Resources and Tools for Teachers
from Skokie Public Library
The Youth Services Department strives to communicate its resources, services, and activities to local schools and educators. The following links include some of the many tools we use to help us stay connected with you and the educational needs of your students, as well as important information about Library services especially for teachers.
Of special note are the online versions of the Skokie Public Library Teacher's Guide, Homework Helper, and Skokie School Connection newsletter. These handy references can be downloaded or printed so that you have them immediately available for use when planning classroom assignments and activities.
For more information about Library resources for schools and teachers, please contact Youth Services School Liaison Susan Heist Carlton by phone at 847.324.3144 or by email.
| Youth Services resources for teachers |
| Other Library resources of interest to teachers |
Youth Services Resources for Teachers
- Skokie Public Library Teacher's Guide UPDATED FOR 2007-2008!
Print version distributed annually to Skokie schools - The Skokie Public Library Teacher's Guide is published by the Youth
Services Department at the beginning of each school year. The Guide
features information about Library resources available to teachers,
classrooms, and students; information about important Youth Services
events and activities; and a Youth Services staff contact list.
Note: Requires Adobe Reader - Skokie School Connection
Newsletter
Print version distributed quarterly to Skokie schools - This newsletter is published quarterly to connect Skokie schools with
Youth Services news, events, and helpful resources for teachers and
students. Follow the link to the current issue of Skokie School
Connection, or browse the archive of
past issues.
Note: Requires Adobe Reader - Assignment Alert
- The Assignment Alert is designed to help teachers communicate with
Youth Services staff about upcoming classroom projects so that students
are better able to find the information at the Library. The Assignment
Alert can be submitted by email or by regular mail.
Note: Requires Adobe Reader - Authors, Illustrators & Awards
- This section of the Library's Kids page includes links to information about authors and illustrators, book award lists, Skokie Public Library Youth Services librarians' kid pick book lists for kids of all ages, notable book lists on the web, and the Youth Services Voice of Youth Award.
- Come on In!
- The library is a special place for children with disabilities! Specialized services, programs, resources, and a variety of stimulating activities are available at the Library for children with disabilities and the educators who care for them.
- Classroom Connections
Available only to Skokie schools - These special classroom visits from Youth Services staff are a great way to get students interested in books, reading, and the Library.
- CoolKids Collection
- Find out what books (and more!) the Youth Services staff is recommending for kids of all ages! We've arranged our favorites so that you can browse by title, author, illustrator, genre, awards, reading level, and material type.
- Find it Fast!
- A
downloadable quick reference guide to the Dewey Decimal System and Skokie
Public Library Youth Services shelf locations for popular nonfiction
topics and subjects.
Note: Requires Adobe Reader - Homework Helper
- The Youth Services Homework Helper is designed to help students find the information they need for selected school projects that are commonly assigned to Skokie and local school students. Each Homework Helper includes information about reference books, books available to check out, Internet links, and links to Library research databases.
- Internet Safety Information
- Developed by Youth Services staff as a follow-up to the Library's Internet Safety Night, this page provides online safety tips, tools, and web links for students, parents, and educators.
- Library Visits
Available only to Skokie schools - Schedule a class field trip to the Library! Staff will arrange the visit to meet the information needs and reading level of students in grades kindergarten through 8.
Live
Homework Help™
Available from home for Skokie Public Library cardholders- Help your students get connected with the Live Homework Help™ online tutoring service available from the Library's Youth and Adult Services Computer Labs and from home for Skokie Public Library cardholders. Math, science, social studies, and English homework help is available for students in grades 4 through 12.
- News and Notes for K-8 Teachers
- Sign up to receive the monthly News and Notes for K-8 Teachers email newsletter! Learn about book highlights, technology resources, upcoming Library events especially for students and families, and more!
- Parent-Teacher Collection
- The Ardell Faulhaber Parent-Teacher Collection includes books and materials about child development, classroom management, enrichment activities, lesson planning, curriculum development, and parenting.
- School
Textbooks Available in Youth Services
Available only to Skokie schools - One of the many ways we serve your students is to have copies of school textbooks available for reference use in the Youth Services Department. With your assistance, we can continue to provide textbook resources to students at the Library. If we do not yet have your textbooks available, please contact Susan Heist Carlton to arrange their availability in the Youth Services Department. If we already have your texts at the Library, please let us know if any titles have been updated or changed so that we can keep our holdings current.
- Special Collections for Kids
- The Youth Services collection includes many Braille books and foreign language books. Follow the link to a Skokie Public Library catalog browse of these special collection materials.
- Surf Safe, Surf Smart
- Developed by Youth Services staff to help children navigate the Web, this section of the Library's Kids page is designed to teach the fundamentals of safe Internet surfing and smart web searching. Topics include online safety, website reliability, Internet search tips, and an introduction to the different types of search tools available on the Internet and in the Library.
