Science & Technology

Gale in Context: Opposing Viewpoints

This rich resource provides pro/con viewpoints, reference articles, interactive maps, infographics, and more covering today’s hottest social issues. It’s an excellent resource for debaters, students, and educators alike. Content explores current events, news and commentary, economics, environmental issues, law and politics, health and medicine, and more.

Your gateway to:

  • 20,100+ pro/con viewpoints
  • 19,200+ reference articles, including topic overviews
  • 12,700+ charts and graphs, along with other statistical information
  • 300+ profiles of federal agencies and special-interest groups
  • Special coverage of the annual debate topic determined by the National Speech and Debate Association
  • Full-text newspapers and periodicals from multiple perspectives, including: The New York Times, Newsweek, Foreign Policy, American Scientist and Education Week, and more.

Special features include:

  • Educator Resources
    Find tools to help educators and students get the most out of Gale In Context resources. There are lesson plans and activities to put concepts into practice!
  • Topic Finder
    Visualize connections between search terms and topics and view relevant articles for those topics.

Explore Gale in Context: Opposing Viewpoints
Gale in Context: Opposing Viewpoints is provided by Kentucky Virtual Library. A special username and password are required for home access; ask at any BCPL service desk for the login credentials or call the main library at 543-7675.

Fiero Code

Fiero Code: Learn-to-code software Learn computer programming skills through a series of quick tutorials and gamified projects! Choose from a variety of “workouts” and “missions” as you learn to build websites, video games, phone apps, animations, and more. Plus, explore career opportunities in computer programming, start your own project in the Create module, or join a live coding challenge.

The Fiero Code software provides an accessible, easy-to-navigate coding journey geared toward youth ages 8–18, but adults can enjoy Fiero Code, too! It’s a great, low-commitment way for all ages to learn and practice their coding skills, and more adult-focused content for career-building is coming soon.

Coding languages include:

  • CSS
  • HTML
  • JavaScript
  • Python
  • Scratch
  • SQL

Explore Fiero Code
An e-mail is required to set up your account.

Would you like to join a Code Club or other coding-related programs?

Let us know!

Not convinced Fiero Code is right for you?

Here are just a few of the benefits of learning to code with Fiero Code:

  • Project-Based Learning
    Coders have numerous opportunities to build real-world websites, video games, apps, animations, and more from scratch.
  • Story-Based Learning & Gamification
    Make learning fun to stay engaged and achieve the outcome you want. Maintain progress with Streaks and Top Projects—and don’t forget to level-up your personal avatar. As you complete each Fiero Code workout and mission, you’ll unlock gear and other items to customize your avatar. 
  • Maker & Robotics
    Experience the thrill of coding a robot and use with devices including Ozobot, Sphero, Raspberry Pi, and Makey Makey. 
  • Self-Guided / Self-Paced
    Be empowered! With Fiero Code, you can choose the projects and topics that interest you and do it at your own pace. H    op from discipline to discipline and from tutorials to projects (and back again) with ease.
  • Support from Fiero Code
    With a built-in discussion board moderated by Fiero Code coders and staff, you will never be left without support. 

Universal Class

Universal Class - Find it in Libby Learn skills for business and life!

Universal Class offers more than 500 lifelong-learning courses in over 30 subject areas—many of which offer continuing education units (CEUs). Courses are designed and led by professional instructors to build deeper understanding and mastery of subject matter through a variety of mediums including videos, assignments, quizzes, tests, and interactive opportunities with other learners. Universal Class is a great choice for both serious students and casual learners.

Patrons may take multiple classes and learn at their own pace. Universal Class is best accessed through a desktop computer and is available as a Kentucky Libraries Unbound/Libby Extra. You will need to log in to KLU/Libby with your library card number and PIN to access Extras. Once your Universal Class account is created, it will need to be renewed through Libby every 30 days.

Set Up with Libby     Current Account Access

 

Extras Screenshot

A wide variety of courses span everything from homeschool courses for the kids (and parents) to business and accounting to dozens of cooking, baking, arts & crafts, and gardening courses. Examples include:

  • Advanced Dog Training
    AREAS OF STUDY – click to enlarge.
  • Building Self-Esteem
  • Buying & Selling Antiques & Collectibles
  • Debt Reduction
  • Dream Interpretation
  • Gender Sensitivity Training
  • Haunted Places
  • Interview Skills
  • Introduction to Six Sigma
  • Memory Improvement
  • Retirement Planning
  • Single Parenting 101
  • Solving Classroom Discipline Problems
  • UFO Studies
  • US Citizenship Test Preparation
  • Weight Loss Management
  • Hundreds more!

