Herrin City Library will be sharing ways to have fun and keep learning from home. We’ve gathered links to online story times, virtual field trips, music and creative activities–even ballet! We’ll keep updating as we find more socially-distant online fun, so keep an eye on this page!
Herrin City Library – Ebook Resources: Check out our Digital Resources Page to use the Cloud Library & RBDigital. These are two resources for electronic books, magazines, & audio books that are free with your library card. There are tutorials on the page to help you get started. Call: 942-6109 or email: herrincitylibrary@gmail.com the library if you need help getting started.
GRE @ Home: Educational Testing Services – ETS (Educational Testing Services) is temporarily offering a GRE General Test at home option in selected areas. The test is identical in content, format and on-screen experience to the GRE General Test taken at a test center. It is taken on your own computer at home and is monitored by a human proctor online through ProctorU®. Click the link below, to find out more information.
Herrin City Library – High School Yearbooks Online: Browse the Herrin High School Yearbooks 1954 – 1975. New years to be added soon.
ABDO: K-12 FREE Online Books: ABDO’s entire eBook collection is now available to students to access at home FREE.
Apple Books – Free Stay at Home Collection: Earlier today, the Apple Books app sent out a push notification offering a free Apple Book to users. The notification mentioned read-alongs for kids, cozy mysteries, and audiobooks for the whole family. Here is a link from 9to5Mac about an article describing details.
Audible Stories FREE streaming audiobooks for kids, in six different languages.
Full Books – Thousands of full-text Free Books online. Because they are online, there is now special app or download required. You just need internet access.
Internet Archive Open Library: Over 20 millions accessible books! The ultimate goal of the Open Library is to make all the published works of humankind available to everyone in the world.
Junior Library Guild: eBooks for Elementary, Middle School and High school students, unlimited access to read books online from any device free through May 31, 2020. Using a computer? Usernames & passwords are not needed! Simply click your book-stream choice below and you’ll be automatically logged in! Usernames & passwords are required when using the JLG Digital app.
Many Books – 50,000+ ebooks organized by genre. Great selection of modern and classic books waiting to be discovered. All free and available in most ereader formats or available to read online.
Project Gutenberg – Project Gutenberg is a library of over 60,000 free eBooks. Choose among free epub and Kindle eBooks, download them or read them online. You will find the world’s great literature here, with focus on older works for which U.S. copyright has expired. Thousands of volunteers digitized and diligently proofread the eBooks, for enjoyment and education.
The Digital Public Library:
Discover 35,456,977 images, texts, videos, and sounds from across the United States
Genealogy and Local History
Resources on doing genealogy research; such as, finding an obituary, requesting information from researchers in the History Room, using Herrin City Library’s Genealogy Research Subscription Resources, and suggestions for free research.
Illinois Digital Archives
The Illinois Digital Archives (IDA) was created in 2000, as a repository for the digital collections of the Illinois State Library as well as other libraries and cultural institutions in the State of Illinois.
What can you find in the Illinois Digital Archives?
- Photographs, slides, glass negatives
- Oral histories
- Manuscripts and letters
- Federal government documents
- Postcards
- Posters
- Videos
- Newspapers
- Maps
Laws of Illinois Research Page
Useful online resource for researching the history of Illinois territories and state from Western Illinois University, The Library of Congress, Cornell University, the University of Illinois-Urbana-Champaign, Google Books and the Hathi Trust Digital Library.
BOOK RIOT INSIDERS EPIC QUARTERLY READ
Book Riot’s very own Epic Quarterly Read for Insiders is one of the best online book clubs starting up in 2020. Here’s how it works. Every quarter, Book Riot Insiders will vote for a book that will satisfy a Book Riot Read Harder 2020 task. Then everyone will read along together, with page goals, discussion questions, and food for thought provided by that quarter’s discussion leader from the Book Riot staff. Finally, on the second Saturday of the last month of the quarter, there will be a video chat about the book.
THE HISTORY BOOK CLUB
This book club is exactly what it sounds like. And if you’re looking for a community of history lovers who also love to read, then this is the best online book club for you. There are so many discussions going on, including monthly books to read and chats about history in general. Join up to become part of one of the biggest.
NEW ADULT BOOK CLUB
Speaking of great big Goodreads communities, here’s another one worth joining. This online book club focuses on New Adult books. If you’re new to the New Adult genre, think Young Adult but with more mature themes. The community features monthly group reads, challenges, opportunities to chat with authors, and much more.
