DISCUS -
South Carolina’s Virtual Library

DISCUS - South Carolina’s Virtual Library provides all South Carolinians with access to an electronic library of essential information resources through schools, colleges and public libraries.

Reference Resources

Start here for journal, newspaper and magazine articles and much more!

DISCUS is changing! Several new databases have been added, including EBSCOhostEBSCOhost is a collection of databases including Health, Education, Technology, News, Science, Literature, Business, History, Agriculture, Environment, and a lot more. EBSCOhost is the best place to start for newspaper, journal and magazine articles.

Need health information? Received a recent diagnosis? Just want to know more about a health problem? Check out our new Consumer Health Complete

Have a car with a problem? Need to know how to change your headlamps? Does your car have a Recall? Check out the new Auto Repair Reference Center

Ever wondered which title is the first of a series, or the next one, or what else has an author written, or who wrote that book about the female park ranger? Then you need to try Novelist Plus. Looking for children's books about anything? Try Novelist Plus K-8.

Need a different viewpoint, need information on your viewpoint, having a debate? Check out the Points of View Reference Center.

ALL Available Resources

Auto Repair Reference Center NEW! Ebscohost Reference Resources NEW! Nursing Resource Center
Biography in Context Enciclopedia Juvenil (Spanish) Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center
Bloom's Literary Reference Online NEW! Encyclopedia Britannica Points of View Reference Center NEW!
Brain Pop Jr. NEW! Encyclopedia Britannica for Kids Scribner Writers Series
Britannica Learning Zone (for Pre-K) Ferguson's Career Guidance Center Searchasaurus: Elementary School Research NEW!
Career eBook Collection Kids InfoBits Student Research Center: High School NEW!
Consumer Health Complete NEW! Learning Express Library Student Research Center: Middle School NEW!
CultureGrams Novelist Plus NEW! World Data Analyst
Credo Reference NEW! Novelist Plus K-8 NEW!  

Click on the name or logo of the following resources for access from inside the library.  Click on the home logo for access at home or if you are using our wireless network.  If only one logo is present use it for both.    Before you can access DISCUS resources from home, you must have a user name and password.  To obtain a user name and password for use with DISCUS, click here and log into the library catalog with your Library Card # and PIN.  You may also call the Reference Desk at (864) 260-4500 and ask for the current password.  (Please have your Library Card handy when you call.)  To find out how to obtain a library card go to the Library Cards & Fees page or click here. If you have any trouble accessing any of these resources, please check out these troubleshooting tips.

Resource Age Range Description
Auto Repair Reference Center
For all age groups

This database includes repair and maintenance information on more than 34,000 vehicles covered from 1945 to present. It provides: Nearly 850,000 drawings and step-by-step photographs, Approximately 86,600 technical service bulletins & recalls issued by the original equipment vehicle manufacturer, Over 158,600 enhanced wiring diagrams for easy viewing and printing, Specifications & maintenance schedules, Labor Time Guide & Estimator, Quick Tips.

Biography in Context
Biography Resource Center
For all age groups

Comprehensive source for biographical information
Over 300,000 biographies of people from around the world and throughout history
Quick reference information on nearly one million people from Who’s Who sources
Full-text articles from hundreds of magazines and links to selected biography Web sites

Bloom’s Literary Reference Online
 

Bloom’s Literary Reference Online features content from Facts On File’s extensive print literature collection, hundreds of Harold Bloom’s essays examining the lives and works of great writers throughout history and the world, and thousands of critical articles published by noted scholars under the Bloom’s Literary Criticism imprint. This accessible database also contains an archive of more than 46,000 characters; extensive entries on literary topics, themes, movements, genres, and authors; almost 200 video clips; and more. Handy browse and search features include in-text links, record links, and numerous options for further research. Entries can be browsed by time period within American, British, and world literature; by author type; by literary genre; by nationality; by an A-to-Z list; and by subject for images and videos. Author biographies link to a list of major works, and works are linked to a list of principal characters.

