PENNSYLVANIA — The Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) has announced the addition of new online resources to the POWER Library, Pennsylvania’s electronic library. These new additions, which include a genealogy database and a language learning platform, join an already robust collection of more than 25 online resources.
Deputy Secretary and State Librarian Susan Banks stated, “These outstanding resources will serve the educational, entertainment, and personal needs of Pennsylvanians of all ages. These are resources that residents, libraries, and schools have been asking for – and we are excited to announce they are now available.”
Administered by PDE’s Office of Commonwealth Libraries, the POWER Library is the online portal to all that Pennsylvania libraries offer. It provides access to books, newspapers, historical archives, trustworthy career guidance and personal finance information, and much more. It also offers a 24/7 live chat service with experienced librarians. Any Pennsylvania resident with a public library card or an eCard issued by POWER Library can access these resources.
Among the new additions is the MyHeritage Library Edition, a multilingual family history research database. This comprehensive resource includes billions of historical documents from 48 countries, millions of historical photos, public records, indexes, and additional resources spanning the past five centuries.
For language enthusiasts, the Transparent Language Online platform is another valuable addition. Whether you’re a beginner, looking to refresh your knowledge, or aiming to learn your tenth language, this platform can help. It offers learning content for over 120 languages, including American Sign Language, and English learning content for speakers of over 30 languages.
Young learners in pre-K to grade 5 have not been left out. The Britannica School Elementary platform is a rich source of information tailored for this age group. The platform features curriculum-aligned games, puzzles, interactive activities and read-aloud options for beginning readers. It is designed to stimulate curiosity, build foundational knowledge, and enhance reading and comprehension abilities.
The Cricket Media Collection, another new resource, includes hundreds of e-books from renowned family publisher Cricket Media. This collection, suitable for students from pre-K to grade 8, helps build strong literacy skills by offering access to award-winning, short-form fiction and nonfiction titles. It covers a wide range of subjects, helping young readers explore and expand their worlds.
Lastly, the ProQuest SIRS Discoverer provides coverage in areas including history, health, language arts, math, science, social studies, and technology. All content is 100% full text, editorially-selected and indexed from over 2,200 reliable, high-quality global sources.
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