COVID-19 Youth Services Resources – UPDATED 4/9

COVID-19 is affecting communities–and libraries–across Colorado. These youth services resources may be helpful as your library considers making adjustments to protect, serve and support your community at this challenging time:

Free Feeding Sites for Kids

• Meal Sites during COVID-19 School Closure: List from Colorado Department of Education
• Emergency Feeding: Further guidance from Colorado Department of Education

Cleaning & Disinfecting

• Cleaning, Sanitizing, and Disinfecting Frequency Table: National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC)
• Best Practices for Cleaning Play and Learn Spaces: Association of Library Service for Children (ALSC)
• Cleaning, Disinfecting, and Sanitizing: American Academy of Pediatrics; offers guidelines for cleaning, disinfecting, and sanitizing objects and surfaces
• CDC Interim Cleaning and Disinfection Recommendations: CDC’s recommendations for community facilities

Virtual Storytimes

More coming soon from CLEL!

• Publishers Adapt Policies To Help Educators from School Library Journal
• A Crisis – as in School Closures Due to Coronavirus—Justifies Fair Use, Say Librarians from School Library Journal
• Tracked open access announcements from publishers and authors providing permissions for libraries to use their books in virtual storytimes and other programming
• Tackling Copyright Concerns When Taking Storytime Online from School Library Journal
• Kid Lit Authors Step Up To Help Educators, Students, and Parents: This School Library Journal article addresses copyright issues in virtual storytimes, as well as lists a growing number of fun resources that authors and illustrators are creating.
• Streaming Storytimes (How-To)Library Journal
• Copyright Tips for Programming Librarians: Storytimes: Programming Librarian
• Tackling Copyright Concerns When Taking Storytime Online: School Library Journal

Ideas for Programming While the Library is Closed

• Virtual Programming During a Pandemic: –a SLJ blog post about programming for teens
• Serving Patrons Experiencing Homelessness in a COVID-19 Shutdown:  –Ideas from Programming Librarian

Free Resources for Libraries

• Reader Zone –Through May 1st, the full version of Reader Zone is free for schools and libraries, regardless of the number of readers in your programs.You don’t need to enter a credit card or a coupon code. Just make an account, build your reading program and engage your community.
• Booklist –All Booklist and Book Links content is now freely available until further notice.

Free Resources for Kids Provided during the COVID-19 Outbreak

Ebooks and Audiobooks:

• Audible Books –Now for free, kids everywhere can instantly stream a collection of stories, including titles across six different languages, that will help them continue dreaming, learning, and just being kids. All stories are free to stream on your desktop, laptop, phone or tablet.
• Capstone Interactive ebooks: Interactive ebooks for PreK-high school
• TumbleBooks is inviting public libraries across North America to email info@tumblebooks.com with subject line Free TumbleBooks in order to receive free links to all three TumbleBook databases so they can be shared and accessed by their patrons from the comfort and safety of their homes. Includes audiobooks.
• PebbleGo–Capstone is offering FREE access to PebbleGo (K-2) Databases and a large collection of Capstone Interactive eBooks (3000+ titles) in addition to remote learning resources through June 30, 2020. Simply fill out the online form. Once you do, you’ll get an email with a username and password to share with your educators and parents
• Sebco Books –Sebco Books is making multi-user e-books available for free until June 30th. Username: Keepreading Password: Sebco ID#:1
• TeenBookCloud – A collection of eBooks and educator resources perfect for your middle school, high school, or public library. Find a robust selection of Graphic Novels, Enhanced Novels, eBooks, classic literature, National Geographic videos, educator resources, and audiobooks.
• ABDO: Free digital content through June 2020:
  • Elementary Digital Bookshelf: PreK-8
  • Secondary Digital Bookshelf: Grades 5-12
  • ABDO Zoom Online Database: Grades PreK-2
• Epic!–This massive digital library for kids 12 and under is offering free Remote Student Access through June 30th through Educators (and Educator accounts are free).
• Gumdrop Books –free ebooks from Gumdrop Books and a few of its partners

Online Kids Book Read Alouds:

• Authors Everywhere, a Youtube Channel created and run by children’s book writers and illustrators. With all this talk of potential quarantines and school closures, we wanted to do something to offer relief for parents and kids who might find themselves stuck at home. On this channel, you’ll find workshops, readings, activities, art projects, writing games, writing advice, and more. We hope that we can offer you some fun, some distraction, and a creative outlet for any feelings that might come up during this time.
• #StoryMarch–The Greater Boston Illustrators’ Group dreamed up #StoryMarch as the Covid-19 pandemic took over the daily lives of everyone we know. As schools and offices close and people are stuck at home without their usual activities and diversions, we hope that #StoryMarch might be a fun way for all artists of every age to stretch themselves a little and have fun
• Stuck Inside: Authors’ Virtual Book Club (well, this one’s just getting started but maybe it’ll grow)

Databases:

• InfoBase –Providing free access to its many databases through June 15; learn more at CLiC’s website, https://www.clicweb.org/covid-19/
• EBSCO PrepSTEP for High School –Resources including practice tests, tutorials, e-books, articles and flashcards to help students; free through June 30.

