Online Resources & Homework Help 

Did you know that you have access to reliable, trustworthy databases through your public library -- all for free?  Below you'll find a range of resources that will help you with all sorts of school tasks -- from simple homework assignments, to research papers or even just for your own curiosity.  

Mono County Library Sponsored Resources

You can access these resources using your 14 digit library card number:

KOHA Library Catalog

  • Our online catalog. Sign in to renew materials and place holds - requires you to set up a password with Library Staff in advance.

 

OVERDRIVE (Library to Go)  

  • Digital audio books & eBooks

 

Driver Education Program

  • Includes 11 car practice tests, 6 motorcycle practice tests, 3 CDL (Commercial Driver’s License) practice tests, 3 online driver’s manuals (car, motorcycle, CDL), and a FAQ section with detailed answers to 100+ DMV-related questions.

     

 

California State Library Digital Resources

Online content from Encyclopaedia Britannica, ProQuest research databases, and Book Connections are available — at school, at home, in libraries, on laptops, on phones — to all.  When accessing from home, you may need to enter either your school provided username and password or your Mono County Library card number. Need help?  Reach out to your Youth Librarian, Carissa at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

These three databases are provided for all California students from the California State Library.

Encyclopaedia Britannica (PreK-12)

A comprehensive interactive resource for research and learning for grades K-12. Includes correlations to California Content Standards and other valuable teacher resources. Post links directly to each school level, elementary, middle or high.

Elementary  Middle  High Escolar

Need help from Britannica? See our support page. (800) 621-3900 x 7160 | This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

                                                     

Book Connections

Personalize and enjoy digital connections to books for kids and teens.

   

         

Need help from Book Connections? See our support page. 510-239-7391 | This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

ProQuest (Grades 3-12)

CultureGrams SIRS Discover SIRS Issues Researcher elibrary Guided Research Edition
elibrary Database Edition ProQuest Research Companion Schools and Educators Complete

  • CultureGrams - Concise social, cultural, and political information on countries, U.S. states, and provinces around the world. (Grades 3-12)
  • SIRS Discoverer - A general reference database providing safe, reliable, curriculum-aligned content and features for use by students and educators. (Grades 3-9)
  • SIRS Issues Researcher - Pros and cons on 360+ (and growing) complex social issues with relevant, credible information that tells the whole story on the major questions of the day. (Grades 6+)
    SIRS Issues Researcher Off-Campus Access
  • eLibrary - Guided Research edition delivers one of the largest general reference collections of periodical and digital media content including more than 11,000 Research Topics (Grades 6+)
  • ProQuest Research Companion - a self-guided product that supports information literacy, writing, and research skills instruction.(Grades 8+)
    Research Companion Off-Campus Access
  • Schools & Educators Complete - eBook subscription database of over 13,000 titles that supports English Language Arts, Science, Math, Social Studies, Health, Physical Education, Information Literacy and Technology. (Grades 9+, possibly some content for Middle School, also includes professional development content for faculty)

Need help from ProQuest? See our support page. 800-521-0600 | This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Brainfuse

Brainfuse offers an array of online support, including online tutoring & Hoework Help for students K-12 as well as the JobNow/VetNow services for adults.  You can access these free services, provided by CA State Library, with your Mono County Library Card.  Features include live online assistance, resume lab help, and wide range of academic tools to help students, job seekers and veterans reach their job & career goals.

HelpNow Homework Help

Click here to access Brainfuse HelpNow - Online Tutoring

brainfuse

Click here to access Brainfuse JobNow/VetNow (Library card required, contact your local library or use the contact form on this website for more information on getting a library card.)

Click here to get a Quick-Start and User Guide for JobNow/VetNow.

Click here to watch a brief youtube tutorial for JobNow/VetNow.

FREE Resources

No library card number necessary!

Online Archive of California     

  • The OAC provides free public access to detailed descriptions of primary source collections (artwork, manuscripts, papers, historic photographs, and so on) maintained by more than 200 libraries, special collections, archives, historical societies, and museums throughout California — including collections maintained by the 10 University of California (UC) campuses. The OAC is a core component of the University of California California Digital Library (CDL) and is administered by the Digital Special Collections program.

 

CAarchive

California Digital Newspaper Collection

  • The California Digital Newspaper Collection contains over 400,000 pages of significant historical California newspapers published from 1846-1922, including the first California newspaper, the Californian, and the first daily California newspaper, the Daily Alta California. It also contains issues of several current California newspapers that are part of a pilot project to preserve and provide access to contemporary papers.

