California Budget Provides Online STEM Resources to Students at Home

For Immediate Release: June 30, 2020 

Contact: Alex Vassar 

(916) 904-2739 

press@library.ca.gov

Sacramento, Calif. – California’s 6.2 million public school students will continue to have 24/7 access to free online research tools, databases and a wide range of study materials under the budget signed June 29 by Gov. Gavin Newsom. 

Increasing opportunities for STEM learning to prepare California students for a 21 st Century information and innovation-driven economy remains a Newsom administration priority despite sharp budget reductions caused by the COVID-19 shutdown. 

These online resources include millions of pieces of information from hundreds of newspapers, periodicals and scientific journals as well as cultural sensitivity and early childhood learning tools. 

And they are available anywhere, anytime, in multiple languages to every California public school student and their teachers. 

“This $3 million investment in our future is another example of Gov. Newsom’s work to close the opportunity gap so all Californians – regardless of circumstance – are connected with the tools they need to succeed,” said Greg Lucas, California State Librarian. 

The three online content providers working with the state are Encyclopaedia Britannica, ProQuest and TeachingBooks.net 

The state began making these online resources available to local school districts in August 2018. Since then, the websites have seen 123 million clicks, views and downloads. There has been as much as a 590% increase in usage of some resources since March, when schools closed. 

Continuing the state’s $3 million investment saves cash-strapped districts money. It’s estimated that if each district bought the same products the cost would be $148 million. 

About the online resources: 

ProQuest’s learning solutions provide access to authoritative content curated by editors allowing students access to the most relevant information at their point of need including topics on current events such as the Coronavirus Pandemic. Explore ProQuest Today! 

TeachingBooks provides online resources for home and school use that bring books and reading to life for children and teens. 

Encyclopaedia Britannica engages and enriches the lives of students and lifelong learners. Check out what they're doing in California. 

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About the State Library: Founded in 1850, the California State Library has an extensive collection of documents from and about the state’s rich history, ranging from books, maps, miners’ diaries, newspapers, and periodicals to photographs, paintings and posters. The State Library also holds federal and state publications, is home to the Bernard E. Witkin State Law Library and the Braille and Talking Book Library, and serves as the lead state agency for library related services throughout California. State Library website