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SIRS Knowledge Source®
Online Tutorial
sks.sirs.com
SIRS Knowledge Source® Copyright © 2003 SIRS Publishing, Inc.
Updated 04/03
About SIRS
Knowledge Source

SIRS Knowledge
Source® (SKS) is an
online interface that
provides integrated
access to thousands of
full-text articles,
documents, Internet
resources and graphics
from SIRS’ highlyacclaimed reference
databases.
View Full Screen
SIRS Knowledge Source® Copyright © 2003 SIRS Publishing, Inc.
Content Offerings

SIRS Researcher®
General Reference, Social Issues, Health, Science, Business

SIRS Government Reporter®
Historic and Government Documents, Directories and Almanacs

SIRS Renaissance®
Current Perspectives on the Arts & Humanities

SKS WebSelect™
Selected Internet Sites

Special Features
Focus on Terrorism, Leading Issues, SIRS Newest & Today’s News

Link to SIRS Interactive Citizenship™
Interactive Books

Link to SIRS Discoverer®
Designed with the Younger Researcher in Mind
SIRS Knowledge Source® Copyright © 2003 SIRS Publishing, Inc.
Leading Issues
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Quick and easy access
to 100 of the most
researched, current
and enduring issues.
Top Ten user choices
are updated monthly.
Develops critical
thinking skills through
the use of cross
references.
Promotes problem
solving by covering all
aspects of an issue.
SIRS Knowledge Source® Copyright © 2003 SIRS Publishing, Inc.
Focus on Terrorism
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Top Stories updated daily.
Coverage of the Historical
Background, Key Issues
and Key Figures in the
United States, Middle
East, Iraq, Afghanistan,
and India-Pakistan.
Multimedia features,
including interactive Web
sites, maps, video and
audio clips plus primary
source documents.
SIRS Knowledge Source® Copyright © 2003 SIRS Publishing, Inc.
Today’s News

The top national and
global headline
news stories are
dynamically updated
delivering late
breaking news.
 Includes
photographs from
Reuters News
Archives
SIRS Knowledge Source® Copyright © 2003 SIRS Publishing, Inc.
SIRS Newest
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The 50 most
recently added
articles and
graphics in one
easy to access
location.
Keep abreast of
current events and
the latest additions
to SIRS databases.
SIRS Knowledge Source® Copyright © 2003 SIRS Publishing, Inc.
Editor’s Top Picks

Articles, images and Web
sites are regularly selected
by the SIRS research team,
a group composed of more
than 40 professionals with
diverse educational
backgrounds, to be featured
as an Editor’s Top Pick on
the SIRS Researcher,
SIRS Government Reporter,
SIRS Renaissance and
SKS WebSelect portals.
SIRS Knowledge Source® Copyright © 2003 SIRS Publishing, Inc.
Suggested Research
Topics
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Monthly Challenge Quest
provided, with pathfinders
appearing following month.
Provides ideas for research
topics in SIRS Researcher,
SIRS Government Reporter,
SIRS Renaissance and SKS
WebSelect
Sample Subject Headings
Keywords, and Topic Browse
paths link directly to coverage
of timely issues.
Showcases the use of
Boolean operators, phrases,
and truncation.
SIRS Knowledge Source® Copyright © 2003 SIRS Publishing, Inc.
SIRS Researcher

SIRS Researcher®
contains thousands of fulltext articles exploring
social, scientific, health,
historic, business,
economic, political and
global issues. Articles and
graphics are selected
from 1,500 domestic and
international publications.
View Full Screen
SIRS Knowledge Source® Copyright © 2003 SIRS Publishing, Inc.
Maps of the World

Over 300 detailed, colorful
maps are available as an
online reference almanac.
The maps include each of
the 50 United States and
the provinces and territories
of Canada, as well as
regions and nations of the
world including Europe,
Persian Gulf, Czech
Republic, the Baltics and
Times Zones of the World.