Activities:

• Girls Who Code at Home –a new service of Girls Who Code, which will release activities weekly — some online, some offline, of varying levels of difficulty—over the course of the next few months. Each activity will include a feature of a woman in tech who pioneered innovative technology.
• Free Online Events and Activities for Kids at Home –Huge list of fun, free activities and live events from Common Sense Media
• Scholastic Learn at Home: Day-by-day projects to keep kids reading, thinking, and growing
• Education Companies Offering Free Subscriptions Due To School Closings (big list!)
• Jarrett J. Krosoczka drawing webcasts—Award-winning author and illustrator will be hosting free drawing webcasts every weekday at 2pm EST for at least the next few weeks
• Authors Launch Digital Children’s Book Festival –The Everywhere Book Festival will be held virtually May 1-2 with more than 50 participating authors and illustrators
• Cabin Fever Math –From Bedtime Math, fun, free math activities to do at home (the free app is great too!)
• Encantos –Free bilingual activities for kids

Free Resources for Kids Available Anytime

• StoryBlocks –this one is local! This project from CLEL features short videos of CO librarians demonstrating rhymes and songs with early literacy tips. Videos are available in 7 languages.
• Story Preservation Initiative— find a selection of audio stories from three master storytellers on the K-3 Storytelling Learning Lab, found at www.storypreservation.org. To access click K-3 Learning Lab on blue banner. A one-time registration is required and then click on “storytellers” and listen and enjoy at no cost
• One Hundred Museums Transformed Their Collections Into Free Coloring Pages
• Storyline Online from the Screen Actors Guild, featuring actors reading picture books
• Google Arts & Culture Collections–teamed up with over 500 museums and galleries around the world to bring anyone and everyone virtual tours and online exhibits of some of the most famous museums around the world
• Virtual concerts, plays, museums and other culture–list of worldwide cultural activities to engage in online
• Free resources from Pop Culture Classroom–this one’s local! This Denver-based nonprofit provides some of its comics-literacy based materials free.
• Read, Wonder, and Learn! Favorite Authors & Illustrators Share Resources for Learning Anywhere –webpage featuring authors reading their own kids’ books, with the videos embedded in the page
• “Talking is Teaching: Talk, Read, Sing” Family Staycation Resources –from Too Small to Fail
• Story Time From Space -While in space, astronauts videotape themselves reading picture books to the children of Earth. These videos are being edited and placed on this website — look under the heading ‘Story Time Videos.'”
• KidLit TV –multimedia site celebrating all things children’s literature
• Book Authors Reading their Books –YouTube playlist of kids’ authors reading their own works
• Jarrett Lerner’s Activities Page –lots of printouts/activities that encourage creativity and story creation
• Virtual School Activities –great list of free virtual tours and activities from around the world

Resources for Kids about COVID-19

• Just For Kids: A Comic Exploring The New Coronavirus: Comic that includes information from healthcare experts interviewed for an NPR story. Can also be printed and folded into a zine.
• Handwashing posters & other materials for children and teens: Center for Disease Control (CDC)
• Coronavirus Infographic and Game: Free resources for teaching children about the Coronavirus and hygiene from Tumblehome
• BrainPOP: Coronavirus: BrainPOP is a surprisingly entertaining, at time humorous, basic explanation of COVID-19 and needed precautions for elementary age children and young teens.

Resources for Parents about COVID-19

• Protect Yourself and Your Family: CDC
• Talking to Children About COVID-19 (Coronavirus): A Parent Resource (PDF) : Guidelines from the National Association of School Psychologists (NASP)
• Helping Children Cope: From Ready.gov, how to help children cope with disasters
• Parent/Caregiver Guide to Helping Families Cope with the Corronavirus Diease 2019 : This resource will help parents and caregivers think about how an infectious disease outbreak might affect their family— both physically and emotionally—and what they can do to help their family cope. (National Child Traumatic Stress Network)

Resources for Anyone that Has or Works with Kids

• Answering Kids’ Questions about Coronavirus (YouTube): Children’s Hospital CO
• Helping Children Cope With Stress During the 2019-nCoV Outbreak (PDF) : World Health Organization (WHO)

Media Literacy Focused on COVID-19

• Fighting Misinformation About Coronavirus –resources from National Association of Media Literacy Education (NAMLE)
• Tips and resources for news literacy, media balance, and healthy communication during Coronavirus –from Common Sense Media

Considerations for Increased Screen Time for Kids

• New Warnings on Screen Time, as Students Nationwide Move to E-Learning –from Education Week

General Resources

• Libraries and the Coronavirus: Evolving Information and Resources –lots of info from WebJunction
• WHO Printable Advice for the Public: Scroll down for downloadables on prevention, hygiene, how to cope with stress, and more.
• Mental Health and Coping During COVID-19: CDC—information for the general public and parents specifically
• Pandemic Preparedness: Resources for Libraries: American Library Association (ALA)
• Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) in Colorado: Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE)
• CDC Resources for K-12 Schools and Childcare Programs: Includes guidance, checklists, and how to talk to children about COVID-19. Also links to other resources for community organizations.