Free from the Talbot County Free Library
For children and parents stuck at home thanks to COVID-19, the Talbot County Free Library has created an entire page full of links that will take parents to sites designed to keep their children entertained, distracted, and learning while they’re stuck at home. Parents can go to the library’s webpage (www.tcfl.org), click on the “Creative Fun for Kids at Home” photo halfway down the right hand side of the page, and then choose from 20 different sites providing children with everything from live story reading and drawing events from renowned children’s author Tim Young to a museum tour of the Maryland Science Center for kids. Parents do not need a library card to access any of these sites.
Among the offerings to be found on this page are three links to the Tumble Books Library eResource. During the COVID-19 pandemic, TumbleBooks, a world leader in online children’s book databases, has decided to make its entire family of online libraries available free to all public libraries until at least August 31. The Tumble Book Library is a collection of animated talking picture books, read-alongs, ebooks, quizzes, lesson plans, and educational games used by thousands of schools and public libraries in over 100 countries around the world.
To access the Tumble Books Library directly, go to http://www.tcfl.org/child/kidsathome.html , and then scroll down to the links beneath the Tumble Books Library logo at the bottom of the page.
Library to Offer LIVE Story Time on Facebook for Preschoolers
Beginning this coming Tuesday, April 7, at 10:00 a.m., and continuing every Tuesday at 10:00 a.m. thereafter, the Talbot County Free Library will take to Facebook to offer a live Story Time program for preschoolers (birth – 5 years of age). Children’s Librarian Laura Powell will read stories, lead group sing-alongs, and generally having a good time making sure our community’s little ones remain entertained and engaged during this difficult period in all of our lives. Parents can find the library’s live Story Time at www.facebook.com/Talbot-County-Free-Library-130124829867/
Fight Boredom at Home with the Library’s Free Online Movies, Books, Ancestry, and More
The corona virus has a lot of us feeling a little isolated and bored at home, but the Talbot County Free Library has a solution that will open your eyes to entirely new worlds. If you have a library card, a computer, and Wi-Fi, from the safety of your home you can access (at http://www.tcfl.org/eresources/) the eResources listed below—all of which are provided to patrons absolutely free of charge. If you don’t already have a library card, while the library is closed you can go to the library’s website (www.tcfl.org), and get a temporary online library card by clicking on the “Find” tab in the upper right hand corner of the homepage. This temporary card will also allow you free access to the following eResources:
Adult Learning Center. Patrons can prepare for the High School Equivalency Test; the U.S. Citizenship Test; connect with a live expert to learn Microsoft Word, Excel, or PowerPoint; learn how to write an effective résumé, and more.
Ancestry Library Edition. This famous, world-class genealogy search engine is normally only available on-site in the library, but while the corona virus is keeping so many of us at home, Ancestry has taken the unprecedented step of making its services available to all library card holders in the comfort and safety of their own home.
AtoZ Databases. Find the phone number and/or address for a business or person anywhere in the United States. And more.
BookFlix. Children’s picture books come alive!
Brainfuse. Live tutoring, a writing lab, meet with friends in a private virtual study room, and more.
Chilton Library. Chilton’s renowned mechanics collection of information about automobile parts and repairs for many, many different makes and models.
Gale Courses. An entire suite of courses and learning labs—some of which offer certification—that will teach you everything from middle school English to Microsoft Excel to how to become an accountant.
Genealogy Connect. Yet another great genealogy eResource.
Hoopla. Instantly borrow movies, music, eBooks, and more. One of the library’s most popular eResources.
Kids Infobits. Guaranteed to keep young children occupied with fun facts on a host of interesting topics.
Literary Reference Center. Learn everything you ever wanted to know about your favorite book or author.
Mango Languages. Learn to speak Mandarin Chinese, French, Levantine Arabic, German, Japanese, Brazilian Portuguese, and more.
MasterFILE Premier. Read full-text articles from current and back issues of more than 1,600 magazines and journals, including Consumer Reports. Plus more.
Muzzy Club. The world’s #1 language course for children, featuring popular animated characters, rich immersion methodology, and engaging stories, games, and exercises.
News Bank. Access articles from current and back issues of area magazines and newspapers, including The Star Democrat, The Capital, The Dorchester Star, and The Times Record.
Novelist Plus. Trying to find the second book in a series or a mystery written by an author whose stories are similar to John Sandford’s? This is the eResource for you!
Overdrive/Libby. Thousands of eBooks and audiobooks available for check out. One of the library’s most popular eResources.
Testing and Education Reference Center. Microsoft program tutorials; GED, SAT, and AP exam prep; scholarship search; career guidance; and more!