Brain Pop Jr.
For children
Grades K-3

Fun video and learning activities that engage young learners. Animated, curricular movies, interactive quizzes, games, and activities that encourage young learners to ask questions and form their own ideas

Britannica Learning Zone
For children
aged 4-7

Interactive learning environment of developmentally-appropriate activies for early childhood
Interactivity focused on maps and videos, games and learning materials, word and letter activities
Fundamental early childhood concepts include animals, colors, geography, numbers, shapes, sounds, time and more
“Teacher Tools” allows teachers to customize content for student access, review the content used by students and generate reports

Career eBook Collection
(NetLibrary)
NetLibrary
For High school students through Adults

Customized collection of more than 250 electronic books for vocational needs
• Titles focused on career selection, resume and cover letter writing, interviewing, changing careers, test-taking strategies and more
• Keyword and phrase searching possible in an individual title or across the entire collection
•Features include embedded dictionary and theasaurus, a linked table of contents, page bookmarking and note-taking
• One must create an account to access this resource by coming into the library. Or, use your current NetLibrary Account

Consumer Health Complete
For all age groups

Consumer Health Complete™ (CHC) is the single-most comprehensive resource for consumer-oriented health content. It is designed to support the information needs of patients, and to foster an overall understanding of health-related topics. CHC provides content covering all areas of health and wellness from mainstream medicine to the many perspectives of complementary, holistic and integrated medicine. This full-text database covers topics such as aging, cancer, diabetes, drugs & alcohol, fitness, nutrition & dietetics, children's health, men & women's health, etc.  

Credo Reference
CredoReference
For all age groups

Whether you are just starting your project, looking to add some interesting images to your final draft or building a bibliography, Credo Reference has something for you.
Credo Reference offers:
• Tools to quickly map your paper topic
• Citable sources for your bibliography
• Answers to your research questions
• Thousands and thousands of images, charts, graphs, diagrams and more

CultureGrams
Culture Grams
For all age groups

Country Reports that provide snapshots of the World's Culture
• Separate editions for: World, States, Provinces, and Kids
• 200+ United Nations member countries included, with reports containing history, customs, family, lifestyle, recipes, economy and more
• Each U.S. state, the District of Columbia, and the 13 Canadian provinces are included, with reports containing maps, flags, symbols, history, economy, geography, population and more
• Video stories, slideshows, a worldwide photo gallery and create-your-own data tables
• Data Sheet: http://www.proquestk12.com/pic/pdfs/CGCata.pdf

EBSCOhost Reference Resources
 
For all age groups

EBSCOhost is a powerful online reference system. This is the best place to start searching for Magazine, News, and Journal Articles.  EBSChost offers a variety of proprietary full text databases and popular databases. These databases can be searched simultaneously or individually as needed. It provides access to: Agricola, Alt Health Watch, Business Source Premier, Computer Source, ERIC, Health Source - Consumer Edition, Literary Reference Center, MasterFile Premier, Newspaper Source Plus, Regional Business News, Small Business Reference Center, Vocational and Career Collection, and more.  

Enciclopedia Juvenil (Britannica's elementary Spanish Languange encyclopedia
For students
 age 7-12

Spanish elementary encyclopedia for early readers of Spanish
• More than 1,500 encyclopedia articles and 1,000 pictures
• Searchable and alphabetically browsable
• Interactive materials supporting language arts, math, science and social studies
• Content selected for curriculum relevance and age appropriateness
• Designed to sharpen students’ Spanish language skills while they learn new lessons

Encyclopedia Britannica
For all age groups

Access to two homepages: Britannica Kids for children and young adults, and Britannica Reference Center for older students and adults
Encyclopedia articles, magazines and journals, Web sites, multimedia, dictionary and thesaurus entries
Links to Web sites for The New York Times and BBC News
Additional content sources include Year in Review, World Data Analyst, Notable Quotations and Gateway to the Classics

Encyclopedia Britannica for Kids
For middle school or elementary students and up  

Articles, pictures and reference information on all subjects
Full-text articles from Compton's Encyclopedia and Britannica's Elementary Encyclopedia
Encyclopedia articles, magazines and journals, Web sites, multimedia, dictionary and thesaurus entries

Ferguson’s Career Guidance Center
For high school students through adults

Complete career research database of jobs, skills, and resources
Information on more than 3,300 jobs and 94 industries, organized by the 16 career clusters created by the U.S. Department of Education
Articles and videos providing advice on job applications, the interview process, professional behavior, career skills, and more
Sample resumes and cover letters
Searchable entries on scholarships, internships, fellowships, and more

