Whether you teach preschool, college, or remote-learning students, we have resources, services, and expertise that can help!
The Most Powerful Card in Your Wallet
Specialized Library Cards for Educators
Teacher cards:
No holds limit!
Institution cards:
Available for a school, community center, or non-profit so that an employee doesn't need to check out large numbers of items on their personal library card.
appropriate books from our collection. Just ask any of our 7 library locations.
Presentations
In-person or virtual presentations and workshops for students/educators on using our website, exploring our eResources, Tech Training, themed Storytimes, Summer at The Library, and more.
Booklists
Themed lists and librarian recommendations under the "Kids and Teens" tab on our website and through the Ohio Digital Library.
Title recommendations in our collection based on appeal factors, curated lists, and read-alikes.
Check Out Our New JET Packs! These Juvenile Educational Tools (JET) Learning Packs offer books, tools and activities for children, each centered around a different STEM theme, from fossils to magnets.
Backpacks are currently in Athens, Nelsonville and The Plains branches (or at another location via special request). Visit this link to see which packs are available or to place one on hold.
Big thanks to our community partner on this resource, the OHIO Museum Complex, which features indoor and outdoor learning experiences on the Ridges in Athens and beyond.
More Resources
Library tours: Get to know your local library's staff, library spaces, and free services.
Homework help: Including World Book Kids/Students, EBSCOHost, and Chronicling America: Newspaper Research, find free online research resources and more by clicking the "eResources" and "Kids & Teens" tabs on our homepage.
Test preparation: Use LearningExpress, which provides interactive tutorials, practice tests, e-books, flashcards & articles for academic skill-building, standardized test preparation, and more.
Summer at the Library: Reading challenges, educational talks, + fun, free activities and workshops for all ages every June and July.
Story trails:Visit our story trails at Sells Park, Richland Ave. Park, and (coming soon!) Hocking College's Robbins Crossing Historical Village.
New to homeschooling? Here's a list of reads to help your students succeed in any classroom setting.
Library/Class Partnerships
Talk to your local library about possible collaborations
"Every other Tuesday, I visit a private daycare/preschool in The Plains. Reading aloud and engaging kids in skill-building activities is my favorite part of my position! Summer 2022 has been busy, with weekly Storytime and "Oceans of Possibilities" programs for all ages. Kid's Discovery Club (a Good Works summer camp in The Plains) visited us for a field trip participating in a tour, plus stories and crafts.
Looking forward to continued outreach and community engagement with families, educators, and children at The Plains Public Library! ~Heather McDowell, Youth Services Librarian
Students from the OHIO Patton College of Education took a tour of the Athens Public Library
and the Sells Park Story Trail.
Tri-County Career Center students tour the Bookmobile during a class visit.
"As a children's librarian, I often encounter wonderful picture books that are intended for an older audience than my usual storytime group. A few years ago I found a way to share these wonderful books! Every year I read picture books to a classroom of third graders at Alexander Elementary School. Each week I'm greeted with enthusiasm, hugs, and a readiness to enjoy a couple of good books. I get to know the students by name, and our relationship often creates a positive connection to the library. It's not uncommon for kids to like a book so much that they request it before I leave their classroom!
Every year we visit the schools in Athens County to promote Summer at the Library. Historically we would share all the wonderful things happening in the summer in a large school assembly. This year, I visited each classroom (a total of 683 students) for just long enough to read a great picture book or book chapter and promote summer library happenings, tailoring the books and presentations to the developmental level of the students. Due to my own declining eyesight, I also realized that students seated in the back rows might not be getting the same experience as those in the front.
There's no way to quantify how these visits connect children to the library, but I have encountered many new and familiar faces who remember me as "that lady who came to our school and read books." That's a reputation I love to have!" ~Rachel Everett, Youth Services Librarian
Students participate in a nature journaling program with naturalist Julie Gee from Burr Oak State Park as part of Summer at the Library 2022. Read a WOUB feature story about this program here.
Library Services for All Age Groups
Free WiFi access in all 7 buildings and in our parking lots.
Community WiFi hotspots in Amesville, Shade, Stewart, and New Marshfield (See the "Locations" tab at MyACPL.org for more info.)
Public computers at all ACPL locations.
No late fines, plus automatic renewals.
Print-from-home option (access through your library's location page on our website): Just pick up what you printed at your local library.
Bringing the library to you: Locker libraries in Amesville, New Marshfield, Stewart, and Shade, and a new Bookmobile (available to come visit you and your students!)
Free meeting room or study spaces: Do your students need a welcoming space to perform or present? Consider asking your local library to help you host an event.
Step-by-step video tutorials on using library resources: Look for the "Tutorials" tab on our homepage, or watch staff-led tutorials on our YouTube channel.
Bring your students to this new story trail in Richland Park (Athens). For the next year, themed, interactive exhibits will celebratethe diverse groups of men, women, and institutions that built and advanced humanistic education in Southeast Ohio. In the future, this story trail will also highlight the work of area artists, writers, and historians.
More info about the exhibits featured in 2022-23 can be found here.