Whether you enjoy reading informative magazine articles or just swiping through to look at pictures, the Cobb County Public Library eMagazine collection is sure to have a publication that will match your interests.  Students can use their student number to set up an account providing free access to over 100 eMagazine titles available on smart phones, tablets, or computers.  Both current and past issues are available; once you download an issue it is yours to keep, and it may be viewed offline.  We recommend that you checkout and download a magazine while on Wi-Fi to avoid consuming costly mobile data.  View our one page quick reference list of eMagazines offered through CCPL, and then search for the magazine of your choice in the CCPL’s eMagazine database.  For assistance using Cobb’s eMagazine collection contact Cobb County Public Library support at (770) 528-2326, or email contactus@cobbcat.org.  

For easy access to CCPL’s eMagazines, and other leisure reading and listening options, scroll to the bottom of the ManeMedia.info homepage.

Take free SAT and PSAT practice tests, by using your student ID, as the library card number, to create an account for LearningExpress.  Enter SAT or PSAT in the LearningExpress search box to explore the various options.  This resource is available through our partnership with the Cobb Public Library System.  If you are not logged into a school computer when you initiate the process you will need your Library PASS credentials to get started.  Call CPLS customer support at 770-528-2326 for assistance.  

School Closure Hours: 9am-11pm
​Get help with math homework, writing essays, and more with free, personalized, assistance from TutorATL.org.  Use your Library PASS credentials for access to the services funded by the Cobb Library System.  See the attached flyer for more information, then stop by the KMH Media Center or call CCPL customer support at 770-528-2326 for assistance setting up your free TutorALT account.  

You will never be bored if you have a book that interests you.  Fortunately, we all have access to an abundant collection of eBooks and audiobooks that we can download for free.  Use Library PASS to access collections from Cobb Public Libraries or explore other options listed in the Leisure Reading and Listening section of ManeMedia.info.  If you are looking for books to help you learn about a topic of interest try searching the eBook Collections under the research area of ManeMedia.info. 

Use this unexpected quiet time to read, reflect, and relate!  Non-fiction and fiction books help us learn when we take time to reflect.  A novel may help you relate to people living in a different environment or those with perspectives or character traits you have not previously considered.  Informational texts enhance learning even more when you think about how the presented material relates to concepts that you already understand.  

Use your spare time to read or listen to books so you will return to school strengthened with new insights.  Let me know if I can assist you with accessing resources linked from ManeMedia.info. 

Supporting a Culture of Learning and Student Success,
Dr. Bryan

Hopefully we will all return to KMHS following our digital learning days and you will not have seen anyone you know suffering from symptoms of the coronavirus.  If you are wondering why schools are closed the graph below explains how slowing the spread of the virus will help to keep the number of people who will likely need treatment within a range that our society can manage.  Read “Flattening the Curve for COVID-19: What Does It Mean and How Can You Help?” for a detailed explanation and to understand the importance of our community taking this serious measure.  To learn more about the current coronavirus pandemic and COVID-19 search MedlinePlus.gov for reliable articles from medical professionals.  

Stay well!
​Dr. Bryan

Need help creating a list of sources in MLA or APA format?  MyBib will do much of the work for you.  See the intro guide on ManeMedia.info to get started.  Look under Formatting Research… where you will find more info about MyBib and other guidance for writing research papers.

A Gallup poll reports library visits in 2019 outpaced visits to movie theaters and live sporting events.  Stop by the KM Library Learning Commons to see why libraries are a popular destination.  Explore what we’ve added to our space since the beginning of the semester, such as the exercycle by the tall table (health benefit), adjustable height tables on wheels by the soft seating, and headphones by the audiobooks.  Sign-in on the computer as you enter and make yourself comfortable while you work or relax, libraries are great for both!

Look through other ManeMedia Info Blog posts to discover more about the many resources we have for leisure and learning...

Wherever you are you can use your favorite internet connected device to enjoy free ebooks, audiobooks, or emagazines.

For popular books you may have to place a hold. To see titles currently available, look for settings to display only the books that are available now.  For example, in SORA click preferences and change Available Books from Everything to Available Books.  

KMHS students have a variety of places to find free ebooks, audiobooks, or emagazines.  Start your search in the Leisure Reading section of ManeMedia.info and relax with a book or magazine during the semester break.

​Happy Holidays!

