Librarian
Getting a Hennepin County library card
Getting a public library card is easy and free!
If you live in Hennepin County, you can get a library card in one of two ways:
- In-person: Visit any Hennepin County library in person and ask for a card. You will need to bring something with your name and current address on it, like a driver's license, or a piece of mail addressed to you. Your library card will give you full access and borrowing privileges to all items in the HCLIB collection, both digital and physical. You can have up to 50 physical items and 15 ebooks out at once.
- Online: Ecards are another option, which grant access to HCLIB's collection of ebooks and other digital material. Apply for an ecard. If you later decide you want to upgrade to a physical card to check out paper books, you can visit a library in person and make that change.
If you live outside of Hennepin County:
- Get a library card with your local library. Then you can register it at any Hennepin County library branch in person to gain privileges. You can also check your local catalog and see if any of the materials mentioned on this page are available there.
STEM books available at Hennepin County Library
There are lots of STEM books available to check out from the public library. See some STEM titles available from the Hennepin County Library.
The Story of More (Adapted for Young Adults) by ISBN: 9780593381120Publication Date: 2021-11-02This young adult adaptation of acclaimed geochemist and geobiologist Hope Jahren's highly respected nonfiction work is the perfect book for those interested in learning about climate change and how they can contribute to creating a more sustainable future. She details the science behind key inventions, clarifying how electricity, large-scale farming, and automobiles have both helped and harmed our world.
The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by ISBN: 9781400052172Publication Date: 2010-02-02Her name was Henrietta Lacks, but scientists know her as HeLa. She was a poor Southern tobacco farmer who worked the same land as her slave ancestors, yet her cells--taken without her knowledge--became one of the most important tools in medicine. HeLa cells were vital for developing the polio vaccine; uncovered secrets of cancer, viruses, and the atom bomb's effects; helped lead to important advances like in vitro fertilization, cloning, and gene mapping; and have been bought and sold by the billions. Yet Henrietta Lacks remains virtually unknown, buried in an unmarked grave. Henrietta's family did not learn of her "immortality" until more than twenty years after her death, when scientists investigating HeLa began using her husband and children in research without informed consent.
The History of the Computer by ISBN: 9781984857422Publication Date: 2022-05-17Packed with accessible information, fun facts, and discussion starters, this charming and art-filled book takes you from the ancient world to the modern day, focusing on important inventions, from the earliest known counting systems to the sophisticated algorithms behind AI. The History of the Computer also profiles a diverse range of key players and creators-from An Wang and Margaret Hamilton to Steve Jobs and Sir Tim Berners-Lee-and illuminates their goals, their intentions, and the impact of their inventions on our everyday lives.
The Man Who Knew Infinity by ISBN: 9781476763491Publication Date: 2016-04-26A moving and enlightening look at the unbelievable true story of how gifted prodigy Ramanujan stunned the scholars of Cambridge University and revolutionized mathematics.
Decoding Genes with Max Axiom, Super Scientist by ISBN: 9781543572476Publication Date: 2019-08-01Join Max Axiom as he explores the universe to teach about the importance of genes. Learn the facts about DNA and how it connects us to our ancestors.
Find even more titles on this list: See some STEM titles available from the Hennepin County Library.
Searching the Hennepin County Library Catalog
To search the catalog, start at hclib.org. Using the search bar, you can search by keyword, title, author, or even search for a list. Enter your search into the box, and click on the magnifying class to search. Using the bar on the left side of the screen, you can filter by lots of different categories, like: library location, format (e-book, physical book, DVD, etc), genre, audience (children, adults, teen), and more. If you click on an item, you can see more information about it and place a hold on it if you would like to pick it up from your library.
Ebooks Minnesota
Minnesota residents have access to Ebooks Minnesota, a great collection of online books to browse and read.
Sample of free, online textbooks, simulations and videos in STEM
Now we don't expect anyone to sit down and read these textbooks cover to cover but you can use them to search for a specific concept or explore something new you want to learn. Since these are free, online textbooks you can search them to zero in on exactly what you are interested in.
- OER Commons (Open Educational Resources)
Search by topic and grade level and explore 1000s of free lessons, videos, models, tutorials, readings and more in topics like computer science, life science, math, applied science, physical science and more.
- American Institute of Mathematics (AIM) approved textbooks
AIM provides a list of open access textbooks that meet the AIM editorial board's evaluation criteria (linked at http://aimath.org/textbooks/evaluation-criteria/)
- University of California Irvine Open Chemistry
UCI has made "a full undergraduate education's worth of classes available for immediate incorporation in part or in full by institutions of higher education or by individual professors."
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MIT Open Courseware (from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology)
- My NASA Data
Full lesson plans and science project ideas on contemporary science topics. This site also includes a Live Access Server which provides real data sets for classroom or educational use.
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National Academies Press
The National Academies Press (NAP) publishes the publications of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. NAP publishes more than 200 publications per year on a wide range of topics in science, engineering, and medicine, providing authoritative, independently researched information on important matters in science and health policy. -
PhET: Interactive Simulations for Science and Math - CU Boulder
- Lumen Learning
Lumen provides open courses in a variety of high-demand subjects and disciplines. These courses are collections of high-quality OER, not necessarily as a traditional textbook. You can use them as-is or modify them to fit your instructional style and students’ needs.
- Khan Academy
Thousand of videos on everything from arithmetic to physics, finance, and history. Also, includes skills to practice.
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National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) This link opens in a new window
The National Center for Biotechnology Information advances science and health by providing access to biomedical and genomic informatio -
National Stem Consortium
The National Stem Consortium STEM Bridge Strategy grant project includes course materials available to every college in the U.S.
Check your school library or media center
Your high school library or media center may have some books connected to STEM topics. Find your high school's library website and search by subject (e.g. computer science) or title. Talk to (or email) the librarian or library staff person there and they can help to find more titles.
Women in STEM scholarships
Browse a list of scholarships geared towards women interested in STEM-related fields.