Senior School Library

Library Updates & Key Information

Contact Us

List of 2 members.

Kirsten Davidson

Senior School Teacher-Librarian, IB Extended Essay Coordinator
Adrienne Neufeld

Library Technician

PASSWORDS: Stratford Hall Google account login required.

Stay Connected

List of 3 items.

Follow us on Social Media

Instagram: @sabresread | Twitter: @SHcommons
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Stratford Hall Library Catalogue

Discover Catalogue | Classic Catalogue

Subject Guides

List of 20 items.

.Project Tools (General)
*This is a sampling - see rest of this website for more.
- How to Use and Cite AI
Research:
- Resource Evaluation Using the IB's OPCVL
- Data Analysis Resources
- Subject Guides, databases, library catalogues on this website.
- Finding Resources example - Revolutions (again though, check subject and grade-specific subject guides for more).
Citations:
- Noodletools (click login and select Google login - use your SH Google login)
- How to use NoodleTools
Note-taking & Organizing Information:
- Collecting information and note-taking tips, tools, and techniques
- Google Keep (see here for an exemplar)
- Google Slides (see here for an exemplar)
- NoodleTools: create virtual note cards linked to your NoodleTools bibliography. Here’s how.
- Graphic Organizers
- Mind mapping tool: Bubble.us
- Project management planner exemplar: this example is for the EE, but can be adapted for other projects, groups projects, etc.
- Try tools such as Trello or Evernote (free and paid version)
Clubs
- Law Club resources
Grade 6
Grade 7
Grade 8
Using Extensions to Search Online
In Google, enter a keyword, then site:.extension into the search bar. The extensions used below take you to mostly academic/university websites (note that not all .edu sites are truly academic):
- e.g. astrolabe invention site:.ac.uk
- e.g. islamic inventions site:.mcgill.ca
- e.g.”tin glazing” invention site:.edu
Use this same technique to find resources from the perspective of specific countries:
- From universities in China: e.g. Zhang Zeduan site:edu.cn
- From Chinese government websites: e.g. Huizong song emperor site:gov.cn
Grade 9
Grade 10
- Genetically modified organisms mini-guide
- Evaluation of Resources Slide Show
- Destiny catalogue: geography books in Stratford Hall Libraries plus sampling of websites
- Laminated wall maps (kept in the DP Library): these can be checked out for e.g. your classroom wall for a unit and presentations.
- How to use NoodleTools
- Bias vs. Perspective (Point of View)
- Research FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)
- Primary, Secondary, and Tertiary Sources in Science
- How to Cite Sources in Speeches
- Space Technology
- Resource Evaluation Using the IB's OPCVL (used to be CARRDSS)
- Collecting information and note-taking tips, tools, and techniques
Aboriginal/Indigenous Peoples Resources (MYP/DP)
- 20th and 21st Century (mostly) Indigenous History Subject Guide
- Stratford Hall Library Resources
- Indigenous Peoples of North America (BC Points to the Past) Database
- Look at e.g. our databases, streaming video services, etc.
Maps
- First People's Map of BC: Languages, Arts, Heritage
Canoe Kids Digital Magazine

Canoe Kids digital magazines celebrate the differences and similarities among Indigenous cultures.

Global Storybooks Project: Indigenous Storybooks
"This project aims to make the text, images, and audio of stories available in Indigenous languages as well as English, French, and the most widely spoken immigrant and refugee languages of Canada." (NOT complete)

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
Diversity Resources
Please note these are just a selection of our resources. The book lists do not include everything we have.
- Counsellor’s Corner: often includes diversity resources.
- Anti-Racism/Diversity Resources: includes various books lists
- Aboriginal/Indigenous (Teacher Resources)
- Exploring Bias vs. Perspective (Point of View): Grade 7
- Disabilities Grades 8+ book list: learning differences, neurodiversity, physical impairments, etc. Mostly fiction.
- Disabilities Grade 6-8 book list: learning differences, neurodiversity, physical impairments, etc. Mostly fiction.
- LGTBQ2S+ Grade 6 - 8 book list
- LGTBQ2S+ Grades 8+ book list
- Aboriginal/Indigenous MYP/DP library books
- Diverse: Grade 6 - 8 (may also include books written by BIPOC authors even if main characters are not, to support those authors in their work).
- Diverse Grade 8 - Adult (may also include books written by BIPOC authors even if main characters are not, to support those authors in their work).
- Civil Rights: Grade 6 - 8
- Civil Rights: Grade 8 to Adult
- Non-Western Authors
Language Acquisition/Mother Tongue