Maps may be printed,
downloaded, saved and
sent via e-mail.
SIRS Knowledge Source® Copyright © 2003 SIRS Publishing, Inc.
World Almanac
Excerpts

The World Almanac Excerpts
database contains
information from The World
Almanac and Book of Facts.
Use this database to view
articles about world history,
profiles of all the nations of
the world, important facts
describing major
international organizations
and each of the 50 states of
the union as well as the
District of Columbia and
outlying U.S. areas.
SIRS Knowledge Source® Copyright © 2003 SIRS Publishing, Inc.
Spotlight of the Month

Spotlight of the Month
articles have been
selected as a sampling
from the SIRS
Researcher database to
encourage research
and awareness of
topical issues. These
articles can be found by
searching the full-text
database at any time
and remain in the
Spotlight of the Month
Archive for a year.
2003 Topics:
– Poverty Awareness Month
– Black History Month
– Women's History Month
– World Habitat Awareness Month
– Older Americans Month
– Death Penalty
– National High School Debate Topic
– Academic Decathlon Topic
– National Hispanic Heritage Month
– Cloning
– National AIDS Awareness Month
– 10th Anniversary of NAFTA
SIRS Knowledge Source® Copyright © 2003 SIRS Publishing, Inc.
American Model
United Nations

American Model
United Nations
contains articles
selected from the
SIRS Researcher
database to provide
supplemental
information for the
Model UN exercise.
SIRS Knowledge Source® Copyright © 2003 SIRS Publishing, Inc.
SIRS Government
Reporter

SIRS Government
Reporter® delivers
thousands of full-text
documents and
graphics concerning a
wide variety of topics:
health, science,
economics,
environment, politics,
foreign affairs, business
and industry.
View Full Screen
SIRS Knowledge Source® Copyright © 2003 SIRS Publishing, Inc.
Country Profiles

Profiles of nearly 200
countries from the U.S.
State Department
include information
about the people,
history, government,
economy and
geography of each
country.
 Maps of each country
are available in a
printable format.
SIRS Knowledge Source® Copyright © 2003 SIRS Publishing, Inc.
Federal Agencies

The Federal Agency
Directory supplies useful
background and contact
information for hundreds of
U.S. Government
departments, agencies and
commissions.

Links to documents
pertaining to each agency
are offered.

Documents issued by each
agency are included, sorted
by department.
SIRS Knowledge Source® Copyright © 2003 SIRS Publishing, Inc.
Historic Documents

The Historic Documents
database provides more
than two hundred fulltext documents, treaties
and speeches with
exceptional historic
value.
SIRS Knowledge Source® Copyright © 2003 SIRS Publishing, Inc.
National Archives
Documents

National Archives
Documents provides highly
visual primary sources from
the National Archives and
Records Administration to
illustrate social, political and
cultural themes in U.S.
history. Annotated
bibliographies, time lines,
glossaries and brief
biographies frequently
enhance each historical unit.
SIRS Knowledge Source® Copyright © 2003 SIRS Publishing, Inc.
U.S. Congress

The U.S. Congressional
Members Directory provides
data on members of the U.S.
Senate and House of
Representatives. This
directory details professional
background, telephone and
e-mail contact information
and committee assignments.

The U.S. Congressional
Committees directory lists
the members of each
committee.
SIRS Knowledge Source® Copyright © 2003 SIRS Publishing, Inc.
U.S. Presidents

The U.S. Presidents
Directory offers
biographical information
and a portrait of each
U.S. president, as well
as information about
presidential libraries,
burial places and
families.
SIRS Knowledge Source® Copyright © 2003 SIRS Publishing, Inc.
U.S. Supreme Court
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U.S. Supreme Court Cases
provides hundreds of full-text
case documents dating back
to the inception of the Court.
Cases are selected for their
constitutional and/or social
value.
U.S. Supreme Court Justices
directory lists appointment,
term and background
information for past and
current U.S. Supreme Court
justices.
SIRS Knowledge Source® Copyright © 2003 SIRS Publishing, Inc.
Spotlight of the Month