Visit the KMHS Media Center during your lunch block on Tuesday, October 22, to meet Teen Librarian Kristin Gwin, from North Cobb Regional Library.  She will share information with you about what this beautiful new facility has to offer.  Learn about features of the NCRL’s great makerspace, such as a sewing machine, soapmaking classes and more.  Ms. Gwin will also be able to provide information about the library’s free, personalized, online tutoring service and other electronic resources that you may use and enjoy without even visiting the library.  

Learn how to back up and restore your world or move it to another computer.  School computer updates may cause the loss of the data files that store your Minecraft world.  Visit the Media Center during lunch on Tuesday, October 8, to learn how to preserve the world that you have built.  You will also have the opportunity to meet with Mrs. Crosby, Global Minecraft Mentor, who will explain how you may get more competitive while you play Minecraft, by participating in a Global Challenge.  

See the comments section for follow up information and a link from Mrs. Crosby.

Get help with how to log in to view grades, use Office 365 or MyPayments Plus, access USA TestPrep and other resources available to students and parents by going to ManeMedia.info and selecting More For Students from the menu at the left.  See the KMHS/Cobb Accounts Info link, marked in the image below, for details about various types of accounts used at KMHS.

Students and staff may use the CCSDWireless network for free internet access on their personal devices!  To get started ​

• go to your device’s settings
  • select the CCSDWireless network 
  • turn on airplane mode, if applicable, so you know that you are not using your data
• enter the initial password cobb2019
• in your web browser go to cert.cobbk12.org
• when prompted for a user name enter your ID/lunch number or badge ID
• then enter your school computer password

​See the CCSD Wireless Network help page for device specific information.  Additional instructions for iPhone users appear on the 2nd slide of ManeMedia's WiFi Access instructional slides.  Stop by the media center if you need assistance.  

​Troubleshooting

• In a browser go to cert.cobbk12.org and download the appropriate security certificate for your device.
• Under the FAQs for your device find the video that shows you how to install and trust the SSL Certificate.  (If applicable, the video link is usually under the second bullet.)

The Cobb County Public Library System provides an easy method for all Cobb County students to access the public library system's digital resources!  Login information and direct links to some of CCPL’s most popular electronic resources appear on ManeMedia.info’s Library PASS page.  Discover resources for learning technology or a foreign language, read today’s Atlanta Journal Constitution, or enjoy multiple options for leisure reading and listening.  Explore CobbCat.org Research & Resources to find more, items pictured below are under Downloads or Databases & Electronic Resources.  Stop by the KMH Media Center for assistance logging in or using any of the CCPL digital resources.

As we enter the final weeks of the semester, an increasing number of students find the need for support with creating Works Cited or Reference pages and formatting in-text citations for formal research papers.  The media center has the support resources that can help improve the quality of students’ work.  Join us at our first Lunchtime Leisure Learning session for a quick overview of the resources that we have available to support formatting for formal research papers.  

Drop by the KM Media Center during any lunch block on Thursday, April 18 for a brief intro to our favorite sources for supporting MLA and APA citation formatting.  We will focus on MyBib.com, a new citation generator produced on an open-source platform, as a replacement for what has been lost following disappointing changes to EasyBib.  We will also provide quick overviews of other formatting support resources linked from ManeMedia.info.  Sessions will follow an open format, allowing you to come and go at the time that works for you.  Stop by at your convenience between 11:45am-1:45pm and find Dr. Bryan by the large screen monitor.  You will have an opportunity to ask questions about citation formatting and actively engage with our resources.  Sign in to MyBib.com on a library computer, or your own device, and complete a quick activity for a treat!  Food is not permitted in the media center, so please eat your lunch before or after you drop-in.    

​This session is open to all members of the KMHS community: students, staff and parents.  Parents who are interested in attending should register in advance to be on the admission list in the front office. 

All KMHS’s library resources are still accessible by visiting ManeMedia.info or selecting Library Resources under Resources on the school website.  We merged existing ManeMedia.info content with the new format of the updated Kennesaw Mountain High website.  Navigation links that previously appeared on a bar at the top of ManeMedia.info are now located on the left side of each page; other than that, the content is arranged in the same sections as on the original version of our media center website. 

We think we found everything that needed to be redirected to our new .aspx web pages, but we know it is likely that we missed something.  Please report any links that lead from one of our new .aspx web pages to the old .htlml files, or any links that are otherwise misdirected or broken.  If you are the first to report a specific problem*, we will offer you a treat the next time you stop by the media center.

​*View previously reported problem links

Love reading?  Meet other students who also do, at KM Media Center’s next Book Info Talk, scheduled once each month during all lunches.  Come talk to other book enthusiasts about what you are currently reading, or a favorite past read; or join us to listen and learn what makes others enjoy reading.
 