- Teacher Loan and Bookbag Service
Available only to Skokie schools - PLEASE NOTE: A valid email address is required to reserve materials using a teacher card.
- The Library’s Teacher Loan and Bookbag Service is available for educators who need to check out books and materials for school use. This special service allows borrowing of up to thirty classroom-use items for a period of six weeks.
- TeachingBooks.net
Available from home for Skokie Public Library cardholders - TeachingBooks.net offers easy access to audio excerpts of book readings by authors and professional actors; book discussion guides; original movies featuring authors and illustrators at work in their studios; and links to author websites, biographies, activities, and contact information. An "Educator Area" provides thematic booklists, information about children's book awards, and links to related resources in twenty-five categories. The TeachingBooks.net content is divided equally between elementary school-aged content and middle/high school-aged content.
- UNDER the COVER: Book Reviews by Teens NEW ISSUE RELEASED FEBRUARY 2008!
Print copies available to Skokie schools - Check out these book reviews written by students at Old Orchard Junior High School. These students were chosen by their teachers to read and write about new books that are hot off the press.
- Voice of Youth Award
Classroom Sets
Available only to Skokie schools - Bring a set of Voice of Youth Award books to your classroom and share the joy of reading with your students! Multiple copies of past VOYA titles are available for teacher checkout.
- Voice of Youth Award Master List NEW!
- This cumulative alphabetical list includes all of the VOYA nominated titles from the 2001-02 school year through the current school year.
- Web Connections
Available only to Skokie schools - A Youth Services staff member is available to present a real-time tour of the Library's website and electronic resources for your classroom, school library, media center, or staff meeting.
Other Library Resources of Interest to Teachers
- Bookmobile Schedule
- The Bookmobile serves the Skokie community all year long, making seventeen stops each week. Many stops are located at or near schools, allowing students and teachers to make use of the Bookmobile at these locations. Teachers may use their Skokie Public Library teacher card to check out and return materials to the Bookmobile. With one week’s notice, Teacher Bags can be placed on the Bookmobile for teacher pickup. Many items can be placed on the Bookmobile with 24 hours notice.
- BookNews Newsletters
- Receive the BookNews newsletter in your emailbox on the 15th of each month! Learn about new books available at Skokie Public Library in our children's and teen collections and a variety of fiction genres and nonfiction subjects.
- Databases A to Z
- A large selection of electronic resources and reference materials are available by remote access from schools that serve the children of Skokie and from home for Skokie Public Library cardholders.
- Digital Book Collections
- Skokie Public Library patrons and Skokie school teachers can download eBooks and eAudiobooks to home computers and handheld devices. These digital books are essentially "checked out" for a period of three weeks; after that they are automatically returned to their libraries and become unusable on your computers and devices. The Library offers access to the North Suburban Digital Consortium collection. A valid Skokie Public Library card is required to use these services.
- Library Newsletters Available via Email
- Sign up to receive monthly email bulletins about new books and upcoming Library events tailored to your specific interests!
- Magazine and Newspaper Locator
- Skokie Public Library provides its users access to thousands of magazines and newspapers. Some are available in print and some are available electronically through the Library's database subscriptions. Use the search feature to locate magazines and newspapers by title or by subject.
- PowerSearch
- PowerSearch is a special library search engine which searches for books, articles from magazines and newspapers, and specially selected websites all at once with a single, easy to use interface. PowerSearch is available for in-Library use. A valid Skokie Public Library card is required for access from outside of the Library.
- Skokie Accessible Library Services
- Skokie Accessible Library Services (SALS) offers a number of accessibility services and tools for people of all ages and children with special needs. Resources include electronic aids, materials in special formats, programs, services, and adaptive devices for individuals with hearing, vision, and mobility challenges.
- Skokie History
- Skokie Public Library has many resources to help teachers learn and teach about the history of Skokie, including a digitized document collection about the attempted Nazi march of 1977 and 1978 in Skokie.
- Skokie Public Library: Research a Subject
- This collection of information and reference resources has been developed by Skokie Public Library librarians to help with online research. Topics include arts and entertainment, biography and history, business, education, genealogy, government, health, science and mathematics, travel and geography, quick reference, and more.
- Special Collections
- The Library has several special collections of books and materials available in the Readers' Services Department. Many of these resources can be helpful in the classroom, with individual students, or with tutoring groups. Materials include a Literacy Collection and a separate collection of ESL materials for those learning the English language.
- Teen Scene: Homework Help
- Although selected especially for teenagers, this collection of Internet links is a great research and reference resource for teachers, too.
- Teen Scene: Programs and Events
- Find out what’s going on at the Library for "the big kids"!