Spotlight of the Month
articles have been selected
as a sampling from the SIRS
Government Reporter
database to encourage
research and awareness of
topical issues. These articles
can be found by searching
the full-text database at any
time and remain in the
Spotlight of the Month
Archive for a year.
2003 Topics:
– Space Exploration
– Black History Month
– Women’s History Month
– School Violence
– Clean Air Month
– Hurricanes
– Civil Rights
– National Parks & Reserves
– National Hispanic Heritage Month
– Substance Abuse Prevention Month
– Career Profiles
– World War II
SIRS Knowledge Source® Copyright © 2003 SIRS Publishing, Inc.
SIRS Renaissance
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SIRS Renaissance® 'Current Perspectives
on the Arts &
Humanities' provides
current, dynamic
information on
Architecture & Design,
Culture, Literature,
Multimedia, Music,
Performing Arts,
Philosophy & Religion
and Visual Arts.
View Full Screen
SIRS Knowledge Source® Copyright © 2003 SIRS Publishing, Inc.
Literary Corner
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A guide to the
curricular study of
prominent authors in
major literary periods
and regions.
Links to hundreds of
online E-Books
Literary Criticism
Glossary of Critical
Terms
The New Lifetime
Reading Plan
SIRS Knowledge Source® Copyright © 2003 SIRS Publishing, Inc.
Award Recipients
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The Award Recipients
database lists major award
winners in all eight
Renaissance categories,
including Pulitzer Prizes in
Literature, Bollingen Prizes
in Poetry, Pritzker
Architecture Prize, National
Medal of the Arts, Academy
Awards and the MacArthur
Fellowships.
SIRS Knowledge Source® Copyright © 2003 SIRS Publishing, Inc.
Notable People

The Notable People
section contains
profiles of notable
people in
Architecture &
Design, Literature,
Music, Multimedia,
Performing Arts,
Philosophy, Religion
and Visual Arts.
SIRS Knowledge Source® Copyright © 2003 SIRS Publishing, Inc.
Glossary of the Arts
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The Glossary of the Arts provides
extensive explanations of
terminology, symbols, ideas and
people associated with the world of
the arts and humanities.
More than 11,000 definitions from
The Hutchinson Dictionary of the
Arts, The Hutchinson Encyclopedia
of Music, The Hutchinson
Dictionary of Ideas and The
Hutchinson Dictionary of Symbols
in Art.
Related Article links expand on the
information presented.
SIRS Knowledge Source® Copyright © 2003 SIRS Publishing, Inc.
Recommended
References
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The Recommended
References database
provides suggestions
for arts and humanities
readings beyond the
Renaissance database.
Each recommendation
includes a brief
description of the book,
along with author and
publisher information.
SIRS Knowledge Source® Copyright © 2003 SIRS Publishing, Inc.
Spotlight of the Month

Spotlight of the Month
articles have been selected
as a sampling from the SIRS
Renaissance database to
encourage research and
awareness of topical issues.
These articles can be found
by searching the full-text
database at any time and
remain in the Spotlight of the
Month Archive for a year.
2003 Topics:
– World Religions
– Black History Month
– Women’s History Month
– Blues Music & America
– National Book Month
– Notable Architects
– National Foreign Language Month
– Science Fiction Film & Literature
– National Hispanic Heritage Month
– Museums Around the World
– National American Indian Heritage
Month
– Winter Observances & Celebrations
SIRS Knowledge Source® Copyright © 2003 SIRS Publishing, Inc.
SKS WebSelect

SKS WebSelect
provides access to
quality Web sites on
almost any subject.
Utilizing time-tested
techniques, SIRS
editors evaluate sites
originating from around
the globe for credibility
and relevance to
researchers' needs.
View Full Screen
SIRS Knowledge Source® Copyright © 2003 SIRS Publishing, Inc.
SKS WebSelect Sites are
Relevant • Credible • Reliable
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Hand-selected by subject
specialists for the best content.
Retrieve the latest information on
ever-changing fields, from Space
Exploration and HIV/AIDS
treatments to Terrorism around the
globe.
Access primary source information
and high-impact graphical content
including Historic Documents,
E-Books and Maps.
Dynamically updated & rigorously
tested for content changes and
high-availability.
SIRS Knowledge Source® Copyright © 2003 SIRS Publishing, Inc.
Spotlight of the Month

