NO Log in Required! Maine's Virtual Library. Thousands of magazines, newspapers, and reference books are available anywhere in the State of Maine through the online resources of MARVEL! Maine's Virtual Library, a service of Maine InfoNet.

Subjects Include:

* Arts and Culture
* Business
* Dictionaries & Encyclopedias
* Environment & Ecology
* Health
* History
* Literature
* Politics & Government
* Science & Technology
* Social Sciences
* Teen Resources

What is the

SIRS Data BASE

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100% of SIRS is K-12 curriculum-relevant for teachers and for students.

Editorially selected best of publisher quality articles and websites that are reviewed and updated regularly and meet K-12 curriculum and state standards

Thousands of editorially selected newspapers, magazines, maps, correlated graphics, literature, reference sources to match curriculum, student interest, and reading levels.

Accurate summaries of each article and website provide students and teachers with information that saves time for higher-order thinking and writing.

Reading level designations for all articles and selection of appropriate websites for grades 3-8 in SIRS

Discoverer/WebFind.Dictionary and Thesaurus support for reading with understanding and enrichment--No Child Left Behind.

Tagged List provides student with a list of selected resources and citations for use in writing reports.

Citation models and support built into interface.

Publisher quality content and quality websites address parent and administrative concerns about the risks of student Internet surfing.

Tutorials and other learning resources provide support for functionality and information literacy skills.

Spotlights and other special topics features that connect students and teachers to current content in traditional areas of study.

All articles and websites correlated to K-12 curriculum, textbooks, state and national academic standards.

Facts on File

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Modern World History Online Covers the people, places, and events in the broad expanse of history—from mid-15th century to the present.

Ancient and Medieval History Online
Explores the pre-modern world with in-depth focus on Egypt, Mesopotamia, Greece, Rome, Africa, Europe, the Americas, and Asia.

NEW - Issues and Controversies in American History
Builds a deeper understanding of how historical events have shaped our nation by exploring the key players and the battles they fought.

Welcome to Issues & Controversies in American History @ FACTS.com, a unique online resource of clear, concise, and balanced explanations of the most contentious issues in American history. It places students and other users in the middle of the great historical debates, allowing them to view these issues as they were being argued.

Issues & Controversies in American History @ FACTS.com is a reference database, a classroom tool, and a home-learning resource. It combines authoritative factual accounts with in-depth explanations of opposing points of view and numerous special features, so students and other users can quickly grasp the essentials of even the most complex historical topics.

Biographies, timelines, background articles, photographs, and maps augment the curriculum-based coverage of historical events. Carefully selected primary documents, linking directly to the factual coverage, give the points of view on all sides of the debates as they were promulgated at the time. In addition, Issues & Controversies in American History @ FACTS.com offers these special features:

* Full-text searching
* Extensive hyperlinking among all Issues & Controversies in American History articles
* Links to related content from The Reference Suite @ FACTS.com: the World News Digest @ FACTS.com current and archival news database, Issues & Controversies @ FACTS.com, the World Almanac Reference Database @ FACTS.com, and Today's Science @ FACTS.com
* Speech-enable Issues & Controversies in American History @ FACTS.com using Browsealoud. Click here for more information.
* Need a Research Topic? to help users searching for research topic ideas
* Contents listings: complete Issues: A-Z and Subject Index
* Issues: Pro and Con menu, summarizing key topics at a glance
* American History Timelines features a complete chronology of key events in American history with links to background information, plus a selection of topical timelines
* American Presidents Quick-reference biographies of each American president, listed chronologically
* A colorful Image Gallery with links to information about each illustration
* Internet Sites An A-Z list of recommended Internet sites
* Primary Documents A specially selected range of primary documents, chosen to complement Issues & Controversies in American History @ FACTS.com articles
* States at a Glance Background and profile information on each of the fifty U.S. states and outlying U.S. areas
* This Day in American History A listing of significant events in American history for each day of the calendar year
* U.S. Facts and Figures Statistical and factual information on the three branches of government, the economy, population, and much more
* U.S. Political Parties Background articles on various U.S. political parties
* For Educators, suggested classroom activities including Discussion Questions & Activities and a Mock Trial

For help in navigating Issues & Controversies in American History @ FACTS.com, click here or click on the ? icon at the top of any screen. For technical support information click here.

For help in speech-enabling Issues & Controversies in American History @ FACTS.com using Browsealoud, the industry's leading solution for speech-enabling Web sites, click here.

Issues & Controversies in American History @ FACTS.com is published by Facts On File News Services. Facts On File News Services is a division of the World Almanac Education Group, a WRC Media Company. It delivers comprehensive online reference databases for users ranging from elementary students through adults, written, designed, and delivered specifically to meet the needs of students, educators, and librarians.

* American History Timelines
* American Presidential Elections
* American Presidents
* Background Articles
* Biographies
* Editorial Cartoons & Questions
* Image Gallery
* Internet Sites
* Primary Documents
* States at a Glance
* This Day in American History
* U.S. Facts and Figures
* U.S. Political Parties