Crook County Library adds online resources

PRINEVILLE, Ore. (KTVZ) -- With the closure of schools and libraries across Central Oregon, kids and parents may find themselves at loose ends. After all, how do you keep kids reading and learning in times like these?

While the Crook County Library’s doors are also closed, library staff are still doing their part to provide valuable resources to the public. Their solution to the quarantine blues: offer online resources rich with content aimed at kids and families.

In response to the novel coronavirus pandemic, TumbleBooks has lifted the paywall on several of its popular subscription services and made them available through public libraries and schools.

These services include TumbleBookLibrary, a collection of e-books and learning activities for children; TumbleMath, featuring math books and learning tools for kids in grades K-5; and Teen BookCloud, which includes young adult novels and classics that are commonly assigned in high school English classes.

Additionally, database purveyor GaleCengage has released Miss Humblebee’s Academy, an online curriculum for children ages 2-6. Miss Humblebee’s Academy includes lessons in math, science, social studies, language/literacy, art, and music, along with tools to help parents track their child’s learning and progress.

All of these sites may be accessed for free via Crook County’s website at www.crooklib.org. These resources do not require a library card to access, although Miss Tumblebee’s Academy requires users to set up a free account.

These sites are but a few of the online resources available to Crook County residents through the county’s website. Other products that can be accessed from home include OverDrive, the library’s main repository of e-books and e-audiobooks for readers of all ages; ChiltonLibrary, a database for amateur and professional auto mechanics; and HeritageQuest, a genealogy resource featuring thousands of public and personal records.

Through the Statewide Database Licensing Program, the library also receives a multitude of GaleCengage research databases designed for young learners.

Crook County Library provides traditional and innovative library resources and programming to Crook County residents of all ages. It is an environment where people come together for lifelong learning, enjoyment, and connection. To learn more, visit them at www.crooklib.org .