Kansas, from the 19th century to the present.

JoCoHistory is a collaborative collection of digitized content from Johnson County Library, Johnson County Museum, Johnson County Archives, Kansas School for the Deaf, Lenexa Historical Society and City of Lenexa, Olathe Public Library, Overland Park Historical Society, Shawnee Mission School District and other local organizations.

Cover-to-cover indexing of over 400 journals, including key library and information science periodicals back to1980. Subjects include automation, cataloging, censorship, circulation procedures, classification, copyright legislation, government aid, library associations and conferences, library equipment and supplies, personnel administration, preservation of materials and more.

Service provider: EBSCO

This resource is made available through the State Library of Kansas.

Abstracts of articles on the topics of librarianship and information science extends back to the mid-1960s. Subject coverage includes librarianship, classification, cataloging, bibliometrics, online information retrieval, information management and more. Indexes more than 560 core journals, nearly 50 priority journals, nearly 125 selective journals, books, research reports and proceedings.

Service provider: EBSCO

This resource is made available through the State Library of Kansas.

Hundreds of interactive books online for grades K-12. Access online with a computer or mobile device, no downloads required.

Topics cover science, social studies, language arts and more. Engage on every page through a mix of audio narration, videos, slideshows, quizzes, key words, interactive maps, printable activities, supplemental streaming media and weblinks to additional information. Titles for grades 9-12 also incorporate primary sources and historical documents such as letters, diaries, speeches and newspaper articles.

Each title has a suggested reading level (K-10) and interest level (K-12), and some titles also are provided in Spanish. All Lightbox content is based on national curriculum standards.

Service provider: Lightbox Learning

Unlimited access to trusted classroom activity resources. Designed for prekindergarten to grade 6, make learning fun while teaching core skills with thousands of worksheets, crafts, forms, songs, games, graphic organizers, patterns, clip art, cards and more. All content is created by teachers for teachers and is editor-reviewed, and new content is added regularly.

Service provider: Infobase

This resource is made available through the State Library of Kansas.

Kid-friendly introduction to music theory, instruments, composers and more. Bite-sized lesson feature interactive elements and activities to learn about music from around the world and through time. Great for beginners as kids or adults.

Service provider: Naxos

The month's major news topics, summarized in just a few sentences with links to the Access World News collection's latest relevant articles, blogs, videos and more. Coverage spans a variety of categories such as global issues, current events and people, business and economics, civics, government and politics, social issues, science, technology and health, sports, arts and literature.

Service provider: NewsBank

Reading recommendations for fiction and narrative nonfiction titles for all ages, plus read-alikes for every title and author. Offers book discussion guides, thematic book lists, and reading and book oriented articles.

Service provider: EBSCO

This resource is made available through the State Library of Kansas.

Specialized collection designed for professional educators featuring articles from nearly 520 high quality education journals, including more than 350 peer-reviewed titles and more than 200 educational reports.

Service provider: EBSCO

This resource is made available through the State Library of Kansas.

Full-text articles from nearly 400 journals covering topics in emotional and behavioral characteristics, psychiatry and psychology, mental processes, anthropology, and observational and experimental methods.

Service provider: EBSCO

This resource is made available through the State Library of Kansas.

Index and abstracts for nearly 300 peer-reviewed periodicals for educators and administrators. Topics include assessment, best practices, continuing education, current pedagogical research, curriculum development, elementary education, higher education, instructional media, language arts, literacy standards, pedagogical research, school administration, science, mathematics and teacher education.

Service provider: EBSCO

This resource is made available through the State Library of Kansas.

Comprehensive and in-depth explanations of some of the most important advances in biology, chemistry, environmental science, space, physics and technology. Each article includes vivid images and videos that help make difficult concepts understandable. Bridges the gap between the science taught in class and real-world discoveries by leading scientists, and the Instructional Resources for educators offer crossword puzzles, experiments and other classroom activities.

Service provider: Infobase

This resource is made available through the State Library of Kansas.

Thousands of on-demand video courses taught by world-class instructors. Gale Presents: Udemy covers the freshest and most relevant content on leadership and management, coding, design, marketing, IT operations, data science, project management, human resources, sales, accounting, finance, productivity, arts, hobbies, health and personal development.

Courses include exercise files, searchable transcripts and multilingual captioning. Powered by the Udemy Business collection, plus an international collection featuring courses led by native speakers in a variety of languages.

Intended for use within Johnson County, otherwise a login error may result. Currently only accessible with a traditional Library card, not an eCard. Learn how to get a Library card »

Get started on the website

1. 1. Sign in with your Library card number.
      This service is not available to eCards at this time.
   2. Create your personal Udemy account, either by signing up for a Gale user account with your email and a password or by signing in with a Google or Microsoft supported account.
   3. Begin learning!

Mobile app (optional)
First, create your Udemy account via our website, following the steps above. Then:

1. 1. Install the Udemy Business app from your app store.
   2. Enter Gale as the name of your organization's account, then select Next.
   3. Select Public Library, then search for and select Johnson County Library (Kansas).
   4. If prompted, enter your Library card number.
   5. Sign in with the email address used for your personal Udemy account.

To come back for more, just open the Udemy Business app and continue learning! If you sign out and need to sign back in, enter Gale as the name of your organization's account and select Next to resume learning.

Frequently Asked Questions about Gale Presents: Udemy »

Service provider: Gale, a division of Cengage Learning

Reference information specifically for elementary grades, delivered in a colorful, kid-friendly format perfect for helping young children develop online research skills with a trusted source. The database features illustrated articles, videos, interactives and fun facts. In addition, the Teacher Resources section includes printable handouts, class forms, graphic organizers and more.

Service provider: Infobase

This resource is made available through the State Library of Kansas.

One-stop resource for middle school students to explore age-appropriate subjects while developing online research skills with a trusted source. Erasing the line between homework support and fun exploration, it contains resources for student reports and research, including extensive up-to-date articles, videos, interactive games, science projects, maps and flags.

Also includes homework help tools, and the Teacher Resources section offers lesson plans, printable handouts and more.

Service provider: Infobase

This resource is made available through the State Library of Kansas.

Context and background on key issues of both historical events and breaking news, offering concise summaries of current events and clearly written essays on the top issues of the day. With more than 300,000 original articles and a vast archive covering every major event since its inception, the database is a permanent record of the essential facts of the news as reported in the major newspapers, news magazines and online news outlets of the U.S., Canada, Britain, Australia and elsewhere in the world.

Service provider: Infobase

This resource is made available through the State Library of Kansas.