Unlocking Endless Knowledge: The SHC Database

by Alani Gonzalez-Embriz ’28

Before enrolling in my AP Comparative Government class, I occasionally utilized SHC’s library resources. I hadn't yet realized its utility until a class assignment required me to log in. What I discovered was a wide variety of news outlets, such as The New York Times, The San Francisco Chronicle, America Magazine, and a full-text database that contains an endless amount of information and helpful references. Outside of schoolwork, I now find myself using the database more often and browsing The New York Times to catch up on the latest news. While the database has become a staple of my daily routine, my conversations with several students and library staff have revealed a range of perspectives on how these resources benefit SHC students. 

One student I spoke with, Dahlia Wimert ’28, tells us  how often she uses the database: “In a typical week, I use the library database every school day.” When speaking with her, she highlighted the importance of being able to access such valuable information, especially during a time when misinformation is so common. Dahlia adds, “I value being able to read articles with accurate information. I now read the news more often than I would without these resources.” She then follows up with “If this access was suddenly removed, it would be a lot more difficult to find this amount of accurate information that I know I can trust, all in one place.” I spoke with another student, Sofia Larson ‘28, who commented on SHC’s investment in providing a vast range of resources to its students. When asked if this knowledge changed her perspective on having access to vetted information, Sofia noted, "Given what's happening around the country with pressure being put on journalists and news organizations, I am especially grateful that the school provides us with such important sources of correct information.” Seeking to highlight why this is such a vital asset for the entire SHC community, I spoke with SHC Director of Library and Information Services Alicia Tapia. She described the database as a crucial tool that saves students from unreliable and for-profit facts that are given when using search engines and social media. 

Tapia explains, “The trick with search engines and social media is that they're for-profit and programmed to give us personalized results based on our personal preferences and browsing history so that we stay engaged.” She clarifies that, “Libraries are non-profit and aim to provide a variety of information and viewpoints—it's not in a silo where everything agrees with us, we are dedicated to information access and truth.” She also explains that once teachers implement work that requires students to access the database, they start to recognize the positive effects of learning what just “a little more work” does to students' skills, especially when it comes to verifying information they come across. Tapia said students start to become familiar with titles of publications that have “been around and trusted for centuries.” Beyond just getting better resources for an essay, Tapia points out how we consume information actually changes our brains. She warns that “fast information and endless scrolls affect us negatively,” whereas the types of resources found in databases, newspapers, magazines and long-form articles require us to slow down. She notes that slowing down “fires our brain synapses and affects us positively,”  proving that these tools aren't just for schoolwork, they're meant to help us stay focused and think for ourselves instead of just scrolling through an algorithm. 

The SHC database is way more than just a school requirement; it's a direct link to the truth. It gives us a chance to escape the biased results we see on our phones and search for the facts ourselves. Now that I recognize how much for-profit algorithms control what we see, I’m committed to putting more effort into research. Moving forward, I’ll be reaching for SHC’s independent library resources rather than search engines.