How to find and use some of our language acquisition and mother tongue resources
The Arts
Visual Arts
- Art Comparative Study Subject Guide - DP
Theatre
- Digital Theatre+
Diploma Programme - General
- Data Analysis Resources: especially useful for geography, economics, sciences, math projects
- Social Science Research Methods: brief introduction
- How to use NoodleTools
- FYI - Footnoting Information: we use MLA which does not use footnotes/endnotes for referencing. The IB would like you to avoid using footnotes for comments/to get around word counts.
English
EBSCOhost
- Poetry & Short Story Reference Centre
- Literary Reference Centre
- NoveList Plus
Digital Theatre+
Extended Essay
- Introduction to the Extended Essay
- More EE Sessions
- The Extended Essay: The Final Stretch
- EE Resources for DP Students and Supervisors
- Research ethics tutorial: useful for those conducting studies on human participants (BE CAREFUL! THE IB MOSTLY RESTRICTS SUCH STUDIES)
- How to use NoodleTools
- Data Analysis Resources
History (DP)
- History Resources (DP) Google Doc: a variety of suggestions of different source types to get you started.
- 20th and 21st Century (mostly) Indigenous History Subject Guide
- How to use NoodleTools
Individuals & Societies (MYP)
Log in to your Stratford Hall Google account to view Google Docs.
- History Resources (MYP - Canadian focus)
- Collecting information and note-taking tips, tools, and techniques
- Mapping Our Common Ground: community building through mapping and events - also has map legend graphics.
- Using and Annotating Nonfiction Text
- Research FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)
- Bias vs. Perspective (Point of View)
- How to use NoodleTools
- Data Analysis Resources
Mathematics
- Data Analysis Resources: includes mathematical simulation tools
- Global Mathematics (under construction)
PE/OEE
A selection of resources:
- Both fiction and nonfiction books on sports and outdoor adventures (or physical activity of any kind - battling zombies, for instance?): just ask your friendly library staff.
- Try our databases for magazine and journal articles (the latter is especially good for sports science).
- Brainpop: the human body and social emotional learning (includes e.g. sports and fitness resources)
- See our various video streaming services e.g. Learn360 - see how to narrow searches below:
Science (MYP)
Science (DP)
- Chemistry IA Research
- Data Analysis Resources

Databases, Encyclopedias, & Video

List of 11 items.

BrainPOP
Includes:
Log in either using your Google Waffle (image below) or login directly to Brainpop using our login and password.
Encyclopedias
- The Canadian Encyclopedia
- World Book: Passwords can be found here. You must be logged in to your Stratford Hall Google account to access this page.
EBSCOhost

***There is more than one password (depends on the button you click).

Main search - various EBSCO databases and interfaces to narrow your search (for more instructions, click "read more" below):

Explora for grades 4-7:

Recherche Française:
Read More
GALE
GALE Power Search: search ALL of our GALE products EXCEPT Points to the Past

FOR MORE NARROW SEARCHES, SEE THESE DATABASES AND INTERFACES:
- Canada in Context is an engaging online experience for those seeking contextual information on a broad range of Canadian topics, people, places, and events.
- Gale Points to the Past: (broad search) primary source documents free for all British Columbians.
- Search by specific database: (narrow search)
- Global Issues in Context: Global Issues in Context offers international viewpoints on a broad spectrum of global issues, topics, and current events. Featured are hundreds of continuously updated issue and country portals that bring together a variety of specially selected, highly relevant sources for analysis of social, political, military, economic, environmental, health, and cultural issues.
- National Geographic Kids
- Science in Context
JSTOR
"JSTOR provides access to more than 12 million academic journal articles, books, and primary sources in 75 disciplines."

