Eastern West Virginia Community & Technical College
Library Services
Research databases, e-books, streaming media, interlibrary loan, and one-on-one help from a professional reference librarian — free to every Eastern student, wherever you study. Supporting student success is our mission.
Research Databases
Scholarly journals, e-books, nursing resources, streaming video, and more through EBSCO, Southern WV CTC, and WVInfoDepot.
Browse databases »Interlibrary Loan
Borrow print materials from Southern WV CTC's collection, mailed to Eastern for pickup at no cost to you.
How ILL works »Ask a Librarian
Get research help from a professional reference librarian by phone or email, or contact Eastern's library services contact directly.
Contact us »OER & AI Research Hub
Free, openly licensed textbooks and course materials, plus guidance on using AI tools responsibly in your research.
Explore the hub »How Library Services Work at Eastern
Eastern is committed to supporting the College's mission as a state supported institution of learning by providing convenient, effective access to high quality library services.
Eastern provides access to online library resources and databases through cooperation with Southern West Virginia Community and Technical College (Southern). Through online library services, students can obtain assistance from a professional reference librarian who can help you find library resources and complete research projects. Eastern students also have full access to the statewide databases provided to all West Virginia residents through WVInfoDepot.org.
To schedule an appointment with a reference librarian, contact Kim Maynard, Director of Library Services at Southern, at (304) 896-7345 or Kimberly.Maynard@southernwv.edu. For general questions about Eastern's library resources, interlibrary loan, or this page, contact Curtis Hakala.
Research Databases
Eastern students have three complementary sets of databases. All of them are free to use. Off-campus access requires the credentials shown with each collection.
Eastern's EBSCO Databases
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Academic Search Complete
Designed for academic institutions, this leading scholarly research database supports high-level research in key areas of academic study with journals, periodicals, reports, books, and more.
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Applied Science & Technology Source
Full-text and indexed content covering the full spectrum of applied sciences and computing — from acoustics to aeronautics, neural networks to nuclear engineering.
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CINAHL Complete
The definitive research tool for nursing and allied health professionals: full-text access to top journals, evidence-based care sheets, and quick lessons.
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eBook Community College Collection
A large, growing selection of multidisciplinary e-books representing a broad range of academic subjects for student and scholarly research.
Southern's Infobase Databases
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Issues & Controversies
Explores hundreds of hot topics in politics, government, business, society, education, and popular culture, presenting both sides of each issue clearly and without bias.
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American History Online
Spans more than 500 years of political, military, social, and cultural history covering the American experience.
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Bloom's Literature
Examines great writers, important works, memorable characters, and influential movements and events in world literature.
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Films on Demand (Nursing Collection)
Thousands of full-length nursing streaming videos and clips — many exclusive — from acclaimed producers.
Statewide Databases: WVInfoDepot
WVInfoDepot.org hosts a collection of online databases available to all West Virginia residents, including EBSCOhost resources, newspapers, World Book, and TutorWV's free online tutoring. For assistance, contact Curtis.Hakala@easternwv.edu.
| Resource | Access credentials |
|---|---|
| EBSCOhost, newspapers, premium sites | Institution: Eastern West Virginia CTC Barcode: your Student ID (e.g., S00045678) |
| World Book | Username: 4west · Password: virginia |
| Other WVInfoDepot databases | Username: west · Password: Virginia24! |
| TutorWV (free live tutoring) | Password: Virginia24! |
Interlibrary Loan: Borrow Books Through Southern
Need a physical book or other print material? Eastern students can borrow from Southern West Virginia Community and Technical College's collection in four steps.
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Find your material
Search Southern's Online Library Catalog for the item you want to borrow.
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Send the request
Email Curtis Hakala the material's call number, author, and title, or call (304) 434-8000 ext. 9238.
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Pick it up at Eastern
Within about a week, your requested material is mailed to Eastern. Contact Curtis Hakala to arrange pickup.
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Return it early
Return materials seven days before the due date — Eastern handles return shipment, and returning early avoids overdue fines. You are responsible for late fees, special mailing fees, and replacement costs; a hold is placed on your student record for past-due materials.
Need reference help? If you need special assistance from a reference librarian, call Southern's library at (304) 896-7378 or email Kim Maynard to request your reference material.
Prefer your public library? The West Virginia Library Commission also provides interlibrary loan to all residents through the Statewide ILL Request System — fill out one request form per item.
New for Eastern Students & Faculty
OER & AI Research Hub
Open Educational Resources (OER) are teaching and learning materials — full textbooks, videos, modules, and courses — that are openly licensed so anyone can use them for free. Combined with responsible use of AI tools, OER can eliminate textbook costs and open up research far beyond a paywall. This hub gets you started.