GOODREADS CHOICE AWARDS BOOK CLUB
Here’s another great Goodreads community, and this one lists itself as the official unofficial Goodreads Choice Awards book club. Over the course of the year, this book club reads Goodreads Choice Awards winners throughout multiple categories. So if you’re looking to read a good variety of highly rated books and discuss them with others, here’s the book club for you.
GIRLS’ NIGHT IN BOOK CLUB
Girls’ Night In is a project that’s all about promoting mental health awareness and self-care practices for women. The book club is one of the many things they do, and while they do have in-person meet-ups throughout the country, you can also participate online using the hashtag #GNIReads. This book club focuses on picking books written by women and nonbinary authors.
Facebook Club
As a few of us are increasingly relying on our friends for book recommendations, Facebook thought they would set up a Book Club to visit. Share your favorite reads and give a little review if you feel so inclined.
British Museum, London
An interactive experience through time, continents and culture.
The Frank Lloyd Wright Building Conservancy, in partnership with the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation and Unity Temple Restoration Foundation, is excited to announce the start of #WrightVirtualVisits. Each Thursday, beginning on April 2 at 1 p.m. Eastern/10 a.m. Pacific time, each participating site will share a short video tour of another site via social media. These tours will help each site’s social media followers discover and experience new places, and raise public awareness for all of these important landmarks.
Georgia Aquarium webcams
Sea otter, beluga whales and more!
Guggenheim Museum, New York
Hear about the Frank Lloyd Wright-designed building, virtually tour the space and explore the collection.
The J. Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles
European and American history—from medieval times to the present.
The Louvre in Paris, France
Visit the museum’s exhibition rooms and galleries.
Musée d’Orsay, Paris
Including artworks from Monet, Cézanne, and Gauguin and others.
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
From Byzantine altarpieces to pop art, the collection includes paintings, sculpture, prints, drawings, photographs, and other works.
National Parks
It’s best to stay home but that doesn’t mean you can’t see our incredible National Parks virtually!
Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam
Explore the museum, including an exhibit on Van Gogh’s love life and one on his favorite books.
Anne Frank House
Take a 360-degree tour of Anne Frank’s home in Amsterdam.
Buckingham Palace
Tour the famous London palace without leaving home!
Stranger Things Escape Room: Welcome to the Snowball. You and your friends have been trapped in the gym during the Snow Ball. You have 30 minutes to escape! Made by Dawn Abron, Teen Services Coordinator from Zion Benton Public Library. Suitable for: All Ages, created for Teens.
Hogwarts Digital Escape Room – Harry Potter themed Digital Escape Room! This escape experience was created by Sydney Krawiec, Youth Services Librarian at Peters Township Public Library in McMurray, PA. www.ptlibrary.org . Suitable for: middle school and or families
Escape from Wonderland Digital Escape Room – Wonderland-themed Digital Escape Room! It is based on the story of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, by Lewis Carroll. Created by: Erin Honeycutt, Children’s Librarian at Moultrie-Colquitt County Library System in Moultrie, Georgia, USA. Suitable for: All ages.
Escape from Star Killer Base! – A “Star Wars” Themed Escape Room. Created by: Richmond Hill Public Library. Suitable for: All ages.
Marvel’s Avengers: Escape from the Hydra Base! – A “Marvel’s Avengers” Themed Digital Escape Room. Created by: Richmond Hill Public Library. Suitable for: All ages.
Space Explorer Training- Digital Escape Room – A Space Themed Digital Escape Room. Created by: Morgan Lockard, CCPL Adult/Teen Services Librarian, Campbell County Public Library. Suitable for: Ages 11+ and or families.
Pikachu’s Rescue – A Pokémon themed Digital Escape Room. Created by: High River Library. Suitable for: Ages 6 +.
Pete the Cat and the Birthday Party Mystery – A “Pete the Cat” Themed Digital Escape Room. Created by: The Abington Free Library in Abington, Pennsylvania, USA. Suitable for: Ages 2-8.
Spy Apprentice Digital “Escape Room” Adventure – A Spy Themed Digital Escape Room. Created by: Lauren Rura and Felicia Brock, Adult Service Librarians at Washington-Centerville Public Library in Centerville, OH. www.wclibrary.info. Suitable for: Teens and Adults.
Golden Girls Escape Room – Take a stroll down TV memory lane. Suitable for Adults.