YouTube tutorials to help you use JSTOR:
KnowBC
The leading source of British Columbia information, click here to learn more.
- The Encyclopedia of British Columbia is the definitive reference work on British Columbia. With more than 4,000 entries and 1,500 accompanying photographs, maps, charts and tables, as well as sound and video clips, The EBC is the source of readable and authoritative information on all the significant British Columbian people, places and things.
- The Encyclopedia of Raincoast Place Names: A Complete Reference to Coastal British Columbia is an indispensable companion and an essential reference for anyone interested in British Columbia history. Read details of the intriguing stories behind more than 5,000 BC coast places: who bestowed the names and why, and what they reveal.
- Marine Life of the Pacific Northwest: The most comprehensive collection of photographs of Pacific Northwest marine life ever published, with more than 1,400 saltwater plants and animals and 1,700 superb photographs. A must-have resource for serious biologists, scuba divers, beachcombers and anyone interested in marine life and beautiful underwater photography.
- Raincoast Chronicles 20: Lilies and Fireweed: Frontier Women of British Columbia: From fearless immigrants to indigenous women in the workforce, award-winning journalist Stephen Hume unmasks the stories of British Columbia’s Frontier Women. Abounding with historical photographs and rare glimpses into the daring, and often difficult, lives of pioneering women, Lilies and Fireweed reveals the voices and hands of women who helped shape and build British Columbia.
- Far West: The Story of British Columbia: British Columbia’s colourful story has been told many times, but until now no one has attempted to relate the chronicle specifically for young readers. From the gold rush to the Gumboot Navy and from “bride ships” to W.A.C. Bennett, BC history comes alive in this highly illustrated and vivid account by award-winning writer and historian Daniel Francis.
- From the West Coast to the Western Front: British Columbians and the Great War: It has often been observed that the First World War jolted Canada into nationhood, and as Mark Forsythe and Greg Dickson show in this compelling book, no province participated more eagerly in that transformation or felt the aftershock more harshly than British Columbia.
- Tofino and Clayoquot Sound: A History: Tofino and Clayoquot Sound delves into all facets of geographically and culturally rich land's history, bringing to life the chronicle that started with the dramatic upheavals of geological formation and continues to the present day.
- The Sea Among Us: The Amazing Strait of Georgia: The Strait of Georgia is one of the world’s great inland seas, a 6,515 square kilometre body of water lying between the British Columbia mainland and Vancouver Island. Rich in history, teeming with wildlife and marine traffic, the waterway is essential to British Columbians for food, jobs, travel and recreation.
- Pacific Seaweeds: Updated and Expanded Edition: This updated and expanded guide is the authoritative guide to over 100 common species of seaweeds in the Pacific Northwest. From species identification and seaweed biology to the essential roles seaweed plays in the marine ecosystem and our everyday lives, Pacific Seaweeds thoroughly documents every aspect of seaweed life.
International News Sites & Newspapers

International News Sites & Newspapers
Open Access Journals
DO NOT RELY on Google Scholar. It can provide some good resources, but BEWARE:
- Articles freely available via Google Scholar are often too old to be useful.
- Many other good sources are behind a journal paywall (you might then be able to find those articles on one of our database providers). There is a reason why many of the best sources are not free.
- You cannot search for peer-reviewed only articles on Google Scholar.
- There is less vetting/quality control as to what gets included on Google Scholar than is the case with a paid database.
Check in with Ms. Morozov for how best to use Google Scholar.

These tools will find legally free versions of research papers if you cannot find the same version on our library databases:
- Unpaywall is a Chrome browser extension:
- Open Access Button allows you to search for free versions from any browser.
And...
- ResearchGate: where researchers share their work. You'll need to create a free account.
- Full Text Reports: "A top-tier research professional's hand-picked selection of documents from academe, corporations, government agencies, interest groups, NGOs, professional societies, research institutes, think tanks, trade associations, and more."
The Directory of Open Access Journals
Primary Sources Collections
Gale Points to the Past: (broad search) primary source documents free for all British Columbians (so don't use a VPN location outside of BC)
Search by specific database: (narrow search)

BC Historical Newspapers

Also:
This is just a sampling - don't forget to check the websites of various other universities, museums, and public libraries for more.

