Library Resources to Make the School Year Great
The school year has begun, and you might be looking for things to help your student learn, study, and have fun this year! The library has physical and online resources available to students.
ACPL Connect
Did you know that most K-12 students in Alamance County already have a library card through our ACPL Connect program? They simply use their lunch number or ID number as their library card number, and the last four digits as their PIN. If your child doesn’t know their lunch number, simply give us a call or come by the library and we can look it up for you.
ABC Mouse
Your child has FREE access to ABC Mouse through the library. There are several ways to access ABC Mouse – from the library computers, from your personal devices, or through the ABC Mouse app. Visit our Kids page on our website for links and information on how to use the app!
Educational Resource Kits
Do you want to teach your child about money, or the 50 states, or how circuits work? The library has educational kits to check out on a variety of subjects. These are great for homeschool families, and families wanting to supplement what their children are learning in school, and for curious kids! Each kit has a suggested age range, and we have kits for preschool through middle school children. Our website has a list of available kits.
Paws for Reading
Did you know that reading to a therapy dog is proven to help children with their reading skills? Dogs don’t judge or correct; they just love! Mebane, Graham, and May Memorial all have Paws for Reading programs each month. You must register ahead of time for a 15-minute slot, and we usually have a waiting list for each date. Visit our website calendar to see when the next Paws for Reading program is at your branch and call to register.
Storytimes and Programs
The libraries have weekly storytimes for Baby/Toddlers and Preschoolers, and monthly programs for elementary, middle, and high school students. Most storytimes are at 10:30 a.m., but we do also have an afternoon storytime at Graham once a month. Programs for school-aged children typically begin between 4 and 5 p.m. We also have programs each weekend, from Make and Takes and Lego Fun to Anime Senpai and Pretend Play Day. Visit our calendar to see what we have for your kids!
NC Kids and Level Up! Digital Libraries
Sometimes, you can’t make it to the library to pick up a physical book. Sometimes, you need an audiobook for a long car ride. Sometimes you want your kids to have access to more books than our physical library has. Thankfully, we have access to NC Kids Digital Library and Level Up! Digital Library through NC Live. With your library card, you can download books to phones, tablets and computers. These libraries give you access to picture books, read-along books (with audio), easy readers, early chapter books, chapter and middle grade books, and audiobooks.
Just for Kids Videos
Are you looking for an alternative to YouTube Kids? Just For Kids Videos have educational and fun children’s television shows, movies, games, and children’s book videos, all with no ads. Learn about Genghis Khan, play a game to learn all 50 states, learn ASL, listen to a storybook, solve a mystery, and listen to music from different countries!
Launchpads
Launchpads are tablets with preloaded games, apps, and more. We have Launchpads for preschoolers that can help them prepare for Kindergarten, Launchpads focused on STEM, Launchpads full of books and literary games, Launchpads to help you learn a new language, and Launchpads with brain games. These check out just like a book, and for the same checkout period (3 weeks). Visit our catalog to see the list of Launchpads, and put one on hold today!
Online Resources
Our Online Resources page links to all of the databases and applications you can access for free using your library card. Want to learn a new language? Try Transparent Language. Do you need to do research for a school paper? Check out SIRS Discoverer for elementary and middle school kids and SIRS Issues Researcher for high school students. Use Mathway to go through a math problem step by step and find the answer. Take classes in Khan Academy. Learn coding through Fiero Code. Learn about colleges and careers with Ferguson’s Career Guidance Center and Learning Express Library.
Mary Beth A. is the Community Engagement Librarian for Alamance County Public Libraries.