Back-to-School Digital Resources to Help Student Learning Soar

Posted on September 30, 2020 at 6:00 am

By Gwendolyn Haley

Whether students are going to school in person, online, or a combination of the two, Spokane County Library District is here to support their learning with tools and resources.

Students can access a wealth of free resources online within our Digital Library by using their library card. Getting a library card is easy with the online registration form.

HelpNow, from Brainfuse, offers homework help, study guides, practice tests, and even flash cards that students can access 24/7. Live online tutors are available for free, every day from 2–10pm.

World Book is a digital encyclopedia and with both a Kids and Student version. This resource has something for every student from elementary to middle school. In addition to factual articles, World Book includes interactive maps, images, videos, and audio resources as well as references to other authoritative resources found on the internet.

You can view a video from Librarian Molly that provides an Introduction to World Book (also below). Plus she has a video introducing the Kids version and another for the Student version.

ProQuest and digital resources like Gale in Context: Science, Gale in Context: Opposing Viewpoints, and Gale in Context: Biography provide in depth articles on current events, controversial issues, and significant individuals in history and today. Here is an introductory video by Librarian Molly about Science in Context.

On our YouTube Digital Library playlist, you’ll also find a helpful video for Science in Context activities, an introduction to Biography in Context as well as activities, and an introduction to Opposing Viewpoints in Context.

Our newest resource History Research Center provides a comprehensive resource on American, African-American, and American Indian History as well as Ancient, Medieval, and Modern World History. You’ll also find authoritative information on world history and cultures from CultureGrams and eLibrary.

Here is a video of examples of some activities you can do within CultureGrams. Don’t forget to check out the introduction video for CultureGrams, which gives you a good overview of the resource.

Students can download eBooks, digital audiobooks, and more through OverDrive and hoopla and stream audiobooks (including full-cast recordings of Shakespeare) using TumbleBook Library, AudioBookCloud, and TeenBookCloud.

Along with this OverDrive video, we also have helpful introductory videos for hoopla and AudioBookCloud, plus a video introducing all of the TumbleBook resources, including TeenBookCloud.

Even while our buildings are closed, students and their families can still access our physical collection of books, movies, and music using our Curbside Pickup service. Curbside Pickup is available at all 11 library locations. Place holds through our online catalog using your library card, and you will be notified when your items are ready for pickup.

Students (and parents) who need a little help finding a book to read can use our Book Butler service, and a librarian will select 3–6 books specific to your interests.

If you are unable to access our website or need help requesting a Book Butler bundle, you can call us at 509.893.8400, and we will be happy to help you.

Our hope is that the library can help make back-to-school and learning all year long a bit easier for students and parents.

Tags: #Back2School, back to school, caregivers, digital, digital library, homework, kids, parents, resources, studying, teens, tweens