Many resources have not been digitized so you may have to go to the library/archives in person to look through their collections/shelves.
Video Streaming
National Film Board of Canada

Please note, your subscription offers two separate levels of access, one for students and one for educators.

Students can access more than 6,000 films and other media simply by going to NFB.ca while using any school computer for which an IP address has been provided. Additionally, students have access to playlists and chapters, created and shared by an educator, while using any computer at home or school.

Educators can access everything that students do, as well as all the tools and resources that make CAMPUS unique. To get access to these features, you will need to activate your individual TEACHER account here.

To learn more about the features offered by CAMPUS, watch the video tutorials found here.

National Geographic Kids
Targeted toward ages 6-14. National Geographic Kids will take students on amazing adventures in science, nature, culture, archaeology, and space.

Access Learning
Over 4,500 videos and 20,000 video clips addressing K-12 topics and applications to the real world.

Kanopy

Students - some public library systems in the Lower Mainland will allow you access to Kanopy with your library card. NOTE TO TEACHERS: Kanopy cannot be used for public performance.
e.g.
Others
*Don't forget to check out the Subject Guides!

Science Journals Rewritten (so they're easier to understand)
- Science Journal for Kids and Teens
- Frontiers for Young Minds
Digital Theatre +

Wide Open School
Resources from a variety of excellent sources. Organized by subjects and topics, and being added to over time.

STEAM/Maker Lab/IDEA Lab Activities
- This great source of free activities provided to us by the STEM Club for girls at the Harrison Park Community Center.
Geography
- National Geographic Mapmaker tool
- ArcGis Online: ask your I&S teacher for student account access.

Library Catalogues

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Stratford Hall

Pros and cons of using books (and other resources)
Additionally, studies show people read more deeply when reading print rather than on a screen (and with fewer distractions).

View the Stratford Hall catalogue in its own browser
Universities

UBC: The Library
We have UBC community library cards that can be checked out like a book: see Ms. Morozov to get one. University librarians usually specialize in certain subjects: here is the UBC librarian directory if you're looking for expertise.

SFU: Simon Fraser University
SH students get their own SFU community library cards in April of grade 11. University librarians usually specialize in certain subjects: here is the SFU librarian directory if you're looking for expertise.
Public Libraries
Public Libraries - Greater Vancouver Area
These and other Greater Vancouver Area library cards are part of the Interlink system.

Member Libraries

Ebooks/Magazines & Audiobooks

List of 4 items.

ESBCO Magazine Links
Sora (was OverDrive)
Our Sora (used to be called Overdrive) system is for Grades 8+ and staff.

*Teachers - check with Kirsten for class-set rentals.

Read/listen on the new Sora App: use on both browser and mobile devices.
- Track your reading habits
- Earn achievement badges
- Exportable notes
- Many more features
Browser

soraapp.com/library/independentca
1. Select “Stratford Hall” on the dropdown list.
2. Enter your normal SH Google login username and password.
Sora App for various devices:
overdrive.com/apps/sora/
1. Search for “Stratford Hall”
2. Select “Independent Schools Association of British Columbia”
3. Select “Stratford Hall” on the dropdown list
4. Enter your SH Google login username and password
You can add other libraries to your Sora app, such as the Vancouver or Burnaby public libraries:
Global Storybooks Portal

"Global Storybooks is a free multilingual literacy resource for children and youth worldwide. Read, download, toggle, and listen to a wide variety of illustrated stories..."

