Online Library Resources to Share with Children, Teens, Families and Adults during COVID-19
With thanks to all our library contacts that have provided these online resources. We’ll add to it as we find more to share.
We recommend judiciously sharing online resources, so as not to overwhelm, and opening up dialogues between our users and ourselves through email and/or messaging.
And today is June 30, the first date publishers offered for lifted copyright restrictions on virtual storytimes. Many are changing to August 31. (Check here)
Resource guide on Virtual Storytimes services from ALA and ALSC
Having said that, lots of updated info here.
ONLINE STORY TIMES AND FAIR USE
Online Story Time & Coronavirus: It’s Fair Use, Folks
As your library moves many of its services online in response to the coronavirus pandemic, you may be wondering about the legality of posting recorded story times to your Facebook or YouTube page. The answer lies in “fair use.”
Facebook Live Online Storytime Tips YSS Blogspot
CHILDREN
- AG Daily Dairy Farmer offers fun Facebook education series for kids.
- Audubon for Kids
- Bethlehem Public Library Online Family Resources
- Book Riot Article
- Calendar of Virtual Field Trips – March-April-May —- Create your own with your own sites! Change these sites up – The note at the top says Due to heavy usage, maybe unavailable.
- Dance inspirations for preschoolers to share.
- Day By Day NY (NYS early literacy website, also available in Spanish) posts a new song and story every day.
- Digital Passport
- Evansville’s pandemic resources page
- Google Creative Ideas FB page for Kids and you’ll strike gold! Make sure you give credit for the sources of your posts! Such creativity should be rewarded! Source notes are there to help guide you to other sites with great activities! These ideas will also offer additions for your own preschool activities, both in and out of the library when, yes WHEN, we get to reopen!
- Imagineering in a Box
- Indianapolis Public Library went all out for their page.
- International Children’s Digital Library
- NASA STEM Activities for Kids and Families
- NetSmartzKids
- Online Speech resources to continue therapy.
- Parenting through the Covid-19 pandemic
- Pawling Free Library Online Family Resources
- Reading Through It Together: Educational Resources & Activities to Use While the Kids Are at Home
- Scholastic online learning resource
- Songs & Lyrics Monday, Wash Day!
- Storyline is an online story time website that has won many awards. You will be asked to choose to view the stories in youttube or vimeo.
- Storytime from Space
- Talking is Teaching has some nice early literacy (baby/toddler/preschool info) resources.
- WMHT Home Classroom
- Youth Programming Goes Virtual – WebJunction
TEENS (and ADULTS)
- More ideas for how to occupy our teens: from chambanamoms facebook page.
- Star Trek’s Patrick Stewart offers online Shakespeare readings.
ADULTS (and Teens)
- Visit the Community Virtual Library for information on ways to explore the best of immersive learning. Feature Adulting 101 videos with 5 minute explanations of how to do necessary daily routines.
- Mid-Continent Public Library’s Square One Small Business Services team has been doing FB Live classes. You are welcome to use any of our online videos.
- Free webinars from New York Genealogical Society
- NPR has collected a list of live audio and video streams.
ALL AGES!
- Tour over 500 art galleries and museums, coloring pages included. Have also seen lots of aquariums and zoos open online!
- Astronomy family resources. This collection of space science activities from the Astronomical Society of the Pacific may be exactly what you need for your K-12 learners!
- All about birds!!!
- Boston Symphony Orchestra’s BSO HomeSchool and BSO At Home: Musicians!
- Explore the Springfield Museums Art, history, science and Seuss as resources. Here are free, professionally recorded yoga classes for kids, mindful movement practices for adults, and professional development recordings for staff. You are welcome to share anything you like; please credit Katie Scherrer, MLIS, RYT She / Her Owner, Connected Communities Founder
- Stories, Songs, and Stretches!®
Mindfulness and Movement for Kids
Mindful Movement (Gentle Yoga) for Adults
Professional Development for Staff (includes webinars on outreach, compassion fatigue, mindfulness, and yoga storytime)
MUSEUMS AND VIRTUAL FIELD TRIPS
- Boston Childrens’ Museum
- British Museum
- Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden Facebook Live
- Discovery Education Virtual Field Trips, example: Polar Bears
- Explore the surface of Mars with the Mars Rover
They are updating their site right now, but 360 mode offers a digital view. - Farm tours! This Canadian site offers 11 different farm tours.