We discuss what draws us in to the books that we enjoy. Those interested in sharing may briefly describe a book that captures you, focusing on what makes it appealing to you personally.  Dr. Bryan suggests a different focus for each month's discussion, but the gatherings are very informal so the conversation will go wherever the group takes it.  Click on the Book Info Talk event on the KM Media Center calendar for details about the suggested focus for each month's conversation.

Please join us in the Media Center Conference Room, with your lunch at the beginning of lunch A, B, C, or D, and help us develop a community of readers, who share interests and information about books in all forms: print, ebooks, audiobooks. 
 
See Dr. Bryan in the Media Center for more information, or if you have any questions. 

We recently updated our magazine area with new display boxes that will enable you to quickly browse covers to find something that appeals to your interests.  The KMH Media Center subscribes to over 40 print magazines.  Current issues may only be checked out overnight, but you may borrow back issues for three weeks at a time.   If you are interested in viewing digital copies of magazines on your phone or tablet, take a look at the eMagazine collection offered by Cobb County Public Library, which all students may access using their Library PASS account.

​Enjoy this special opportunity on Wednesday evening, October 10.  Thursday is a half-day, so don’t worry too much about being out on a school night.  Meet Nic Stone, NY Times bestselling YA author of Dear Martin, at the Sewell Mill Library and Cultural Arts Center.  It is a bit of a drive, but if you can make it, you will find the SM Library is an exceptional facility.  They have a special teen area, which includes audio recording booths, Mac computers with great software for creating projects, and much more to explore.  The pre-event reception, with refreshments and live music, starts at 6pm.

​Students can view the status of their KM library account by logging into the media center’s Book Catalog Search using their student number and KM computer password.  To view current checkouts and fines click on My Info at the top of the screen.  Extend the checkout period for a borrowed book by clicking the Renew button; this option will only be available before the original due date and will provide an extra three weeks from the date that you click renew.  After the original due date for a book, or using the renew option, the book must be brought to the library for further renewals, to extend the checkout period without incurring a fine.  

To check the status of a Cobb County Public Library account, students may use their Library PASS login.

​Audacity® is free, open source, cross-platform audio software for multi-track recording and editing.  You can download the version that we use on Kennesaw Mountain High computers from SourceForge, or find the latest version for your device offered through AudacityTeam.org.  Use the quick start guide from ManeMedia.info to learn the basics of recording, playing back, editing and saving project files and finalized WAV or MP3 files.  Become a pro by reading the manual or viewing tutorials to learn about advanced features, such as noise reduction, fade in, or studio fade out.  

With Audacity you can record narration for a multi-media project, edit out the narrator’s errors and then add a track with imported background music from your computer’s music library. The final audio file can then be used within other applications such as Windows Movie Maker,or a narrated PowerPoint presentation.  You may schedule a space in the KMH Media Center to record; or, talk to Dr. Bryan for assistance getting familiar with the basic features of Audacity.  

Find more ideas for using technology to produce creative digital projects on ManeMedia.info’s Technology Tools & Tips page, see the Online Presentation Tools & Digital Maker Spaces section.

​Don’t miss it!  Ms. Garrett’s creative BHM display features ten of many notable black men and women who have made significant contributions to American history and culture.  Stop by the media center to see who you recognize and learn about those you don’t.  Next to each featured contributor you will find a biography or other books connecting their life to our history and culture.  The media center shelves have a variety of books available that highlight many other blacks who have made outstanding contributions to society.  Search the catalog and eBook collections on ManeMedia.info, or stop by the media center for help finding the right book for you.

Interested in writing fiction, do you hope that someday you will publish a novel?  Our eBook Collections have resources may help you reach your goal; take a look at the titles linked below.  These books are available to you through GALILEO, so you will need the current GALILEO password for access.

• The Language of Fiction: A Writer’s Stylebook, by Brian Shawver
• Elements of Fiction Writing – Characters & Viewpoint: Proven Advice and Timeless Techniques for Creating Compelling Characters by an Award-winning Author, by Orson Scott Card
• The Nighttime Novelist: Finish Your Novel in Your Spare Time, by Joseph Bates

If you would prefer to write for TV, look at Write to TV: Out of your Head and Onto the Screen, by Martie Cook, available as a preview through Google Books.  Cook offers strategies and insider's tips for writing smart, original stories and scripts for a variety of television formats and genres.  If you would like us to purchase a copy of Write for TV or other books for the KMH Media Center collection, please submit your suggestions for new titles.