Spotlight of the Month sites
have been selected as a
sampling from the SKS
WebSelect database to
encourage research and
awareness of topical issues.
These sites can be found by
searching the full-text
database at any time and
remain in the Spotlight of the
Month Archive for a year.
2003 Topics:
– Poverty Awareness Month
– Black History Month
– Women's History Month
– World Habitat Awareness Month
– Asian Heritage Awareness
– Appreciation of the Arts
– Space Milestones
– DNA & Genetic Research
– National Hispanic Heritage Month
– Diversity Awareness Month
– National American Indian
Awareness Month
– Universal Human Rights Month
SIRS Knowledge Source® Copyright © 2003 SIRS Publishing, Inc.
SIRS Interactive
Citizenship

SIRS Interactive
Citizenship® includes three
interactive books, What
Citizens Need to Know
About Government, What
Citizens Need to Know
About World Affairs and
What Citizens Need to Know
About Economics as well as
links to databases and Web
sites that enhance the
learning experience by
bridging the gap between
enduring concepts and
present day social issues.
SIRS Knowledge Source® Copyright © 2003 SIRS Publishing, Inc.
What Citizens Need to Know
About Government

A citizen needs to
participate on an informed,
regular basis to fulfill his or
her role in society and to
ensure continuing
democracy. This interactive
book provides a structure
upon which to base an
enduring interest and
involvement in
government.
SIRS Knowledge Source® Copyright © 2003 SIRS Publishing, Inc.
What Citizens Need to Know
About World Affairs

A citizen needs a historical
perspective to understand
the philosophies and
concepts underlying events
as they happen in various
parts of the world. This
interactive book provides a
sound foundation for
understanding world affairs
from a global perspective.
SIRS Knowledge Source® Copyright © 2003 SIRS Publishing, Inc.
What Citizens Need to
Know About Economics

A citizen needs to
understand the importance
economics plays in any
society, from the
production of goods to the
distribution of the world's
resources. This interactive
book describes economic
principles which provide a
structure for a continuing
understanding of how our
economic system works in
an increasingly global
environment.
SIRS Knowledge Source® Copyright © 2003 SIRS Publishing, Inc.
Two Formats
HTML
(Hypertext Markup Language)

Interactive Hyperlinks to
articles, documents
graphics, in-line glossary
and Web sites.
PDF
(Portable Document Format)
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Matches the documents
original appearance for
printing
Add onscreen notes &
highlighting
SIRS Knowledge Source® Copyright © 2003 SIRS Publishing, Inc.
Aligned to State &
National Standards

Direct Correlations are
provided in the Educator’s
Guide to State Academic
Standards

What Citizens Need to Know
About Government conforms to
the National Standards for
Civics and Government
 What Citizens Need to Know
About World Affairs conforms
to the National Standards for
World History and Geography
 What Citizens Need to Know
About Economics conforms to
National Economics Standards.
Students will “…understand competing ideas about civic life,
politics, and government so that they can make informed
judgments about what government should and should not
do, how they are to live their lives together, and how to
support the proper use of authority or combat the abuse of
political power.”
National Standards for Civics and Government
<http://civiced.org> [2001, May 16]
SIRS Knowledge Source® Copyright © 2003 SIRS Publishing, Inc.
Dynamic Linking
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Links to
continuously
updated content
Late-Breaking News
Full-Text articles
Primary Source
Documents
Internet Resources
SIRS Knowledge Source® Copyright © 2003 SIRS Publishing, Inc.
Downloadable Guides
The User’s Guide Covers:
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Organization of the
Interactive Book
Navigating the Chapters
Using the Discovery and
Inquiry Forms
The Educator’s Guide
Covers:
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Key Concepts & Terms
Generalizations
Analytical Questions
Key Problems
Activities
SIRS Knowledge Source® Copyright © 2003 SIRS Publishing, Inc.
Interactive Tools
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E-mail Communication
& Research Tools
Inquiry & Discovery
Activities help to
analyze and compare
data
Interactive approach to
learning that promotes
involvement
Downloadable version
for printing & note
taking
SIRS Knowledge Source® Copyright © 2003 SIRS Publishing, Inc.
Search Methods

