Picture this: You are simultaneously cooking dinner while your kid rapid-fires questions at you while doing their math homework (as in, NOT YOUR homework), and suddenly spaghetti sauce is flying as you frantically wave your spatula around, explaining that you are not Einstein and absolutely cannot help them with math while cooking dinner.

Only for them to remind you that Einstein was a scientist, not a mathematician.

You know that isn’t entirely correct, but at this point, it’s already game over.

Well, hopefully we can help.

Did you know that we have some incredible resources that can connect your kiddo with a live tutor, provide printable worksheets for extra practice, help with language learning, and so much more—all for FREE with your library card?

I know. It’s amazing.

We wanted to highlight a few of our favorite resources that you can access directly through our website, along with a quick explanation of what each one does. To find them, simply click the ‘Digital Library’ icon on our homepage and select ‘Education and Arts’ (linked in this post for ease). From there, you’ll be directed to a whole collection of helpful services.

Here are a few of our favorites, especially for our youngest library patrons:

Tutor.com

Let’s start with the one that might save your sanity during homework time.

Tutor.com is an online tutoring service that provides one-on-one help across a wide variety of subjects. It offers live tutoring, homework help, study resources, and more—all provided by expert educators.

No need to spend a boatload of money on a private tutor or figure out when in the world you can possibly squeeze one more activity into your child’s already-packed after-school schedule. You can set up a time that works best for you and your family, all from the comfort of your own home.

All you need is an active library card with us, and you’re good to go!

Scholastic Teachables

This one is a BIG one.

Scholastic Teachables provides more than 25,000 educational resources. Yes, you read that right. Twenty-five THOUSAND.

You’ll find printable activities, worksheets, coloring pages, lesson plans, and classroom resources for grades Pre-K through 8th. There are resources covering everything from math and ELA to STEM, and well-being and life skills.

And they even have themes!

If you’ve ever been in the children’s section and grabbed a coloring page or activity sheet, there’s a pretty good chance it came from Scholastic Teachables.

And, once again, all you need is your library card.

NoveList K-8 Plus

We all know the never-ending question:

“What should I read?”

Followed closely by:

“I don’t know.”

And then, somehow:

“There’s nothing good to read.”

Skip the urge to roll your eyes, and instead, know that NoveList K-8 Plus is here to help.

This incredible, FREE-with-your-library-card recommendation database is packed with lists and recommendations to help young readers and their grown-ups find their next great book. You can browse by interest, reading level, genre, popularity, and more.

It’s basically a personal book recommendation machine—and there’s even a version specifically for adults!

CreativeBug

This one is for our artists, makers, and crafty kiddos!

CreativeBug is an online learning platform with thousands of video tutorials covering things like painting, sewing, knitting, Cricut projects, and so much more.

It’s a fantastic resource for kids AND adults, so don’t be surprised if you find yourself sneaking onto the site after the kids go to bed to try a project of your own.

Rosetta Stone

Want to learn a new language?

You can do that too!

Rosetta Stone is a language-learning program that uses interactive techniques, visual aids, and speech recognition to help learners develop new language skills.

And the best part?

It’s FREE with your library card.

So, whether your kiddo is working on a language for school or your family just wants to explore something new together, this is a fantastic resource to have available.

World Book Online

Need to research something for school?

World Book Online is basically a giant digital encyclopedia filled with reliable information on a huge range of topics. It also includes interactive maps, article archives, and other tools that can be incredibly helpful for school projects.

Science fair project? Check.

History report? Check.

Random question your kid suddenly needs answered RIGHT NOW? Also check.

Because apparently, children only think of their most urgent research questions at 8:47 p.m. on a school night.

All in all, we have no small number of resources available to help our youngest patrons succeed—and hopefully help our adult patrons survive homework time with their sanity (and dinner) intact.

So, the next time you find yourself waving a spatula around while desperately trying to remember how fractions work, remember that your library has your back.

Head to our website, click the “Digital Library” icon, and select “Education and Arts” to explore these resources and so many more.

And, of course, feel free to call the library at 609-967-7155 and ask for Kaya at the Children’s Desk. I’d be more than happy to help you find these resources and show you how to use them!

Because we’re here for the books, the learning, the questions, the crafts, the homework help—and, occasionally, the spaghetti-sauce-related emergencies.

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Cover photo by Vitaly Gariev on Unsplash.