August means Back to School here in Scott County and we’re ready to help you get back into the swing of things! The beginning of the school year can be stressful. You’re busy buying school supplies, trying to replace the clothes your kid grew out of since May and (for those of us here in the Scott County district) trying to understand your child’s new school-provided laptop. Or if you’re taking college classes maybe you’re trying to navigate all the confusion that comes with university life. This year, let us help you get through the school year with our many free services.
E-resources: Did you know that SCPL has 20 online resources that are free with your library card? You can explore everything from genealogy to craft tutorials. But our picks for back to school are LinkedIn Learning, Mango Languages, KYVL, OverDrive, and Hoopla! LinkedIn Learning has easy to follow video tutorials on almost any piece of software like Google Docs and Google Drive (great for understanding those new Chromebooks). If you or your child is taking a foreign language course this year, consider using Mango Languages to supplement their course material or to get a head start! If you or your student will be writing a research paper this year that requires sources, keep KYVL in mind. It houses multiple databases, but EBSCO and Britannica Academica in particular may be extremely helpful for research. In addition to these great E-resources, don’t forget about Hoopla and Overdrive as well! Have an assigned book but too busy to sit down and read? See if we have the audiobook version! Overdrive allows for up to 20 borrows a month, plus you can get an extra five with Hoopla!
Bookmobile: If your student needs new books but you can’t find the time to come to the library, make sure to keep our Bookmobile’s schedule handy! It makes multiples stops throughout Scott County each month with a fresh collection of books for all ages. Plus, guess what, teachers? You can request a visit from the Bookmobile to your school! Just contact Mercedes at mercedes@scottpublib.org to set up the Bookmobile to be available at back-to-school events, literacy nights, or book fair nights. We can bring information about the library and sign-up students for library cards. Need help in the classroom teaching electronic resources that the library has? We can set up a classroom visit to talk about Libby, Hoopla, Creativebug, or one of the other 20+ resources that we have online.
In-person Library Services: To top off our great electronic and outreach services we also have our in-house services here at the library! Our technology department is ready to help you with issues you may have with your student’s Chromebook or personal device (although please remember we are not a computer repair service). They are also happy to help you print out projects and essays, or help you navigate our E-resources. Meanwhile our children, adult and teen departments are excitedly planning their fall programs! Storytimes can help your child get ahead when it comes to their reading and social skills. Plus our other programs can be a break from the norm for all ages and a way to express yourself creatively!
Not interested in awesome free programs? Don’t worry, because we still have more to offer! For older students we have quiet study rooms, meeting rooms for group projects, and exam proctoring. You can always visit our services page to see everything that we offer.
Getting back to school can be stressful but you can breathe a little easier knowing that your local public library is here to help! Come visit us before school starts and grab some books to get a head start on this school year. See you at the library!