Welcome to the CMRLS Teacher’s Virtual Library Packet!

We have gathered here a few tools that we hope will help you and your students have a productive school year.

CMRLS serves the public libraries of Rankin, Scott, Simpson, and Smith Counties and offers anyone teaching in the four-county area a FREE Library Card. As a professional courtesy, CMRLS allows teachers up to NINE WEEKS, FINE FREE Check-out for classroom material that is checked-out on a Teacher’s Library Card. Just ask your Library staff to register you for a Teacher’s Library Card! You may also have a Library card for your personal use.

Teachers may also place research material from any of the CMRLS Libraries on reserve at their Library of choice for special class assignments. Material will be held at the circulation desk for all students in your class to use in the Library. Teachers who alert the Library of future assignments and deadlines can assure students of needed research materials. Unavailable material may be requested through Inter-Library Loan at no cost to the student.

Teachers with an online classroom computer may view a student’s choice for reading assignments through the CMRLS Online Catalog and give approval in the classroom. The student can then place a hold on the item with their own Library and PIN (Personal Identification Number). The student will be notified when the material is available to be picked up.

Teacher Resources

Future Assignment Notification Form – A PDF to print and email to your Library.

Teacher Assignment Letter – A PDF of the letter given to students by Library staff when needed materials are not available. Library staff will date and sign the letter for an accurate record of the student coming to the Library.

Story Kit List – These are thematic units containing books, video and/or audio tapes, as well as manipulatives, that teachers may check out for one week. most story kits are geared for Preschool-2nd grade. Several kits are for 2nd-4th and 5th-8th grades.When planning to use these story kits as part of class, allow time for transportation. The kits are part of numerous library collections, but may be borrowed from any CMRLS Library.

Inter-generational Kit List – These are thematic units containing activities, music, pictures, slides and/or videos. Larger kits also include manipulatives. Teachers may check out kits for one week. These are geared toward 5th-12th grades and interaction with one or more senior citizens. Inter-generational kits may require audio equipment, video equipment, or slide projector and screen. Please let Library staff know when you request these kits if equipment is also needed. The kits and equipment are part of the Morton Public Library collection, buy may be borrowed from any CMRLS Library. Allow time for transportation to your Library.

  • Remembering Farm Days
  • Remembering the Depression
  • Remembering the Fashion
  • Remembering School Days
  • Remembering Fun & Games
  • Remembering Work Life
  • Remembering Train Rides
  • Remembering African-American Lives
  • Remembering Automobiles
  • Remembering Christmas
  • Remembering Home Front
  • Remembering Home

Schedule a Visit – Contact local Library staff to schedule a visit to your classroom, a visit from your class to the Library, or ‘One on One Time’ for you and a Library staff member so that you may learn what the Library offers and how the catalog and research databases work.

Dial-a-Story – Dial 601-919-2090 for a 5-7 minute story geared to young children; stories are changed weekly. Sponsored by Rankin County Junior Auxiliary, Flowood Rotary Club, and the G. Chastaine Flynt Memorial Library in Flowood. Feel free to use these stories in class, or even teaching students to dial a phone!

CMRLS Library Information

CMRLS Online Catalog – Find Library materials, create lists, place holds, check account, and pay fines.

Downloadable eBooks and Audio Books  – Download cloudLibrary app.

CMRLS Libraries Contact information for 20 Libraries in four counties.

How Do I Get A Library Card? – Let your students know how to get a Library Card. Staff can give you applications for your students to take home. Parents/Guardians will be responsible for returning the form to the Library with proof of residence.

Customer Service Email Form – Or use custsvc@cmrls.lib.ms.us if you have access to an email account.

What is TeleCirc?601-825-5450 – TeleCirc is an automated system that allows patrons to call, using a touch-tone phone, and access the Library’s card catalog system.

What is Early Email Notification? – Get email or text to let you know 3 days before items are due.

The Dewey Decimal Classification – Need help finding a subject? Click to find internet sites that have been placed in DDC order.

Useful Websites

Mississippi Department of Education

Rankin County School District

Pearl Public School District

Scott County School District

Forest Municipal School District

Simpson County School District

Smith County School District

Mississippi Virtual Public School

Mississippi Virtual Community College

Official Mississippi Website

US Department of Education

National Education Association-Tools & Ideas for Classroom Teachers

National Center for Education Statistics-Search for Public Schools

 


CMRLS Virtual Reference Collection-A collection of databases and websites for homework and reference help. The Virtual Reference Collection includes World Book Online, Explora for Primary School, Explora for Secondary School, and Explora for Educators; as well as MAGNOLIA databases of journals, periodicals, books, and newspapers. A list of links for the ACT, SAT, and other practice tests can be found here, also.

If you use Google Classroom, you may create assignments directly from Explora and other EBSCO products found in the MAGNOLIA databases. Click here for a short tutorial.

Contact your local library staff to schedule a classroom visit for help with any of the Virtual Reference Collection resources or to arrange one-on-one help for yourself.

PBS Resources for the Classroom-Pre K-13+

Kids @ USA.gov for Teachers K-8th grade

EDSITEment-The best of the humanities on the web.

Free iBooks for Students-Put primary sources in your students’ hands.

EduCORE-Tools for teaching the Common Core

Discovery Education-Free Teacher Resources

Guinness World Records

The Learning Network-Teaching & Learning with The New York Times

Teacher Tube

Core Standards

Tolerance.org-Teaching tolerance.

Scholastic.com and Teaching

Crayola.com

Just Books Read Aloud – More than 800 popular children’s books read aloud to you (free), with full-page pictures of the books.

KidLit.tv  – Read aloud books, activities, and more.

Storyline Online – Site is sponsored by the Entertainment Industry Foundation; popular children’s books are read by members of SAG-AFTRA Foundation. Books also have activity guides.

Online Books Page – Listing over 2 million free books on the web; the website that provides access to books that are freely readable over the Internet. The site is hosted by the University of Pennsylvania Libraries.

Page by Page Books – Hundreds of classic books to read free.

Project Gutenberg – Offers over 53,000 free eBooks; choose among free epub books, free Kindle books, download them or read them online. No fee or registration is required.

Library of Congress Teacher Resource Page-Find Library of Congress lesson plans and more that meet Common Core standards, state content standards, and the standards of national organizations.

Library of Congress Virtual Programs & Services

Mississippi Digital Library – The MDL provides an online portal for discovery and access to digital collections throughout the state.

Digital Public Library of America – A vast collection of openly available materials (from books to art to maps and more) from libraries, museums, and archives that are easily searched to be used by students, teachers, scholars, and the public.

Digital Collections: Library of Congress – Access online collections: view maps & photographs; read letters, diaries & newspapers; hear personal accounts of events; listen to sound recordings & watch historic films.

World Digital Library – Makes available on the Internet, free of charge and in multilingual format, significant primary materials from all countries and cultures.

National Science Teachers Association

Scholastic Current Events-News for your classroom.

Achieve the Core

Lesson Planning Tool

Teaching the Core Videos

Smithsonian Institute: Educators

Smithsonian Institute

Science.gov-Your gateway  to US Federal Science

Virtual LRC-The Virtual Learning Resources Center indexes thousands of the best academic information websites, selected by teachers and library professionals worldwide, in order to provide to students and teachers current, valid information for school and university academic projects!

Infotopia.info

TeacherTopia.info

Infotrek.info-Academic Search Engine geared to High School students. Figment.com-Teaching tool for YA, read and write.

SmartTech-For interactive whiteboard.

PrometheanPlanet-Large community of whiteboard uses.

TeachEngineering – STEM Curriculum for K-12

Using Explora with Google Classroom and Google Drive