Global Storybooks includes Indigenous Storybooks
"This project aims to make the text, images, and audio of stories available in Indigenous languages as well as English, French, and the most widely spoken immigrant and refugee languages of Canada." (not complete)

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
More Ebook Sources
Ebooks can also be found in our databases.
Spotify Audiobooks & Meditations, etc.
- Official Books List
- Instructions for accessing ALL chapters of a book (it's not obvious).
- Guided Meditation Playlist: this is just one example of many.
Comics and Manga

Note - parents should check the appropriateness of the various options.
- Comixology
- Shonen Jump/VIZ
- Various webcomics: middle grades and young adult
Choose your own adventures
(and ask Ms. Morozov how to make your own with Google Forms):
- Choice of the Dragon
- Total Darkness
- Quandary (designed for Grades 8+)
Free ebook and audiobook options
(some only available free temporarily for COVID-19 school closures)
- Public Libraries have lots of e-book and audiobook options. You'll need your library card and PIN number (usually the last four digits of your phone number). Here's the link to digital books at Vancouver libraries and Burnaby libraries.
- Sync free audiobook program for teens 13+
- Librivox (older books): free audiobooks
  * Note: readers are volunteers so quality varies. You too can volunteer to record a book!
- Time for Kids magazine
- Audible audiobooks for kids
- Celebrities read books aloud (video)
- International Children's Digital Library (in various languages)
- 12-Story Library series book sets (mostly nonfiction)
- Pearson Textbooks and how to access them.
- Junior Library Guild: elementary, middle, and high school collections
- RivetedLit: free books from SimonTeen
- Project Gutenberg

Additional Resources

List of 6 items.

Board Games
Click here for board games in the MYP/DP Libraries
- Games stay on campus, but should be checked out (like our books, these have Stratford Hall barcodes)
- Join the Library Club if you'd like to play at lunch (Fridays - Grades 6 - 7, Thursdays for Senior School).
- Don't have enough time to finish a game? Take photographs of where you are in your game play. We can also set aside a game you have going if you plan on coming back to it soon.
Read More
Post-Secondary Education

My Blueprint
Enter school Activation Key here

(Find the school activation key here)
Library Clubs, Book Club Sets, Writing Resources
Connect With Authors and Other Readers on Social Media
- Book Club Sets (Grades 8+) Select here to see which books we have: includes book covers and descriptions.
- Writing Contests/Awards and Places to Get Your Writing Published
- Resources for Finding Books, Reading, and Writing
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LIBRARY ADVISORY CLUBS
- Influence library book purchases and promoting reading.
  Read.
- Plan library events and programming, e.g. genre-themed parties and book-trailer development.
- Chat about books or book genres we’ve read together, as well as current events and life in general (sometimes over hot chocolate and popcorn).
- Play board games, colour, make crafts, journal.
- Note: you don’t have to be a library advisory member to participate in a book club, and those meeting can happen other days.
CLUB SCHEDULE
12:10 - 12:45pm in the MYP Library with Ms. Morozov
- Wednesdays: Grade 8 - 10
- Thursdays: Grade 11 - 12
- Fridays: Grade 6 - 7
LLC Senior School Student Newsletter

Library/Learning Commons Student Information Newsletter: Information on books and resources in our collection, and on learning and living, from Ms. Morozov, Senior School teacher-librarian.

*Currently archived, but if any library club members are wanting to get it up and running again, please let me know.

https://tinyurl.com/StudentLLC
PLAY: Tech & Physical World
Technology, Coding, Experiments, Maker Ideas, and Resources

Coding Resources
- Microbits (we have in the library including an environmental sensor - IDEA lab may as well)
- Hour of Code Canada
- Microsoft MakeCode
- Scratch
- Blockscad
Timeline Tools
- Timelines (World Book's + make your own)
- Sutori: Free interactive timelines
- Timeline JS3 - Beautifully crafted timelines that are easy, and intuitive to use.
- Timeglider: web-based timeline software
- Timeline - ReadWriteThink
Online Simulators, Datasets, etc.
- See this document for everything.
STEAM/IDEA Lab/Maker Activities (Hands-on & Online)
- CoBuildAtHome
- Community Science Workshop Network
- Exploratorium
- Science Friday
- MakerEd
- This great source of free activities provided to us by the STEM Club for girls at the Harrison Park Community Center.
Taking Action
Crowd Voice
“tracking voices of protest” - sourced and curated resources from across the web.