Portal Interface – Users can search or browse SIRS
databases and view the featured content.

Quick Search - Users can locate articles, documents and
Internet sites by searching subject headings or using their own
combination of key words and phrases.

Advanced Search - Users can search multiple fields
including full-text, author and title. In addition, proximity and
graphic title searching are available.

Topic Browse - Users can locate resources by exploring
categories, topics and subtopics in a multi-level subject tree.
SIRS Knowledge Source® Copyright © 2003 SIRS Publishing, Inc.
Quick Search

Search full-text
articles and Internet
site key words via the
Keyword/Natural
Language option, or
use a Subject
Heading index to
quickly locate articles
and sites related to
that subject.

Boolean Operators
AND, OR, NOT

Truncation
farm* -> farmers, farming

Phrase Searching
“affirmative action”

Natural Language
Is there life on other planets?

Article Sorting
Relevance or Date
SIRS Knowledge Source® Copyright © 2003 SIRS Publishing, Inc.
Advanced Search

Advanced Boolean
Searching with
additional search
fields available
– Title
– Author

Proximity Search
 Graphic Title Search
SIRS Knowledge Source® Copyright © 2003 SIRS Publishing, Inc.
Topic Browse

Explore General
Reference,
Government and
Arts & Humanities
Categories by
browsing a list of
articles and sites
sorted into topics
and subtopics.
SIRS Knowledge Source® Copyright © 2003 SIRS Publishing, Inc.
Results List
1.
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3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
Full-Text Title
Source
Summary
Descriptors
Graphics
Publisher
Date
Size
Database
SIRS Knowledge Source® Copyright © 2003 SIRS Publishing, Inc.
Full Text Articles
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100% Full Text

Keyword bolding of search
terms, with quick locator
links.

Tag, e-mail or bookmark
articles and associated
graphics.

Thumbnail images expand
upon the text and link to fullsize graphics.

Related Articles appear at
the bottom of the article.
SIRS Knowledge Source® Copyright © 2003 SIRS Publishing, Inc.
Source & Summary

Source information
accompanies every full-text
article and Web site and is
formatted for ease in creating
citations.

Summaries are written by
SIRS’ staff and provide brief
descriptions of full-text
articles and sites, to aid in the
selection process.

Source & Summary
information can be sent to
your personal e-mail address.
SIRS Knowledge Source® Copyright © 2003 SIRS Publishing, Inc.
Descriptors

Descriptors are
words or phrases,
based on Library of
Congress subject
headings, that serve
as an aid in
selection and link to
related articles and
Web sites.
SIRS Knowledge Source® Copyright © 2003 SIRS Publishing, Inc.
Graphics

Graphics accompany many full-text articles. A camera icon signifies
that there are one or more graphics available.

Large graphics are also offered in PDF format for printing.

Graphics can be sent to a home e-mail address as an attachment.
SIRS Knowledge Source® Copyright © 2003 SIRS Publishing, Inc.
Functional &
Reference Aids

E-mail
 Clean Copy
for Printing
 Tagged List
 Create/Print
Bibliography
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Search History
Session Save
Bookmarking
Dictionary & Thesaurus
Help Topics
Additional Resources
SIRS Knowledge Source® Copyright © 2003 SIRS Publishing, Inc.
E-mail

Users may send
full-text articles,
Web sites,
source information,
summaries,
graphics, and
citation guidelines
to their personal
e-mail addresses.
SIRS Knowledge Source® Copyright © 2003 SIRS Publishing, Inc.
Clean Copy for
Printing
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Clean Copy
removes key word
markers and
formats the text for
printing.
The date the article
was accessed on is
included for use in
citations.
A print button
displays providing
access to the print
dialogue window of
your browser.
SIRS Knowledge Source® Copyright © 2003 SIRS Publishing, Inc.
Tagged List

Tag articles and Web
sites during research to
compile a running list of
articles, sites, summaries
and graphics.

