As we’ve discovered, life during a pandemic doesn’t resemble what we’re used to, especially for children of all ages. The Internet, however, is playing a large role in everyone’s experiences – whether it be working from home or doing school work from home. Common Sense Media assembled a useful list of resources for families currently navigating how to explain the world and region’s news to children, how to help children determine fact-based news vs. fake news, how to handle stress and anxiety, and how children can continue education using a variety of hand selected online resources and apps. The information is presented in a user-friendly and easy to digest format.
Month: March 2020
Free online business consulting with Kutztown SBDC
The Kutztown SBDC recognizes that their clients’ small businesses may be negatively affected by the impacts of the COVID-19 global outbreak. To that end, they stand ready to work with clients to navigate potential financial hardships. If you currently have any specific concerns or questions, reach out to your current consultant or complete their online consulting request form to schedule a time to meet.
Make Sure You’re Counted
While we’re all at home practicing good social distancing, now is a great time to respond to the 2020 Census. Why does the Census matter? A report from Pennsylvania Health Access Network (PHAN), citing data from a George Washington University study, indicates that should Pennsylvania’s population be undercounted by just 1%, the state would lose $221.8 million, or $1,746 per person, in federal funds each year for the next ten years. According to the study, Pennsylvania is the second most vulnerable state in the country in terms of federal funds that could be lost from an undercount.
You may have already received your invitation letter in the mail with your Census ID; you can use this ID to go to my2020census.gov and fill out your Census response (you can also look up your address if you don’t have your Census ID). You also have the option of responding by phone at 1-844-330-2020.
Please remember that everyone counts in the Census. Regardless of your status, if you are here in the U.S., you should be counted. Help shape our community in the years to come by participating in the Census.
Borrow books without joining a waitlist from the National Emergency Library
The Internet Archive has suspended waitlists for the 1.4 million books in their lending library by creating a National Emergency Library to serve the nation’s displaced learners. This suspension will run through June 30, 2020, or the end of the US national emergency, whichever is later.
During the waitlist suspension, users will be able to borrow books from the National Emergency Library without joining a waitlist, ensuring that students will have access to assigned readings and library materials that the Internet Archive has digitized for the remainder of the US academic calendar, and that people who cannot physically access their local libraries because of closure or self-quarantine can continue to read and thrive during this time of crisis, keeping themselves and others safe.
For more information, go to their announcement page and their FAQs.
Library Update March 28
Welcome to Stay Connected with Chescolibraries. The Libraries are closed until April 13. Please do not return library materials at this time. All due dates have been extended to April 15, and current overdue materials will not continue to accrue fines until we reopen. To apply for a library card, please visit our Library Card Help page. For help with OverDrive, please visit our OverDrive Help page. For any other questions, please visit our Contact Us page.
New option for staying connected to our blog!
You can now subscribe to follow this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.
To sign up, just scroll down the right-hand side of any page of our blog until you find the option to “Follow Stay Connected with Chescolibraries via Email.”
As part of the confirmation process, you’ll have the choice to adjust the delivery frequency to immediate (the default choice), daily, or weekly updates.
Kids’ Update: I Survived
Join Lauren Tarshis, the author of the I Survived Series, for a daily read aloud on youtube, beginning with her first book — I Survived the Sinking of the Titanic. I Survived Read Aloud.
Now, wait till you see what Irene survives in Brave Irene.
The Youth Services Staff at the Chester County Library and Hankin Branch are presenting Virtual Storytimes beginning April 27th. They will be for three different ages groups — 0 to 2 Year Olds, 3 & 4 Year Olds, and 5 & 6 Year Olds. Registration is required via the Events Calendar at https://chescolibraries.org/. Virtual Storytimes are not registered as multi-week sessions; you will need to register for each storytime individually.
Business, education, biography, and more in Gale Virtual Reference Library
The Gale Virtual Reference Library database includes reference titles in the arts, biography, business, education, environment, general reference, history, law, literature, medicine, multicultural studies, nation and world, science, social sciences, and technology.
Trying to plan a business but don’t have access to the Chester County Library’s Business Plans Handbook series while we’re closed due to the pandemic? Fear not! The first 35 volumes are available online in the GVRL business section.
Planning your career or higher education? Check out the education section.
For all other topics, log in to the database with your CCL library card number from this page.
Get a Library Card to Access our Online Resources
Use your library card and take advantage of eBooks, eAudiobooks, eMagazines, and databases available online 24/7.
Don’t have a library card? Not a problem! You can get a free library card for use online. Email us at circdesk@ccls.org with your name and home address and we will send you a temporary membership number.
If you already have a library card but are having trouble using your card to access our resources online, it may be that your library card has expired. Send us an email at circdesk@ccls.org, and if we still have a record of your account in our system we can reactivate your library card and restore access to all of our online resources.
If a record of your account is no longer in our system, but you can provide us with your library card number, we will be able to provide you with a temporary library account which would provide full access to our resources online.
If you have an active account and need to know what your library card number is, we can help with that too. Email us at circdesk@ccls.org and we’ll be happy to reply.
If you have any other questions or concerns about your library account just let us know, we’re here for you!
Keep pace on your next walk with these five bestselling author podcasts
Before you take your next walk, why not download a podcast to keep your pace? Here are five bestselling author podcasts, ready for your ears!
On Writer’s Bone:
Author Delia Owens joins Daniel Ford for Friday Morning Coffee to chat about her debut novel Where the Crawdads Sing. – 21 minutes
On the B&N Podcast:
Jeanine Cummins sits down with B&N’s Miwa Messer to take us behind the making of American Dirt. –25-minutes
On Author Stories with Hank Garner:
Walk and listen – a great combo!
Stay Connected with Chescolibraries 