Schools may be closed, but your school librarian is only a few clicks away

Trying to find information? Need a book to read? Bored and need something to do? Just because your school is closed doesn’t mean you don’t have access to your school library or school librarian. Head on over to your school library’s website or Facebook page and connect with your school librarian!

Across the state schools have shuttered their doors in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Although the physical space of the schools and their libraries may be closed, the librarians and library staff are still working hard to serve their communities in this difficult time. In Mat-Su, Anchorage, Kenai, Fairbanks and Valdez, librarians are holding virtual office hours to answer questions from students and staff, providing tutoring, offering book recommendations to their students, curating websites and other sources of free online books and information, and offering online read-alouds. Some school librarians are also providing virtual field trips, online lessons and other ways for learners to engage with content and with each other while they are away from school.

School librarians are not only helping their students, but also providing support to teachers with new technology. In Ketchikan, for example, the librarian has been creating “how-to” videos to help students and parents access library resources online, such as the Alaska Digital Library. Other librarians are showing their teachers and students how to use Google Classroom, Zoom, Google Hangouts, and more.

Unfortunately, not every school library has the staff or resources to continue providing service. But luckily, Alaskans statewide have access to SLED, the Statewide Library Electronic Doorway. Staff at the Alaska State Library are continuing to add to this amazing resource as new products and services become available temporarily during the crisis. Notable among these resources are Tumble Math, a K-6 math e-book database; Teen Book Cloud, a grades 7-12 e-book database; and Audio Book Cloud, a database with audiobooks for all ages. All year round (even when you’re not stuck at home), you can also use SLED to access the Alaska Digital Library for e-books and audio books, Live Homework Help for tutoring support, BrainPop, and much more.

You’ll also find information on COVID-19 itself with links to important announcements from the state of Alaska, Covid-19 information for schools, and public health information from the Centers for Disease Control.

You may not be able to visit your library right now, but most libraries are still here for you. Today’s libraries are so much more than just traditional books and now is a great time to explore the other valuable resources your libraries provide to you and your community.

Deborah Rinio is president of the Alaska Library Association; she teaches online from her home in Fairbanks as Assistant Teaching Professor for the Library Media Certificate program at Montana State University.

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