Free Internet Resources

Bible gateway [website]. (n.d.) Retrieved from https://www.biblegateway.com/

Availability: Free on the open web and app available for iPad, iPhone, Andriod phones and Kindle Fire

URL: https://www.biblegateway.com/

Bible Gateway is an excellent resource for anyone, including high school students, to gain easy access to various versions of the Bible from their computer or mobile device. The website and app offers free access to over 100 Bible translations from multiple languages, including English, German, Hungarian, Spanish, and Chinese. It search features are a keyword search with the ability to limit options, passage lookup, and topical index. Other features include devotionals, reading plans, audio Bibles, and commentaries. It is currently owned by Zondervan, which is part of HarperCollins Christian Publishing, a well known conservative Christian publisher.

The broad range of translations available on Bible Gateway, combined with the easy access and the mobile version makings it something that all ICSB students can use whether they are in class, at home, or on the bus. It is easier to carry than a print Bible or concordance and is much easier to use for tech savvy students. The website does have advertising, but the company which provides the ads has a strict content policy and they do not appear to interfere with the main information.


Central Intelligence Agency. (n.d.). The world factbook [website]. Retrieved from https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/

Availability: Free on the open web

URL: https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/

The World Factbook has been produced by the United States’ Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) under its present name since 1981. Currently, it is updated weekly and is said to contain facts “on every country, dependency, and geographic entity in the world.” The World Factbook includes maps and flags of every country, along with detailed information about the country including its geography, energy production and consumption, military, and transportation. It gives country rankings for specific the facts. To make the site accessible to people with slower internet speeds it features a slow bandwidth version.

Its authority comes from being produced by the CIA, which according to the CIA website it “is an independent agency responsible for providing national security intelligence to senior US policy makers.” This means the CIA needs to employ a highly educated and skilled workforce. Yet, users need to be aware of bias and American-centric information.

Being in public domain means that The World Factbook can be reproduced without permission, including the pictures, which leads itself being used for school projects that need freely accessible information and pictures. It can also be used as a teaching tool to explain what is meant by public domain.


Digital public library of America [website]. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://dp.la/

Availability: Free on the open web

URL: http://dp.la/

The Digital Public Library of America (DPLA) is a portal which according to its about page “brings together the riches of America’s libraries, archives, and museums, and makes them freely available to the world.” Like a museum it has curated exhibitions on various topics relating to American history, which includes digital pictures with written information. Well known libraries, archives, and museums provide searchable content on the site and links to the objects to their original location online. The authority of the site comes from the various content providers which include well know and respected institutions such as The New York Public Library, Smithsonian Institution, and the Harvard Library. It has been recognized by national and international organizations as a quality website including the American Association of School Librarians’ "Best Websites for Teaching & Learning" in 2013 and 2015, TIME Magazine’s "50 Best Websites" in 2013, Best Better Lab Trendreport (German), and Enssib (French School of Information Science and Libraries) Innovative Digital Collections Interface.

ICSB follows an American curriculum which includes the teaching of American history and literature. DPLA is a reference website which provides access to stunning historical digital photos and other multimedia which can be used by faculty and students a like to enhance the students’ learning. In the library it can be used to assist students in finding digital resources for their history and English assignments.


Sandbox Networks. (2015). Infroplease [website]. Retrieved from http://www.infoplease.com/

Availability: Free on the open web

URL: http://www.infoplease.com/

Infoplease is a massive website which is a go to place on the open web for ready reference questions. It has numerous sections including an atlas, encyclopedia, dictionary, and thesaurus. It also has a variety of tools consisting of a calculator, spelling checker, place finder, distance calculator, periodic table, conversion tool, perpetual calendar, and year by year. Almost any fact or ready reference question can be answered by this website, yet some of the information is out of date such as the article “Blood Pressure Explained” which was copyrighted in 2007 and there is no indication that is was updated since. This means that the site needs to be used with caution and cross-referenced with other sources if needed. The authority of the resources comes from where the information was derived, such as the encyclopedia entries coming from The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed.

When used, with discretion, particularly for topics that do not require currency, Infoplease with its easy access in online is a good source for helping the ICSB high school students answer questions that require quick facts such as who was the 34th president of the United States. These facts can then be used to find more in-depth information in other places.


