Daily Archives: March 20, 2020

With schools closed, there are now a lot of hours in the day to fill. While library doors also need to be shut right now, there are many online resources that are always available!

Library Resources

Hoopla

Start a family book club with Hoopla. There are plenty of e-book and audiobooks for children & families–all ALWAYS available! Check out the “Road Trip! Audiobooks for the Family” genre. You can sit as a family and listen to classics like “Anne of Green Gables” or more modern-day fare like “The Graveyard Book.” If you prefer the e-book experience, Hoopla has robust Juvenile Fiction & Nonfiction collections as well.

Hoopla, of course, also offers a great selection of movies & music, each with children’s titles!

Little Pim

Take this opportunity to begin (or continue) language learning. Little Pim is product from Mango Languages and is designed especially for children. You can use Little Pim as a guest or create an account to track your progress.

Kids Info Bits

A product from trusted-database resource Gale, Kids Info Bits is highly graphical and easy to browse. This is perfect for elementary-aged children who want to know absolutely everything about a certain topic. And, without access to the children’s stacks at your local library, is a great way to set them up with screen time for a purpose.

OverDrive for Kids

The OverDrive Kids Reading Room will have a ton to choose from, including curated lists to aid in selection.

Non-Library Resources

Audible Stories

Audible has a selection of children & teens available for free from their Audible Stories site. There are also many classics narrated by celebrity readers (Scarlett Johansen reads “Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland,” Thandie Newton reads “Jane Eyre” and more).

Junior Library Guild Digital

Junior Library Guild has offered access to their online platform for free. They have elementary, middle, and high school sections that include both e-books and audiobooks. JLG is a great resource that many libraries use in developing a strong, diverse youth collection. JLG Digital is also available as an app from the iOs store.

Draw Every Day with JJK

Author & illustrator Jarrett J. Krosoczka (Lunch Lady, Jedi Academy, Hey Kiddo) has created a great YouTube series called “Draw Every Day” where he walks kids (or anyone!) through the process of creating great illustrations. These videos average to be about 20 minutes a piece. This would be a great way to get the A in STEAM in a fun and engaging way.

TED-Ed

TED Talks are famously much-shared among adults, but TED-Ed has many instructional videos available for a younger audience. Videos are divided by subject and average about 5 minutes each.

These are just a sampling of the resources available, but will hopefully provide some much needed learning & entertainment during these difficult times.

Jeff

South Park

Here I find myself working from home when it is working with the public that I thrive on. Don’t get me wrong…working in my jammies definitely has it’s perks but the lack of conversation is driving this peacock a bit crazy. So I did what all librarians do and began some research…

There are many benefits I’ve found to working at home:

• working in jammies
• no alarm clocks
• having my dogs and son around
• a stocked refrigerator
• fewer interruptions (my teenager is still sleeping)
• no rush hour commute
• flexible hours

You get the idea.

There are also many drawbacks I have found to working from home:

• having my son and dogs around
• difficulty focusing
• a stocked refrigerator
• lack of conversation
• email and Facebook
• household chores

Again, you get the idea.

My research (using Gale General OneFile) showed me I am not alone. Many people who work from home regularly and temporarily share my frustrations (and perks). I found articles and some great tips to make my time “on the clock” more productive:

• keep a schedule
• set aside a designated work space
• schedule breaks
• get out of the house (but stay 6 feet from others)
• set ground rules with others in the house
• stay connected with coworkers (email, text, Facebook, calls)
• get dressed

I am hoping these and the many more ideas I’ve gleaned from articles will help my productivity and I hope they help yours. Remember, we are all in this together so cut yourself some slack and support one another. Check in, say hi, and get some work done.

Now…time to take the dogs out.

Lisa Akenhead – Northland Public Library