- Great Wall of China
- J Paul Getty Museum
- Louvre
- Metropolitan Museum of Art in NYC or go to their “Online Features” page.
- National Gallery of Art
- San Diego Zoo
- Yellowstone National Park, including the hot springs and a mud volcano!
ANIMAL CAMERAS
- Georgia Aquarium Beluga whale cam (and more).
- Georgia Aquarium livestream webcams.
- Houston Zoo
- Monterey Bay Aquariums
- National Zoo animal webcams.
- Panda cam at the Atlantic Zoo
- San Diego Zoo
CHILDREN’S/TEEN PUBLISHING RESOURCES
Journals with temporary free access include:
The new Children’s Book Council resource page is now available and contains links directly to publisher websites to easily access and learn more about the amazing children’s and young adult books and activities they have to offer.
- Online Teacher’s Guides – resources tied to Common Core and SEL standards that can be used to teach students ranging in age from 3-12, depending on the title.
- Disney Publishing Worldwide Learning Magazine Microsite – teacher’s guides and Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) activities available for download.
- DisneyBooks YouTube Channel – author interviews, book trailers, and fun videos.
- Also visit individual book pages on https://books.disney.com/ to find downloadable activity sheets like this one for We Don’t Eat Our Classmates.
- Make sure to check https://books.disney.com/teacherslibrarians/ regularly for more updates!
Harper Collins Publishing At Home Resources for Kids and Families
School Library Journal: Professional Development Links
You can also check out these sites for more from some of our authors:
Rick Riordan Presents:
- Read Riordan – articles and quizzes about all of Rick’s books and the books in the Rick Riordan Presents imprint.
- Read Riordan YouTube channel – book trailers, interviews, and fun videos.
- Rickriordan.com – activities and teacher’s guides, news, and updates.
Mo Willems:
- Pigeon Presents – videos, activities, teacher’s guides, and more.
- Lunch Doodles with Mo – join Mo in his studio every day for the next few weeks. New episodes will be posted each weekday at 1:00 p.m. ET and then remain online to be streamed afterwards.
Scholastic Resources:
Scholastic has created the Scholastic Learn at Home website. This free resource provides all students with 20* days’ worth of learning journeys that span the content areas so you can keep your students academically active while your buildings are closed.
The site supports students with approximately three hours of learning opportunities per day, including projects, articles and stories, virtual field trips, reading and geography challenges, and more. These daily learning opportunities were carefully curated by our editors to reduce the
burden on teachers and families needing to create meaningful learning experiences.
The Scholastic Learn at Home website does not require a username or password and is open freely to all, on any device. They are designed to limit the need for printing and allow students to learn independently or with their families.
We welcome you to share this free resource with your communities by including in your virtual education plans or including the link on your school and/or district websites.
*The site will be updated weekly until all 20 days of content is available.
*Please also visit https://kids.scholastic.com/kids/games/ for games and stories!
Storytime Tips For Parents Engaging Toddlers…. And More
Song lyrics from kididdles.com – Monday, Wash Day!
Here’s a different spin on online storytime tips From Miss Catie
I like how she is offering best tips on reading with your littlest littles…. Of course she has a 16-month old to help her, but this helps caregivers understand the early literacy value, as well as practical advice and tips on how to use books with small ones, with real world illustration. Thanks to Storytime Underground for that link!
A note from Sue: Today (4/2/20) would have been our Early Literacy Training Workshop with Joyce, and then Flannel Board Making in the afternoon. Missing these events, but be assured we will reschedule when it is safe (and timely, I know you’ll be busy getting back up to library speed!). In the meantime, if you want to brush up on your skills, why not take the Webjunction Storytime Supercharged Storytime with Saroj Ghoting!
o Sign up at Webjunction here: https://learn.webjunction.org/ (It only takes a few minutes – I had to sign up again and that’s ok)
o Look through the courses here (children………..teen and young adult………..and lots more): https://learn.webjunction.org/course/index.php
o Scroll to Supercharged Storytime….. and sign up! Self paced 10 hours, with CEU credits if you need them.
o There’s a Flannel Board FB site called Flannel Friday with lots of cool ideas, if you can’t wait.
Finally, here’s a useful tool to keep track of authors’ online reading schedules and more, all in one place, https://lbookends.weebly.com/ Check out their website, it’s overwhelming with information – I wouldn’t share this website on social media, pick and choose sites judiciously. Nice to have all in one place.