 

CA Newspaper

Calisphere

  • Calisphere is the University of California free public gateway to a world of primary sources. More than 200,000 digitized items — including photographs, documents, newspaper pages, political cartoons, works of art, diaries, transcribed oral histories, advertising, and other unique cultural artifacts — reveal the diverse history and culture of California and its role in national and world history.

 

calisphere logo

 Happy researching!

Image 1

Carissa Devine

Youth Program Manager

This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

760.965.6679

@monolibraries395, for teens and YA

 

 

ZipBooksJan2022Screen Shot 2022 01 27 at 10.59.04 AM

UPDATE FALL 2023: ZIP BOOKS ARE BACK! See the details below to learn how to use the program

Thanks to the California State Library, we able to continue requesting books through the Zipbook program. The Zipbook program is grant funded purchasing through Amazon.com

Registered patrons in good standing may request tangible books or audiobooks (no e-books). Requested items will be shipped directly to you from Amazon.com. When you are done with the book, please return it to your local branch through the book drop!

There is a two-tier expenditure cap of $75 pre-tax for audiobooks and foreign-language books, and $50 pre-tax for all other books. You may order 1 item at any one time with a limit of 1 order per month.   DVDs, Music CDs, e-Books, e-Audiobooks and other non-book materials are not eligible for this program.

When submitting a request, you must include a valid Amazon mailing address:

    • If you have home USPS delivery: land address
    • If you do NOT have USPS delivery: land address AND PO Box
    • Phone number

 

To make a request through Zipbooks please send the link for a qualifying item on Amazon.com and your valid Amazon mailing address to: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..  Please carefully and completely include the following for your request to be processed:

    • Amazon link to the book
    • Title & Author
    • Your name
    • Your email
    • Your telephone
    • Your library card #
    • Your full address (please include BOTH the land address and PO Box if you do not have USPS delivery)

 

You must return the book to your nearest Mono County Library when you are finished reading it.  Lost or damaged Zip Books will incur a replacement fee similar to other library books.

YoungRd

Use this section to find additional resources for Children and links to external websites and recommended reading lists. Click Here for Young Adults.

New at the Library

Sign up for January's #WinterRead2022 reading challenge!   Here's a handy video on how to use Beanstack, the online website and app that we'll be using to track your progress!

 

We are excited to share we now offer access to TeachingBooks.net for our parents, teachers, and young people. Use your Mono County library card to log in and find information on children's and young adult titles, authors, program ideas, as well as information for reading assignments and book reports.

Library Programs

Monthly Program Calendar

MayYouthCalendar

Youth Programming Newsletter - Quarterly

Storytimes

ABCMouse - Early Learning Resource you can use at the library for free, or sign up for at home account (monthly subscription cost).

Raising A Reader- Our early literacy outreach program for pre-school age children. 

Reading & Book Sites for Children

Award Winners 

Reading list & Recommended Reading Sites 

Children Book Podcasts: 

 

Recommended New Children's Books at Mammoth Lakes Library -- Summer 2019:

The Law Library Collections in the Mammoth Lakes and Bridgeport public libraries contain materials for use by the public, for free, to assist in researching common legal questions or issues.  Many of the materials are available to check out with your Mono County library card.   Library staff can help you locate and navigate materials and refer you to additional legal resources and experts.  Library staff cannot provide legal advice or comments on specific scenarios or laws.    

USEFUL LOCAL ONLINE LEGAL RESOURCES AND WEBSITES:

The Superior Court of Mono County website contains information about the county court system, as well as numerous resources including:

 

Local ordinances can be found at these links:

 

The nearest California Tribal Court is the Bishop Paiute Tribal Court.

NEW! Eastern Sierra residents facing eviction or homelessness can get free legal assistance under the Remote Housing Assistance Program coordinated by the local California Indian Legal Services team.  This assistance is not limited to tribal members and is available to residents of Mono, Inyo and Alpine Counties via their office in Bishop or via any of their remote video link workstations.  Mono County stations can be found at Bridgeport and Walker Social Services Offices, Lee Vining Library,  and the Mammoth Lakes Housing office in Mammoth Lakes. Watch this 3 minute video to learn more or follow this link for specific contact details: https://www.calindian.org/rest/.

Findlaw's directory of lawyers serving Mono County.

NEW!  EBSCO's Legal Information Reference Center contains full-text e-books to help you navigate everyday legal issues from home/work/school.  All you need is a valid Mono County Library card to use these books for free!  Many of the titles are the digital versions of the same Nolo Press books we have in our print Mammoth Lakes and Bridgeport collections.  Please contact your local Mono County Library branch location to get a library card.

