Try-It! Illinois offers free access to hundreds of databases

In 2009, District 117 checked out 69 different textbook titles to students. This year, only nine years later, we checked out 27 titles. That’s 42 fewer titles. Evidently, teachers and students alike are turning to digital sources for their curriculum development and information/research needs. We want to remind you to keep databases in mind.
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Lakes and Antioch high schools are proud to subscribe to 18 databases covering a range of topics and issues. Is that enough? You tell us.
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Thanks to a service called Try-It! Illinois, every year vendors offer up their databases for us to use – for free – until November 30. Please take some time to scan and explore the list of hundreds of databases. For instance, there’s one called Applied Science and Technology Source, another called Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Religion, and one called Art Source.

If you find a database you like, let us know. We’ll consider purchasing a subscription for next school year. In the meantime, the trial period is a great time to search for and save articles you can use in your classes now. Many of the databases even allow you to filter based on Lexile levels.

To gain access, just click on the database trial link. Feel free to share the link and our database passwords document with your students.

​Special thanks to the Secretary of State and State Librarian Jesse White and the Illinois State Library for providing this opportunity.