Learning Express Library
For elementary school students through adults

Comprehensive collection of test-preparation tools, skill-building materials, and other career and life skills resources
• Practice tests for GED preparation, job and career goals, undergraduate and graduate school admission, and U.S. citizenship
• Focus on workplace skills such as resume building, interviewing, job search and assessment, business writing, and core computer skills
• Tools for improving proficiency levels in reading, writing, and math for elementary school learners through adults
• Interactive skill-building tutorials and 130+ e-book titles
• Features include timed tests, instant scoring and feedback, and individual user accounts for saving works-in-progress and completed tasks

Novelist Plus
For all age groups

NoveList Plus is a complete resource for fiction and nonfiction pleasure reading. NoveList Plus offers bibliographic information on more than 200,000 titles, including over 50,000 nonfiction titles selected for their appeal to the general reader — all available to you with just a click of your mouse. Approximately 20,000 new titles are added each year. In addition to the title records, NoveList Plus offers a rich array of customized feature content such as Author Read-alikes, Book Discussion Guides, BookTalks, and Feature Articles by the top names in the industry. Hundreds of ready-made, hand-crafted reading lists on popular fiction and nonfiction genres provide additional support for readers looking for their next great read.

Novelist Plus K-8
For Grade K-8 age groups

NoveList® K-8 Plus is a great online resource for helping teachers, school media specialists and kids find that next great book to read. Created especially for kids (and the adults who work with them), it has a colorful, graphic-rich homepage and is very easy to use. Librarians and school media specialists can be confident that the content is appropriate for the intended age group and reading level, since every title that goes into NoveList K-8 Plus is selected by the team of school media specialists and children's librarians at NoveList. Busy librarians and school media specialists will also appreciate the time-saving, added-value features including Grab and Go Book Lists on a variety of fiction and nonfiction curricular-based topics, BookTalks, Curricular Connections and feature articles by industry experts.

Nursing Resource Center
Nursing Resource Center
For nursing students at vocational/technical high schools, colleges and universities

Collection of core content from recognized reference, textbook and journal publications in the nursing field
More than 20 full-text reference books
More than 200 animations from Blausen Medical’s Human Atlas, covering all major body systems
Search results returned in tabs that correlate to the nursing process
Disease and drug overviews, sample care plans and a Nursing Toolbox

Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center
Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center
For middle school students through adults

Database of contemporary social issues with content structured to promote critical-thinking skills and information literacy
More than 400 reference book titles
More than 8,700 pro and con viewpoint articles
Periodicals, podcasts, reviewed Web links, images, statistical tables, charts and graphs
Content levels may be selected for retrieving appropriate results
Includes Lexile reading levels for periodical content
Content correlated to social studies and science curriculum standards for middle and high school

Points of View Reference Center
For all age groups

Points of View Reference Center contains a balance of materials from all viewpoints, including more than 1,300 main essays, leading political magazines from both sides of the aisle, newspapers, radio & TV news transcripts, primary source documents and reference books.

Searchasaurus
For Elementary age children

Search interface that provides access to information from magazines and books on many topics. More than 80 popular full-text elementary school magazines, Includes Funk & Wagnall’s New World Encyclopedia, American Heritage Children’s Dictionary, Encyclopedia of Animals, Provides thousands of photos, maps, flags and more. Lexile reading levels assigned to full-text articles

Student Research Center: High School
For High School students

Search interface that provides access to information on many topics from magazines, newspapers, books, biographies, country reports, primary sources, video and more. Includes more than 500 popular full-text high school magazines, the Columbia Encyclopedia and the CIA World Fact Book. Lexile reading levels assigned to full-text articles

Student Research Center: Middle School
For Middle School students 

Search interface that provides access to information on many topics from magazines, newspapers, books, biographies, country reports, primary sources, video and more. Contains more than 150 popular full-text middle school magazines. Includes Funk & Wagnalls New World Encyclopedia, American Heritage Dictionary, Encyclopedia of Animals, Essential Documents in American History and others. Lexile reading levels assigned to full-text articles

World Data Analyst For 6th grade students through adults

Resource for retrieving, comparing and customizing data on the world’s nations
• Country Snapshots feature provides statistics that include maps, area, population, demographics, gross national product and more
• Country Comparisons offers tools for creating comparison tables and graphs using either recent or historical statistics
• Ranked Statistics performs country rankings for chosen statistical categories
• Results exportable to spreadsheet applications

DISCUS is funded by the South Carolina General Assembly, with supplemental funding by the federal Library Services and Technology Act. DISCUS is administered by the South Carolina State Library