Resource Library
Georgia Tech’s Black Lives Reading Room – Resources include popular and academic materials centered on social injustice.
Bureau of Indian Affairs – National archive of over 18,000 photographs from Bureau of Indian Affairs.
Anti-Racism Resources for the AAPI Community – Resource links provided by Cornell University Asian American Studies Program.
Digital Literacy
AP Fact Check– Associated Press’ website, an independent global news organization dedicated to factual reporting, founded in 1846.
Fact Check– A project of the Annenberg Public Policy Center
Fact Tank: News in the Numbers– “Pew Research Center is a nonpartisan fact tank that informs the public about the issues, attitudes, and trends shaping the world. It conducts public opinion polling, demographic research, media content analysis and other empirical social science research.”
US Surgeon General – Confronting health misinformation
MediaBias/Fact Check– comprehensive media bias resource; currently 3200+ media sources listed in the database and growing every day.
Media Matters for America– “A web-based, nonprofit research and information center dedicated to comprehensively monitoring, analyzing, and correcting misinformation in the U.S. media.”
PolitiFact– non-profit run by the Poynter Institute
PunditFact– “a project of the Poynter Institute, dedicated to checking the accuracy of claims by pundits, columnists, bloggers, political analysts, the hosts and guests of talk shows, and other members of the media.”
SciCheck- Fact Check’s site “focuses exclusively on false and misleading scientific claims that are made by partisans to influence public policy. It was launched in January 2015.”
Sunlight Foundation– “a national, nonpartisan, nonprofit organization that uses civic technologies, open data, policy analysis, and journalism to make our government and politics more accountable and transparent to all.”
TinEye– this is a reverse image search that tells you whether or not an image was altered.
Reader’s Advisory
LGBTQ Reads – All ages and genres for queering up your shelf, one rec at a time.
Rainbow Book List – The Rainbow Book List is created by the Rainbow Book List Committee of the Rainbow Round Table of the American Library Association.
#1000blackgirlbooks – This resource guide from The GrassROOTS Community Foundation was created in direct response to the multiple requests made by educators, parents, and students, who asked for books with black girls as the main characters.
Local and State Links
ConneCT Kids – Connecticut’s website for kids.
CT Department of Environmental Protection – No Child Left Inside
CT Voting Links:
Voter Registration Lookup – Office of the Secretary of State
Online Voter Registration – Office of the Secretary of State
Gunn Memorial Library & Museum, Washington
Kids.gov – The US Government’s website for kids explores jobs, health, art, school subjects, and more.
Minor Memorial Library, Roxbury
Region 12 Continuity of Services Plan during COVID-19
Tax Forms
IRS.gov – Forms, instructions, and publications
Literacies and Languages
ALA’s link to Author’s and Illustrators – Links to websites from Avi to Van Allsburg.
ALA’s Thinking Money for Kids – Online version of Thinking Money for Kids traveling exhibition.
A Book and A Hug – Online tool for kids to create a book list of their favorites or for classes and friends to share a book list.
Guys Read – Author Jon Scieszka makes suggestions for a literacy program that connects boys with books they want to read.
International Children’s’ Digital Library – Read books from around the world when you visit this website. Hundreds of books in twenty-nine different languages are available.
Chillola.com – A free foreign language learning site for children. Simple games, activities, and resources for learning vocabulary in French, Spanish, German, Italian, and more.
Read Kiddo Read – An authoritative resource for finding the best, current literature for children of all ages. It includes summaries, read-alikes, reviews, and links to related activities.
RIF Kids Reading Planet – Write and illustrate your own stories, play reading games, express yourself through poetry – this site is a wonderful resource for younger children to explore reading and writing.
Homework Help
You need a library card for at-home access to researchIT databases.
Animal Fact Guide – Learn interesting facts about animals around the world.
The Big6 – Big6 is a six-stage model to help anyone solve problems or make decisions by using information.
Explora for Elementary Schools – Multi-source curriculum-based reference tool.
JSTOR – Open and free content during the COVID crisis
NASA’s Space Place – For elementary school-age kids showing them that science and technology and learning about space are fun and understandable.
