Loss of K-12 Planet Databases Makes Public Library Cards Crucial

We’ve recently lost the databases we had through K12 Planet: Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center, Student Edition, and Student Resource Center. K-12 Planet was purchased by Pearson and it does not look like they will renew access to these products.

Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center is the most painful loss. Not only does it offer magazine and newspaper articles, it also includes well-written opinion pieces from books in Greenwood Press’s Opposing Viewpoints series. This database is available through Clearwater Public Library, but you must have both a library card number and a PIN to access it. We would love to see students continue to use this database. It would be great if you could encourage them to go to the Pinellas Public Library Cooperative site to apply for a card and then get a PIN by registering their card in person at Clearwater Public Library and requesting a PIN. If you already have a library card that is registered at Clearwater Public, you can call the circulation department at 562.4970 ext. 5200 and request a PIN.

We continue to subscribe SIRS, ProQuest Literature, CQ Researcher, and World and I. While we would love to purchase Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center ourselves, we've found that it's rather cost-prohibitive.

On our Student Resources and Faculty Resources pages, we’ve added links to the login page for the Gale databases available through PPLC. The three we’ve listed are Academic OneFile (good for finding magazine articles and peer-reviewed research), Literature Resource Center (a place to find DLB, CLC, and journal articles), and Biography Resource Center (a place to find articles from biographical almanacs and magazines).