New York Times Digital

New York Times devices Understand the world. Navigate life.
Access The New York Times here.

Whether you’re managing finances, tackling tough parenting problems, or simply looking to make sense of this moment, rely on original, quality journalism from The New York Times to lead the way. It’s an essential source for fearless reporting, varied perspectives, and practical advice on nearly every topic—from the vital issues shaping our world to the simple pleasures that make everyday life better.

  • The New York Times Digital subscription provides unlimited access to current New York Times articles but does not include New York Times Cooking or Crosswords.
  • Selected articles are also available in Spanish and Chinese.

ACCESS INSTRUCTIONS
*Please note, the READ ON link on NYTimes.com leads to a newsletter subscription page. However, you can bypass or navigate away to explore all that the New York Times Digital subscription has to offer!

Inside the library:

  1. Use a BCPL computer or connect your device to our Wi-Fi.
  2. Register or log in at nytimes.com/register.
  3. You can now enjoy unlimited access to NYTimes.com on any device during your visit.

Outside the library:

Claim your digital access code for full, 24-hour access to unlimited articles on NYTimes.com or in the New York Times app.

LinkedIn Learning

LinkedIN-Learning button LinkedIn Learning is a premier online learning resource featuring tutorials from recognized experts in their fields covering technical skills, creative techniques, business strategies, career development, and more. Learning is self-paced and courses and tutorials are broken up into short videos, so it’s easy to squeeze in just a few minutes of learning a day if that’s all the time you have.

Please note: LinkedIn Learning requires that users be at least 16 years old, but a public LinkedIn profile is not required for access.

You just need your library card and PIN to get started! If you have a public profile you do not want linked to your LinkedIn Learning account, you may be asked to provide a Library ID instead of your e-mail. Our Library ID is bcplibky.

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Treehouse

***Based on user feedback and an interest in trying something new, we have decided to cancel our Treehouse subscription, effective April 12th. You can check out the Treehouse website if you’d like to maintain your Treehouse account with your own subscription. In the meantime, we are excited to introduce a new learn-to-code experience: Fiero Code!***

Explore Fiero Code

***

Treehouse is an online video and interactive learning platform that specializes in teaching people of all ages how to design and develop websites and mobile apps. Tracks include web development, web design, iOs and Android app development, WordPress development and design, game development, and various programming languages, including HTML, JavaScript, PHP, and Ruby. Courses are taught through short videos, with quizzes, code challenges, and other activities to help reinforce new skills and concepts. Their Career Program serves as a “guided tool to help you prepare for a new job in technology.”

Interested in learning to code or exploring the other courses offered via Treehouse? E-mail [email protected] to request access. Be sure to provide your full name and library card number for verification.

Find Treehouse at teamtreehouse.com.

OCLC FirstSearch Databases

FirstSearch is a collection of databases that includes access to magazine articles.

World Cat lists books and materials kept in other libraries around the world. If you are looking for material that is not available in Bullitt County and have a Bullitt County Library card, you may request that an item be “Interlibrary Loaned” using the online request form from World Cat.

To access OCLC from remote locations or from your home use the KY Virtual Library.

Inside the library, visit OCLC here»

Kentucky Virtual Library

In addition to EBSCO and LearningExpress resources that can be accessed directly from our website, KYVL also provides access to Britannica Digital Learning, Scholastic GO!, and Proquest. A special username and password are required for access; you can request login credentials via phone, e-mail, or the Ask a Librarian chat feature on our website.

Explore Kentucky Virtual Library»

Explora

Explora - An EBSCOhost Experience

Let learning take flight in Explora!

Whether you are completing research for a school project or just looking to satisfy your curiosity about a topic of interest, Explora can help you achieve your goals. Explora offers reliable information on thousands of topics covering a wide range of subjects including art and music, literature, language arts, geography, history, social studies, world cultures and languages, science, technology, engineering, mathematics, health, and sports.

With Explora, you can…

  • Search for articles, e-books, news, videos and more using a single search box
  • Browse popular topics by category to get research ideas
  • Read Topic Overviews to gain the background information you need to start your research
  • Limit results to articles that match your reading level
  • Hear HTML articles read aloud with EBSCO’s Text-to-Speech feature
  • Use the citation tool to build your list of references/works cited
  • Get research tips on identifying relevant sources, citing them properly and avoiding plagiarism

Explora is designed to meet the unique needs of its users, supporting both student research and classroom instruction with rich, reliable content and easy-to-use functionality. Use the EBSCOhost—Home Access portal for remote access; a valid library card is required for use outside a BCPL library location.

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