PBS Learning Media – CPTV and PBS have curated FREE, standards-aligned videos, interactives, lesson plans, and more for teachers like you.
SpellingCity – Makes practicing for spelling tests fun.
Scholastic Learn from Home – Even when schools are closed, you can keep the learning going with these special cross-curricular journeys.
Thinking Money for Kids – The American Library Association (ALA), in partnership with the FINRA Investor Education Foundation, has a collection of free online games to teach children basic financial skills.
History Reference Center – Must comprehensive history full-text database.
Your Dictionary – Provides an easy-to-use search engine for words and the results are quite detailed. Also offers 400 different language dictionaries.
Online Research Tools
Facthound – Select your grade level and topic. Facthound links you to age appropriate web sites as well as book titles.
Just for Fun!
App Inventor – MIT App Inventor is the fastest way to build apps for Android phones and tablets.
Chess for Kids – Learn to play chess with interactive lessons, quizzes, games, and puzzles.
Code.org – Code.org is a site designed to support the learning and teaching of computer coding.
CryptoKids – At this site from the National Security Agency, you can learn all about codes and ciphers and even create your own
Cyberchase – Kids can dive into the world of science with this online science-themed shows.
Engineer Girl – Designed to bring national attention to the exciting opportunities that engineering represents for girls and women.
Girls Who Code @ Home – Weekly activities — some online, some offline, of varying levels of difficulty—over the course of the next few months. Each activity will include a feature of a woman in tech who pioneered innovative technology.
Fun with Spot – Fans of Eric Hill’s Spot books will enjoy playing these games and reading the animated versions of some of these books.
Harry Potter Digital Escape Room – This escape experience was created by Sydney Krawiec, Youth Services Librarian at Peters Township Public Library in McMurray, PA.
The International Space Station – An interactive model of the International Space Station.
Nickelodeon – Like to watch Nick? Here is where to click.
Nick Jr. – Nick for the Preschool crown.
Official Star Wars Website – For Star Wars fans everywhere.
PBS Kids – Games and activities connected to your favorite PBS programs, including Super Why, Arthur, Sesame Street, and Clifford.
Scratch – Scratch is a programming language and an online community. Program and create your own interactive stories, games, and animation and share with others. Includes video and step-by-step guides.
Sports Illustrated for Kids – Covers all kinds of sports from around the world.
Thomas the Tank – Calling all Thomas the Tank Engine fans! Stories, games, and fun.
Minecraft – Official site
Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Harry Potter At Home to help children, parents, carers and teachers add a touch of Harry Potter magic to our new daily lives.
Seniors
Assisted Living in Connecticut – Well-detailed and thorough information for families and senior citizens in Connecticut about assisted living.
Storytime!
Dan Gutman – Daily Facebook Live read-a-loud with our one of favorite authors!
HarperKids – We’re HarperCollins Children’s Books and we’re all about stories that young minds never forget.
Kate Messner Shares – Author Kate Messner shares links to her favorite authors
Mo Willems – Lunch Doodles with Mo Willems
Oliver Jeffers – Stay at home storytime with author Oliver Jeffers. A book a day read by the author.
Storyline Online – The SAG-AFTRA Foundation’s award-winning children’s literacy website, Storyline Online, streams videos featuring celebrated actors reading children’s books alongside creatively produced illustrations.
Virtual Tours, Livefeeds, and Cultural Links
Norman Rockwell Museum – Enjoy exploring this expanded content that lets you discover Norman Rockwell and illustration art in new and exciting ways!
Yellowstone National Park – Ready to explore Yellowstone? You don’t have to wait for your trip out here. You can start exploring now by virtually touring some of the main attractions around the park. Included with each tour is additional information about visiting in person.
Virtual School Activities – A comprehensive list of live webcams, virtual tours/trips, and other miscellaneous fun academic activities.
Volunteer Opportunities
Volunteer Match – Making it easy for good people and good causes to connect.
Volunteer Square – Volunteers are connected with opportunities at nonprofit agencies in Connecticut.
Zooniverse – The Zooniverse enables everyone to take part in real cutting-edge research in many fields across the sciences, humanities, and more. The Zooniverse creates opportunities for you to unlock answers and contribute to real discoveries.