Library

Books: The LMC maintains a varied collection of over 6,000 books selected for their relevance to the MCHS curriculum and the interest of the students and staff.
Approximately two-thirds of the collection is non-fiction classified by Dewey Decimal Classification. The catalog of all LMC resources is completed automated. (The program is called “Athena”, look for the purple Athena icon on the desktop of school computers to access it.)

Each student is allowed to have TWO books checked out at a time. The check out period is two weeks. You are allowed to renew a book once. You will be fined 5 cents per day that your book is overdue.

Magazines/Journals: The LMC subscribes to approximately 60 magazines covering a wide variety of interests. Most recent back issues are kept on file for one year in the magazine room.

Magazines can be checked out on a block-to-block basis. Please sign-out your magazines at the circulation desk, and return them at the end of the block.

Newspapers: The LMC subscribes to five newspapers: The St. Louis Post Dispatch, USA Today, The Hannibal Courier Post, The Lake Gazette, and The Shelby County Herald. The newspapers are located on the “coffee table” and are available first thing in the morning.

Newspapers may not be checked out.

Reference Resources: The LMC has a well-stocked and up-to-date reference collection.

The reference area includes seven major encyclopedias:

• Academic America Encyclopedia
• Encyclopedia Americana
• Encyclopedia Britannica
• Collier’s Encyclopedia
• Compton’s Encyclopedia
• New Book of Knowledge
• World Book Encyclopedia

In addition to general encyclopedias, the media center offers special subject encyclopedias in all the major disciplines, as well as almanacs, atlases, dictionaries, and biographical sources of information.

All reference materials may be checked out overnight after school or during the final minutes of the day.

Career Information: The LMC has a large collection of career resources and test prep books. Career resources can also be found in the Guidance Office.

Yearbooks: The media center has an archive of MCHS yearbooks, some dating back the the 1925 “Zizzer”. (Zizzer is the old name of the Panther Tracks yearbook.)

Computers: The HS LMC has five networked computers attached to our local network. A 26 workstation computer lab is attached to the library and is reserved for class use. A color printer and a scanner are also available for student use.

Computer use is on a first come first served basis. Students must have a signed Internet permission form on file to use the computers. NO emailing, NO chatrooms, NO games. NO food or drink is allowed around the computers.

AV Equipment: The following equipment is available from the HS LMC:

• Televisions
• VCRs/DVD players
• Digital Camera
• Digital Video Camera
• Data Projectors
• Slide Projectors
• Presentation Screens
• AyerKey (transfers PowerPoint presentations to a VHS tape)
• Tape Recorders/Headphones

Faculty and staff have first priority for all AV equipment. Students interested in using the equipment must receive permission from Mrs. Hays.

Videos and CD’s: A wide selection of videos and some CD’s are available. Many are on the automated catalog (along with our books). You may check out videos for the same reason you check out books. to learn and for fun. Please ask for help if you are interested.

Videos and CD’s may be checked out overnight.

1. MCHS Writing Guide
2. Gale Databases¹
3. Learning Express Library
4. Reading Counts Book List

Gale Databases¹ – Website only accessible from a school computer

Research Links

• CIA World Factbook – Specifc information on many subjects for any country in the world.
• Missouri Connections – Career information
• FirstGov.gov – Easy and fast information of federal services, benefits, and resources. (renew your driver’s license, get a passport, find the cheapest gas prices, contact elected officials).
• MagPortal Full-Text Magazine Database – Search, read, and print full-text magazine articles.
• Newsbank, Missouri Newspaper Archive – Access to the St. Louis Post Dispatch and KC Star Online.
• Truman State University Library Catalog – Search the catalog of Pickler Library at TSU. Request books be sent to MCHS.
• WorldAtlas.com

Writing Resources

• The Citation Machine – Easy Bibliography
• MLA Citing Sources
• The Quotation Page
• Webster’s Dictionary and Thesaurus