Nemours. (2015). TeenHealth [website]. Retrieved from http://kidshealth.org/teen/

Availability: Free on the open web

URL: http://kidshealth.org/teen/

TeensHealth is a section of the KidsHealth website. The website claims that “we’re a safe, private place for teens who need honest, accurate information and advice about health, emotions, and life.” It aims to provide “accurate, up-to-date health information that’s free of ‘doctor speak.’” TeensHeath has graphics that are teen friendly and provides information on various health topics including diseases & conditions, sexual health, and food & fitness. Each page has accessibility features such as text-to-speak and buttons to increase the text size. Besides the articles on health and safety the site includes polls and videos which makes the site more interactive.

At the bottom of each article it states who reviewed it and the date. The majority of the reviewers are medical doctors or have other qualifications in the health sciences which adds to the authority of the website. The website itself is owned by Nemours which is a nonprofit children’s health organization. It is important that high school students get accurate health information in a way that is accessible to them. TeensHealth does this in an inviting way that does not talk down. It is something that the ICSB librarian can use to provide students with health information when and where they need it.


PBS LearningMedia. (2015). NOVA elements [app]. Retrieved from http://www.pbslearningmedia.org/resource/nvhescichemistryelements/nova-elements/

Availability: Free on the open web, Windows app, and iPad

URL: http://www.pbslearningmedia.org/resource/nvhescichemistryelements/nova-elements/

NOVA Elements provides information about atoms, molecules, and the periodic table elements in a manner that is fun for students. It gives students the ability to learn about chemistry in a way that is fun and engaging, going beyond your standard encyclopedia two dimensional periodic table. The app is narrated by New York Times technology columnist David Pogue, which helps give the quality of the app credibility. The app is aligned to the national standards “Benchmarks for Science Literacy” and was listed on the American Association of School Librarians "Best Apps for Teaching & Learning" in 2014 page. The website version page has links to other chemistry resources.

The Nova Elements app is a reference source that can be used in the ICSB library as a resource to help students learn about atoms, molecules, and the periodic table, as well as one that can be brought into the classroom to demonstrate to the students using the class set of iPads what the library has to offer them and how we can help them find the information that they need in a fun, interactive way.


Purdue University. (2015). Purdue OWL [Website]. Retrieve from https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/

Availability: Free on the open web

URL: https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/

Purdue OWL (Online Writing Lab) is produced by Purdue University’s Writing Lab. The site includes writing instruction, research and citation instruction, and English as a Second Language instruction. Although, the site was created by a university it includes a section on resources specifically for 7-12 instructors. Some of the special features include PowerPoint presentations about different citation styles and web searching, PDF files, links to the Purdue OWL vidcasts on the Purdue OWL YouTube Channel, and podcasts which are available through iTunes. Purdue OWL is often the go to Internet site for helping students improve their writing and for correctly citing sources. It gets its authority from being a part of Purdue University. Other institutions suggest that students use the Purdue OWL site, including the SJSU iSchool, which indicates that it is seen as an authoritative source.

For the ICSB library Purdue OWL provides easy access to writing assistance. The section on writing for ESL students is particularly helpful for upper level English Language Learner high school students who are planning on attending university in the United States. The MLA citation page is a great place for all students when they are citing sources since it is available where ever they have an Internet connection.


U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education, Sciences, National Center for Education Statistics. (n.d.). College navigator [website]. Retrieved from https://nces.ed.gov/collegenavigator/

Availability: Free on the open web

URL: https://nces.ed.gov/collegenavigator/

The College Navigator from the National Center of Education provides information about post-secondary institutions in the United States. It allows users to limit their search by state, institution type, campus setting, religious affiliation, and more. The website, which was listed on the Reference and User Services Association's (RUSA) “Best Free Reference Websites 2014”, gives information about institutions' tuition, their accreditation status, enrollment and other important information. Being a government site which is not aimed at marketing the institutions, as the college and universities websites do, it provides the straight facts about post-secondary institutions in an easy to understand format. Many ICSB students go to college in the United States, which makes in an excellent source for the library and guidance departments to use when helping students make their college decision.