Retain
Make and own copies of the material, forever.
Reuse
Use it in your class, on a website, in a video.
Revise
Adapt, adjust, or translate the content.
Remix
Combine it with other open material to make something new.
Redistribute
Share copies — original or revised — with others.
Where to Find OER
These are the major, trusted OER repositories. All are free and require no login to browse.
OpenStax
Peer-reviewed, openly licensed college textbooks from Rice University — including titles already used in Eastern courses. Print copies available at low cost.
TextbooksOER Commons
A public digital library of tens of thousands of OER items, searchable by subject, education level, and license — including curated AI literacy collections.
EverythingOpen Textbook Library
More than 1,800 open textbooks with faculty reviews, supported by the Open Education Network at the University of Minnesota.
Textbooks + ReviewsMERLOT
A curated collection of free and open teaching and learning materials from the California State University system, peer-reviewed by discipline experts.
Course MaterialsLibreTexts
One of the world's largest open textbook platforms, with deep collections in the sciences, math, humanities, and workforce fields.
STEM StrengthDirectory of Open Access Journals
Peer-reviewed, open-access scholarly journals across every discipline — a strong free complement to subscription databases.
JournalsUsing AI to Find OER — Responsibly
AI tools are remarkably good at locating OER: they can search enormous amounts of information quickly using discipline-specific terms, sparing you the work of learning each repository's search quirks. But responsible use matters. Whether you are a student hunting for a free study resource or a faculty member redesigning a course, follow these guidelines.
Do include in your AI prompts
- Field- and subject-specific terminology
- Paraphrased or summarized course descriptions, learning objectives, and assignment details
- Published author names or keywords from recommended reading lists
- The license types you need (e.g., CC BY) and format preferences
Never include in your AI prompts
- Names of Eastern students, faculty, or staff, or anyone's contact information
- Course numbers or links that lead to course content
- Copy-pasted syllabi, assignment sheets, or other unpublished course documents
- Information about internal college tools or platforms
Student starter prompt
I am looking for open educational resources (OER) for a community college
course in [subject area]. The course covers [paraphrased topics/learning
objectives]. Please suggest openly licensed textbooks, modules, or videos
from repositories such as OpenStax, OER Commons, the Open Textbook Library,
MERLOT, and LibreTexts. For each suggestion, include the title, author or
publisher, license type, and a direct link, and briefly explain how it fits
the course topics. Only include resources you can verify actually exist.
Faculty prompt template (course design)
I am a [your role] at a community and technical college, designing or
updating a course in [subject area] for [academic level] students.
The course covers topics such as: [brief paraphrased description].
It supports the following learning outcomes:
- LO1: [learning outcome #1]
- LO2: [learning outcome #2]
- LO3: [learning outcome #3]
I need a list of live, direct links to open educational resources (OER)
that meet the following criteria:
- Focused on [subject/topic]
- Preferably published within the last [X] years
- Format: [e.g., textbooks, multimedia, assignment modules]
- Suitable for [academic level]
- Relevant keywords: [discipline-specific terms]
- Accessibility: [e.g., screen-reader compatible, mobile-friendly]
- License: [e.g., CC BY, CC BY-SA]
Group the resources by learning outcome or keyword.
Do not include course design tips or general advice.
Remember: you are responsible for what you submit and what you teach. Evaluate every AI suggestion for accuracy, rigor, and bias; verify that links are real; and cite OER materials just like anything else — an open license does not remove the need for citation.
This guidance, including the faculty prompt template structure, is adapted with appreciation from Fairmont State University Library's guide AI for OER Discovery — an excellent deeper resource on prompt building and responsible AI use.
Additional Library Links
- WV Library CommissionStatewide library services and support
- West Virginia Archives & HistoryPrimary sources on West Virginia
- WV Public Libraries (Index)Find your local library
- US Public Libraries (Index)Libraries nationwide
- Library of CongressThe national library of the United States
- National ArchivesFederal records and primary documents
- Smithsonian ArchivesInstitutional history and collections
- Internet ArchiveFree digital library of books, media, and websites
Contact Library Services
Curtis Hakala
Library Services Contact & Interlibrary Loan, Eastern WV CTC
- Phone: (304) 434-8000 ext. 9238
- Email: Curtis.Hakala@easternwv.edu
Kimberly Maynard
Director of Library Services, Southern WV CTC
- Phone: (304) 896-7345
- Email: Kimberly.Maynard@southernwv.edu