Users can e-mail, print or
link to any tagged item, or
create a Bibliography of
sources.
SIRS Knowledge Source® Copyright © 2003 SIRS Publishing, Inc.
Create Bibliography

Create a Bibliography of
full-text article and Web
site sources from the
Tagged List.
 Include citation guidelines
from the Modern
Language Association
(MLA) and the American
Psychological Association
(APA).
 Print, e-mail or save the
list for future reference.
SIRS Knowledge Source® Copyright © 2003 SIRS Publishing, Inc.
Search History

Search History provides a
quick list of links to the
previous searches
performed during a
session.

When used with Session
Save, the number of
results returned provide
an indicator of any
additional items matching
your search terms since
your last search.
SIRS Knowledge Source® Copyright © 2003 SIRS Publishing, Inc.
Session Save

Save and retrieve
tagged items and
previous searches,
compiling research over
time.

By entering a unique
user name and
password, sessions can
be saved and retrieved
for up to 30 days.
SIRS Knowledge Source® Copyright © 2003 SIRS Publishing, Inc.
Bookmarking
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Create an Internet
Explorer favorite
instantly utilizing the
special bookmark
icon at the top of
each full-text article.
This enduring link
remains valid for
60 days.
Build an electronic
reserve or use for
class assignments.
SIRS Knowledge Source® Copyright © 2003 SIRS Publishing, Inc.
Dictionary/Thesaurus

Merriam-Webster's®
Collegiate Dictionary
and Thesaurus are
available to assist users
in defining words,
checking spelling,
choosing the perfect
word and more.
© 1997 by Merriam-Webster, Incorporated
Copyright © 2000 by Merriam-Webster, Incorporated.
Made in the United States of America.
SIRS Knowledge Source® Copyright © 2003 SIRS Publishing, Inc.
Help Topics
 Toolbox – The SKS Toolbox provides a single
point of access to all of the reference materials
available to SKS users. This includes the help,
search tips, and other reference materials.
 Help - View the context-sensitive help index for
full-featured help, including tips on Kiosk
Navigation and System Administrator Options.
 Tips - Print out this handy reference sheet to refer
to while performing searches.
 Cite - View details and examples of how to cite
articles and documents retrieved from SIRS
Knowledge Source.
SIRS Knowledge Source® Copyright © 2003 SIRS Publishing, Inc.
Librarian’s Corner

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Librarian's Corner
includes a collection of
materials designed to
help librarians and library
patrons.
Access Librarian's Corner
anywhere in SIRS
Knowledge Source from a
link provided in the footer of
every page.
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What's New
E-mail Bulletins
Reference Toolbox
Source List & Directory of Publications
Library Promotional Materials
System Administrator Options
Frequently Asked Questions
Links to Web Resources for Teachers &
Librarians and more!
SIRS Knowledge Source® Copyright © 2003 SIRS Publishing, Inc.
Additional Resources

Research Strategy Worksheets and
Educator’s Guides are available in
HTML and PDF formats. With these
supplemental orientation materials, users
are certain to obtain optimal results.

SIRS educational and training materials
help libraries meet the funding criteria for
the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act by
providing a means for testing student
achievement and highlighting
performance improvement strategies with
student research worksheets.
In addition, SIRS provides links to State
Standards in our Web Resource Center

An important aspect
of SIRS is to provide
quality customer service
and support.
Should you need it, our
toll-free number is
available 24 hours a day
365 days a year!
SIRS Knowledge Source® Copyright © 2003 SIRS Publishing, Inc.
1-800-232-SIRS