I don’t know about you, but I’m ready to admit: I’m over summer. I’m over 90 degree weather and sweating and bringing little treats with me to work that melt by the time I pull into the parking lot. Unfortunately for me (but maybe fortunately for you), back to school is still a month away, but it’s never too early to get back to one of the best resources we youth services staff have available: Tutor.com.

You’re all probably familiar with how much Tutor.com has to offer, but one of the best things about it is how easily we can incorporate elements from it into our physical library space. Sure, if a student needs help with organic chemistry and calculating a molecule’s half-life and a third example I don’t have the science knowledge to come up with, I’ll give them a hearty pat on the head, set them down on a computer, and wish them luck. But for so many other topics that we can expect on a regular basis, Tutor.com makes it so easy to prepare ourselves with resources.

For example, early in the school year, you could print out worksheets and tips on writing skills to help provide a refresher as students readjust to their academic grind, or easily lead younger students to flashcards practicing multiplication tables.

There are also great ways to link Tutor.com’s resources with your collection, especially for promoting early literacy skills. You could easily print out worksheets and display them near your early readers, so anyone just starting to read can get some some extra (and free!) practice. You can even use the skills covered in each worksheet and, without much effort at all, get a solid early literacy lesson into every storytime: there’s a worksheet on clapping out syllables, so you can clap out syllables in storytime.

Having the information readily available makes it so easy to connect important skills to your collection and programming.

-Jaime, Penn Hills Library

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New Language Learning Resource

Earlier this year, we shared exciting new databases from the PA PowerLibrary. Have you tried any of the new resources?

We have! And we want to make sure everyone knows about Transparent Language Online! This online learning tool offers courses on over 120+ languages, including multiple dialects. Work through units & lessons to gain knowledge about the language, then practice using reading, speaking, listening & writing techniques.

Categories focus on the essentials, grammar, vocabulary, and languages for business & travel. Courses vary in levels from basic to intermediate and advanced fluency.

Patrons can utilize Transparent Language Online on its own or pair it with the library’s other language resource, Mango Languages.

Create an account to track your progress, otherwise, continue in guest mode. Either way, you still get full-access to all of the helpful content.

Get started honing your language learning skills today!

Richelle at Sewickley Public Library

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Learn a New Language in the New Year

It is now 2024 and we are coming up on the Lunar New Year now too! What better way to start off your Year of the Dragon than by learning a brand new language! Start of your year with Mango Languages and Little Pim where you and your family can choose from 71 different languages. You can choose languages like French and Chinese or get a little wacky with Pirate.

It is also worth letting your friends in other counties outside of Allegheny know that they too can enjoy the fun of learning a new language from Mango Languages! Mango provides 10 engendered and indigenous languages for free. Don’t let your friends and family miss out and help keep these rich and fascinating languages alive by sharing this information!

Contact your local library for more information and happy language learning!

-Adrianne

Northland Public Library

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Exciting New Resource News!

We are pleased to announce that the newest resources from the POWER Library are now live on the Allegheny County eLibrary. Access all the new resource from the Pennsylvania Electronic Library like Britannica School, Cricket Media Collection, MyHeritage, PA Online Learning, and more!

The eLibrary can be your one stop shop for lots of resources from the POWER Library – job hunting, ebooks (on a wide variety of topics), language learning, and genealogy research just to name a few. If you want to do a deeper dive into what some of these exciting new resources from POWER Library have to offer stop in or call your local library to learn more!

Happy Learning,

-Adrianne, Northland Public Library

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