Library

Gateway Library Hours

Monday: 7:45 am – 2:30 pm
Tuesday: 7:45 am – 2:30 pm 
Wednesday: Closed  –  2:30 pm  
Thursday: 7:45 am – 2:30 pm
Friday: 7:45 am – 2:30 pm

Logo of "Harry Potter at Home," featuring iconic elements from the Harry Potter series in a whimsical design.

Library logo displayed prominently on a striking red and black background.

Need an eLibrary card for access now? Have a card but can’t find it?

  • Only available to Kern County residents

  • Attach a photo of California Drivers License/ID, Kern County school ID, or military ID. For minors, attach parent’s CA DL/ID or military ID.

  • If a card already exists, a new account will not be created, but a temporary number will be issued for use.

Online Databases

These content resources, sometimes referred to as "library databases," provide teachers, school librarians and students with a massive amount of digital information: magazines, books, scientific research, newspaper articles, photos, videos and more — all aligned with the standards that California has created for its schools.

NOTE: Login information is only needed when working from home.

World Book logo: Globe symbol followed by "WORLD BOOK" in blue typeface with reflection underneath.

World Book Online:
Username: sierra
Password: sands
Introductory Video: World Book Student Overview

The following resources are provided by the California State Library's K-12 Online Content Project (now called COMPASS).

Capstone PebbleGo Science (PreK-2)

Pebble Go interface for grade 2, featuring educational resources and interactive content for young learners.

Site Username: ca07916 

Site Password: ca07916

A stylized illustration of a thistle, the national flower of Scotland. The thistle has a spiky, bulbous flower head, prominent spiky leaves, and a sturdy stem. The illustration uses a muted indigo color palette for a vintage or heraldic feel.

Encyclopedia Britannica is the classic reference compendium of summary informational articles on a wide range of subjects. The online offerings are crafted by research experts and updated continuously — more than 1,000 new articles per month.

Britannica School is the go-to site for K-12 research. Britannica School offers an automated translation tool for over 50 languages, as well as quick dictionary definitions and audio pronunciation.

Britannica Escolar is the leading knowledge-building resource, made for native Spanish speakers, bilingual students, and students learning Spanish. Escolar articles are original works, not translations.

Encyclopaedia Britannica: Britannica School

Access ID: sierrasands

Passcode: ssusd

Gale, A Cengage Company logo on orange background.

Environmental Studies: Broadens student understanding of environmental
issues that affect people globally through topic overviews, journals, news, and multimedia
content. 

Gale in Context Environmental Studies interface showcasing research articles and resources on environmental topics.

Science: Allows students to manipulate 3D interactive models to visualize and understand biology, chemistry, earth, and space science concepts. 

Interactive science resource from Gale, showcasing various scientific topics and research tools for educational use.

National Geographic Kids: Allows students to adventure in science, nature, culture, archaeology, and space.

National Geographic Kids logo featuring a yellow rectangle with the brand name in bold black letters.

ProQuest logo featuring red and white text, representing the brand's identity in academic and research services.

ProQuest is used by researchers and librarians around the world. ProQuest has a growing content collection that encompasses 90,000 authoritative sources, six billion digital pages and spans six centuries. Students have access to various ProQuest collections through this project.

ProQuest:
Username: ssusd
Password: Sierrasands#1
Summary of ProQuest offerings: Students - California K-12 - LibGuides at ProQuest

Teaching books by James D. Robertson displayed on a net, showcasing educational resources and materials.

TeachingBooks.net features a suite of instructional resources that enrich the fiction and nonfiction books read by children and young adults. Databases include:

Book Guides & Lesson Plans Diverse Books Meet-the-Author Videos and Book Readings Resources for Award-Winning Books

TeachingBooks
Username:  ssusd
Password:   teachingbooksK12
Introductory video: 3-Minute Overview

Sora: Library App for Staff and Students

Check out Sora, in use at the BHS library. This app allows users to access FREE eBooks and audiobooks on Chromebooks or other devices.

How to Log into Sora for all staff & students of Sierra Sands School District: Sora, sign in using your regular school Google Login

Add the Kern County Public Library to access even more content.

  • Under your Profile, select + Add a library and search for Kern County Public Library.

  • Click Borrow or Place hold on any title to be prompted to sign in.

  • Select Sierra Sands Unified School District from the list and log in using your Google information

Sora Reading App Video

Also, have you checked out TeachingBooks? The library's new Sora App collection has teaching resources available for free on the teaching book website! The link below provides a complete list of books and materials from our eBook collection on the Sora app: Resources from Teaching Books for Sora books