Blanchette Learning Commons
Welcome to the BLC at Providence Catholic High School! We provide access to reliable information sources, instruction for students and faculty, and personal enrichment through pleasure reading and other activities.
In the BLC, we wish to provide the best academic and recreational environment that we can. We have a larger open study area for students to work individually or quietly with a partner. For group work, we have a Collaboration Room to accommodate small and large work groups. The space is flexible in order to accommodate a variety of events and activities. For students needing to print an assignment, we have 5 workstations available.
We are here to help you – Please ask us for assistance!
Hours: 7:30 AM – 3:30 PM on days when classes are in session. We will publish any changes to our hours in the Daily Announcements.
Axis360
Students can create their own personal Axis360 account. This will provide access to an Illinois interlibrary system, giving students access to several thousand e-books!
Learn how to create your Axis360 account.
Research
At the BLC, our primary goal is to support our patrons in their academic pursuits. Our students have unlimited access to our databases via any device with an internet connection. The databases are:
EBSCO provides patrons with access to full articles from over 1000 sources, such as magazines and peer-reviewed journals in EBSCOHost. NoveList is a reader advisory service that allows for patrons to read reviews and find read-a-likes for thousands of fiction titles. Teachers can use the Student Research Center to discover new pedagogy and best practices in the world of education.
If you are accessing EBSCO host while off-campus, use this link. Username and password provided by your teacher.
Gale provides online access to its wide range of print and eBook materials, tailored towards general research and knowledge building.
Gale Literature Resource Center will help you find biographical information, overviews, full-text literary criticism and reviews on nearly 130,000 writers in all disciplines, from all time periods and from around the world.
Opposing Viewpoints is another Gale resource. It contains a variety of topics and the debates therein, and literature and literary criticism resources.
InfoBase Bloom’s Literature is rich with relevant content on the core authors and works most studied in the high school curriculum. Students will find exactly what they need without having to wade through an uncurated search. Educators will appreciate the thoughtful organization and important curriculum tools to help with lesson plans, assignments, and independent study.
Recreational Reading
The BLC has a wonderful collection of fiction in all genres. From classic and inspirational works to contemporary page-turners, you can find it in the BLC! Our book collection not only has 3000 hardcover and paperback books, but over 1000 eBooks as well, which students can read on a laptop, mobile device, or eReader through our FollettShelf and EBSCO subscriptions. Simply search our catalog and find a romance, an adventure, or a good scare. If you want to read, we’ll help you get it!
We have subscriptions to many popular magazines, such as Time, Sports Illustrated, Ebony, Scientific American, and others. Our databases provide access to hundreds of other magazines and journals. In the BLC, we pride ourselves in providing students with as many avenues to literacy and a love of learning as we can.
Learning Commons Staff