LibriVox
Free public domain audiobooks in various languages! Volunteer to record a book.

Do Something
For “moving beyond hashtag activism”. There are some really great ideas here - choose the type of cause in which you are interested, how much time you have, and the type of action you’d like to take.

Develop an understanding of issues and other people's perspectives. Note these book lists are not comprehensive - we add to them as we find them in our library:
- Grade 6 - 8 LGBTQ2S+ library books
- Grade 8 - Adult LGBTQ2S+ library books
- Aboriginal/Indigenous MYP/DP library books
- Diverse: Grade 6-8 (may also include books written by BIPOC authors even if main characters are not, to support those authors in their work)
- Diverse Grade 8 - Adult (may also include books written by BIPOC authors even if main characters are not, to support those authors in their work)
- Civil Rights: Grade 6 - 8
- Civil Rights: Grade 8 - Adult
- Non-Western Authors
- Disabilities: Grade 6 - 8
- Disabilities: Grade 8 - Adult
350.org
A “global grassroots climate movement that can hold our leaders accountable to science and justice.”

Evaluating Resources / Research Tools

List of 2 items.

Evaluating Resources
SweetSearch: a search engine for students where all sources listed have been vetted by librarians.

Research FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)

Evaluating Sources:
- John Green's Crash Course: Navigating Digital Information (video series)
- Resource Evaluation Using the IB's OPCVL.
- Generative AI usage and citation guide.
- Misinformation/disinformation factsheet from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees
Noodletools Information Evaluation Guides:
- Middle to High School Version
- High School to University Level Version (provides more resource options and information)
Also:
- OWL (Online Writing Lab) at Purdue: evaluating sources of information
- Tutorials and practice
- Various research resources (not recently updated, so see subject guides for the latest)
- Writing A dvice (various topics) from the University of Toronto
Research Tools
Be a Detective:
- Wayback Machine: see what a website looked like in the past with this Internet archive
- Politwoops: an archive of deleted politicians' tweets, from around the world. *Note - due to changes made to Twitter after Musk's purchase, Politwoops is unable to currently track these deleted tweets, but is working to restore this function. In the meantime, you can still look at past collections.
- A variety of fact checking tools can be found on the Credibility Coalition's CredCatalogue. I cannot guarantee how good all of these tools are, however.
- Tin Eye and Google Reverse Image Search for computer or phone. Use these tools to:
  - figure out who is the artist of a painting on the wall in a photo of a living room
  - determine the authenticity of a photograph
  - critique infographics (many are exaggerated)
- YouTube DataViewer (Amnesty International): extracts thumbnails from YouTube clips to help find original video source. *Glitching at the moment.
- Snopes: a myth-busting website
- Openlinkprofiler.org: use this site to see which other websites link to the website you're trying to evaluate. Needs an account, but there are various other SEO backlink profilers available online.
- Future of Media Project (Harvard University): media ownership and political donations - U.S. and Canadian media.
- Politifact: specializes in rating the truthfulness of reporting on politics and government
- Poynter: evidence-based fact-checking in journalism, journalism tools
- FactCheck.org: a project of the University of Pennsylvania. Heavily U.S.-politics oriented, but also looks at science and Facebook rumours etc.
- Media Bias/Fact Check: Recommended and used by various universities as well as news outlets. Great way to check the bias/leanings of news sources from around the world, and current events stories (albeit largely U.S.-focused)
- Country Internet domain extensions

Academic Honesty

List of 2 items.

Academic Honesty

Ms. Davidson and your subject teachers are happy to assist you with academic honesty. Please do not hesitate to ask us!

TURNITIN

Your teachers will either have you create your own account on the Turnitin website, and sign up for their courses, or you will submit your work to Turnitin via ManageBac.

This infographic from Turnitin has useful information and examples for you.

is now connected to your Stratford Hall Google Account. There are two ways to access it:

#1

#2

1) Ensure you're logged in to your SH Google account

2) Go to https://my.noodletools.com/logon/signin and click on the Google icon as per this picture:
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