Discover endless possibilities within your reach

Posted on September 15, 2015 at 6:00 am

By Gwendolyn Haley

I just bought a cartful of school supplies for my three kids. We love new pens, pencils, and notebooks at our house. They represent the endless possibilities a new school year brings. I get excited just thinking about everything that my kids will learn and create over the next few months.

One essential school supply that absolutely should be on everyone’s list is a Spokane County Library District card. A library card unlocks access to a wealth of possibilities for students in our community. New readers need to have lots of books available as they master the skills of reading, enough to allow them to select their own books. Every library has a large collection of books specifically written to support brand new readers at a variety of reading levels.

At Spokane County Library District, we recognize how important it is for students to have access to our online resources, particularly as they enter middle school. That’s why every fall, we make it our mission to put a library card into the hands of every new middle school student (those entering sixth or seventh grade). By working with area schools, the District ensures that each incoming middle school student receives a card that will allow them to immediately use online resources like World Book Student.

World Book Encyclopedia was always one of my favorite resources and the online version is amazing. Let’s say that you are a student preparing a report on Ancient Egypt. Beyond the standard encyclopedia articles, World Book offers documentary videos, historical maps, primary source documents, current articles about archaeological discoveries, and authoritative websites for additional research. World Book Student provides step-by-step assistance to students researching their first paper, from building skills like planning and conducting research to keeping notes and writing citations.

Providing free access to World Book is just one of many ways that your library directly contributes to student success, and a library card is just the beginning.

Tags: digital library, education, kids, services, teens, tweens