Source Credit: Many of these escape rooms and the escape room banner were provided from: Central Otago and Queenstown Lakes Libraries: Digital Escape Rooms: https://codc-qldc.govt.nz/blog/digital-escape-rooms.
Fiona the Hippo at the Cincinnati Zoo
We’re pretty sure Fiona the Hippo makes everyone feel a bit better.
San Diego Zoo
Live camera feed featuring Polar Bears, Elephants, Baboons, Tigers, Koalas, Penguins and more!
Shedd Aquarium Penguins
While the aquarium visitors are away, the penguins will play! Watch as the penguins tour the aquarium.
Working from Home as a Pet Parent
How to stay productive with your adorably distracting coworker.
Opera at the Met
Opera, anyone? Enjoy a daily live-streamed video.
Broadway Shows
Theater-streaming service BroadwayHD is offering a seven-day free trial so you can watch performances from Broadway, the West End, and other venues from your living room.
Hamilton’s America
Experience Lin-Manuel Miranda’s writing process for the song “My Shot”.
Petra Sings: Chicago Jazz Vocalist
Hours of jazz music videos from one of our program performers!
A Roadmap for Life’s Unexpected Events
A timely TEDx Talk by one of our Library’s regular presenters, Martina Mathisen.
Social Distancing Festival
An online community celebrating and showcasing the work of artists who have been affected by the need for social distancing.
Laura Doherty
Interactive kid’s concerts on Facebook: 3/18 at 3pm, 3/19 at 9:30am, 3/20 at 12pm, 3/21 at 11am.
Laurie Berkner
Storytime favorite Laurie Berkner has 50 minutes of education music available on her website.
Writing Prompts for Students from the New York Times
Looking for ideas for remote learning? Each week The Learning Network offers a dozen new ways for students to practice reading, writing and thinking using Times journalism — all free.
Scholastic Learn At Home
Every day includes four separate learning experiences, each built around a thrilling, meaningful story or video. Kids can do them on their own, with their families, or with their teachers.
Lunch Doodle with Mo Willems
Author of Don’t Let the Pigeon Ride the Bus , Knuffle Bunny and Elephant and Piggy does doodles at lunch! Grab the kids, some paper and pens and get doodlin’ with Mo! (Here’s a Youtube link if the live feed is busy)
Free Dice Games to Play at Home
Do you have dice at home? Here are some free dice games to play for fun and math skills!
Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood
Explore the set, meet the cast and watch 5 new episodes every week.
Crayola At Home Activities
DIY crafts and at-home Learning
Personality Quizzes for Kids from National Geographic
Find out what type of dinosaur you are or which animal pattern is most like your personality. We’ve got a bunch of Apatosaurus’, a Stegosaurus, a Triceratops and a T-Rex on staff at the Library!
#OperationStorytime and #SaveWithStories
Famous people reading children’s books is one good thing coming from social distancing.
Josh Gad Reads Stories
The voice behind Olaf from Frozen is reading books to kids online during the quarantine.
Storytimes from Space
As if astronauts don’t do enough, they also do storytimes from space!
Stuck, Written and Read by Oliver Jeffers
Because we’re all feeling a little bit stuck right now.
Author Read Alouds curated by the Children’s Book Council
With Lemony Snicket, Eric Carle, B.J. Novak and more!
Storyline Online
More celebrities read stories!
Tumblebooks
A collection of animated talking picture books, read-alongs, ebooks, quizzes, lesson plans, and educational games. Log in with your Helen Plum Library card.
Free Online Ballet Lessons from Cleveland Inner City Ballet
Free ballet classes online through Facebook. Information on how to access and timing of lessons is linked in the title above.
Yoga with Adriene
Free yoga videos for all levels, bodies and genders!
Free Mindfulness Class for Kids
12pm on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays. Mindful activities, movement and read-alouds.
YouTube has a variety of free workouts. Just search for what you are looking for: IE “Beginners Yoga” or “Easy Senior Workouts.”
SCIENCE
Sky Heroes: An Activity Reinventing the Constellations: celebrate heroes by creating connect-the-dot star patterns to represent them.
Daylight In a Bottle: Build at Home: Explore how a water bottle can help you read a secret message from a friend, or light up a room with free, clean energy from the Sun.
MUSIC
Laura Doherty
Interactive kid’s concerts on Facebook.
Laurie Berkner
Storytime favorite Laurie Berkner has 50 minutes of education music available on her website.
Resource Credit: This page was created with resources and information on the Helen Plum Library website @ https://www.helenplum.org/help-having-fun-home.