 

ADDITIONAL CALIFORNIA STATE AND FEDERAL ONLINE LEGAL RESOURCES:

Additional information about common legal topics, the California court system, and programs administered by the California Judicial Branch can be found on the California Courts website, including additional Self-Help categories in English and Spanish, and free online legal forms, many available in Spanish.

The State Bar of California provides many resources for the public, including lawyer referral services, legal resources relating to immigration, and information for finding free legal help.

California's county public law libraries have created an online service that lets you chat live with a law librarian. The librarian can suggest or guide you to free online legal resources, recommend books and research techniques, and answer factual questions. Law librarians CANNOT interpret the law or give legal advice. Use the online Ask a Law Librarian service for research advice.   

Online video tutorials on basic legal research issues are available for viewing for free from these resources:

 

The Council of California County Law Libraries has created a 'mini-research guide' designed to step an individual through the basics of legal research.

TheLawDictionary.org features Black's Law Dictionary Free Online Legal Dictionary 2nd Edition.  Black's Law Dictionary is the leading law dictionary in the United States.

FindLaw has a number of basic legal resources free for the public to use.

STATE AND FEDERAL CODES, REGULATIONS, EXECUTIVE ORDERS AND JUDICIAL OPINIONS CAN BE FOUND IN THESE ONLINE RESOURCES:

 

Screen Shot 2023 01 02 at 8.00.50 AM

Use this section to find additional resources for educators. Click Here for Young Adults or here for Children

How can we support you?

Mono County Libraries Youth Program Manager is available to set-up partnerships with local local schools as well as to support local students with after-school programs.  

Library Resources

TeachingBooks.net  - A valuable platform for students, teachers and parents that consolidates a wealth of information about children's and young adult titles, authors, author interviews, as well as information for reading assignments and book reports.  As a resident of California, you should have free, direct access to this site. 

Digital databases -- see the Homework Zone page to access the bundle of Proquest databases made available through the CA K-12 Online project, funded in part by the CA State Library.  Some databases require a library card number to access.  Need a library card?  Pass by your local library to get one for free today! 

FREE, online tutoring & homework help -- Brainsfuse Helpnow offers a writing lab, live tutoring, a language lab, a forum to submit any academic questions as well as digital studying tools. Find the link under our Quick Links or on the Homework Zone page on the Programs menu, or click here for direct access. 

School Outreach

Virtual Databases & Library Tours

Looking for some help to introduce your students/teens to research skills? From learning to navigate the CA State Library’s K-12 Online Content (e.g. Proquest & SIRS) to navigating the library for the right type of read, your Youth Librarian is happy to help!  Contact Youth Library Program Manager Carissa Devine (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.) to schedule a session with your class. 

Youth Librarian Led Sessions for your class:

  • Introduction to Library Resources
  • Navigating Digital Databases
  • How to Find a Good Read

 

Library Programs: 

Let your students know about the following library programs -- whether they are looking for help with homework, reading aloud or to tinker freely in the Makerspace.  If there is a need for a program that we don't yet offer, don't hesistate to reach out to Youth Program Manager Carissa Devine at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

  • Makerspace at the Mammoth Lakes Library
    • Tuesdays & Wednesdays, 2 - 5pm
  • Teen Advisory Boards
    • @ Coleville Libary - monthly meeting on selected Friday afternoons
    • @ Lee Vining Library -- TBD
    • @ MHS -- TBD
  • Mammoth Megaminds at the Mammoth Lakes Library An after school program that provides a safe space for students to work on homework, read with a mentor or play board games.  Teen volunteer Homework Coaches are present.  Interested in volunteering? Contack Carissa at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
    • MUSD minimum days, 1:30 - 3:30
  • iPadPro & Apple Pencil Lending for Teens  Teens can borrow a digital art bundle -- iPad, apple pencil & bluetooth headphones -- that includes apps for creating digital art (Adobe Fresco, Photoshop, Procreate).  Devices must remain in the library. 
    • @Coleville Library -- available whenever the library is open
    • @Lee Vining Library-- available whenever the library is open
    • @Mammoth Lakes Library -- available whenever the library is open
  • Recording Studio
    • @Coleville Library -- available whenever the library is open
    • @Lee Vining Library -- available whenever the library is open 
    • @Mammoth Lakes Library -- TBD

 

 

Current Issues

2020 is a year in which a lot of important topics are discussed and decisions made.   The Library encourages you to look beyond television and social media feeds for information on current issues.  Below are book lists with a handful of titles each to spark interest.   Titles are from reputable sources and are by no means exhaustive of the range of materials available.   If you have suggestions for books or topics, please share with your local library!

 

Staff Recommendations

 

 

 

 

 

Back to top