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Do you know about the many services, resources, and online databases that our local SLO County Library offers? The following are just a sampling of the useful tools every parent and student should know about – all you need is your library card number. Check out the SLO County Library’s website and explore!
You can place a hold on a book (for instructions click here), and it will be delivered to the library branch of your choice, absolutely free!
You can suggest a title that you’d like to see added to the library.
There’s a separate Children’s Catalog online, if you want to narrow your search to children’s books, or browse by subject, author, etc.
With Overdrive, you can check out and download audiobooks and ebooks through the library, for your tablet, smartphone, kindle, nook, or computer.
There’s also Enki – a new eBook platform with content from independent book publishers. Over 20,000 titles in a multitude of genres are available to download for free.
Indieflix is a streaming movie service for award-winning shorts, feature films, and documentaries from over 50 countries. (Not all movies are appropriate for kids, so use parental discretion when browsing and choosing films. They do have an “Indieflix Kids” channel on their site.)
Online databases – There’s a HUGE list of these! Scroll down the list to select the database you want to use, and enter your library card number when prompted. A few you might be interested in are:
- Zinio – free access to digital magazines
- Biography in Context – featuring individuals from ancient to modern times. There are tons of scientists here, for those middle schoolers who need ideas for science journals.
- Pronunciator – a free curriculum for learning any of 80 languages!
- Global Road Warrior – Information about 175 countries. Great for reports or if you’re going to be traveling!
- World Book Web – encyclopedia for children
- Tumblebooks – a collection of animated, talking picture books for kids, read-along chapter books, and games/puzzles.
- Novelist – a database of over 155,00 fiction titles for kids and adults, this lets you use your favorite author to link to other books you might enjoy. You can also search or browse through categories.
We hope you’ll have a chance to check out these free resources and benefit from our amazing local library!
