The Library is Online This Spring

Ten Cool Things you can do on SCCLD’s Website

From homework help to free streaming video, the Library has something for everyone

Even veteran library users probably haven’t discovered the depth of resources that exist on the Library District website at sccld.org/. Whether you are looking for entertainment, help with your career, or to learn a new language, you can find it on our website.

Here are some great ways you can utilize the library from anywhere with internet access.   

1. Join the Library with an instant free eCard: For anyone who lives in Santa Clara County that doesn’t have a library card, the instant free eCard is for you. An eCard gives you full access to our Online Library services, including eBooks, streaming movies, and more. If you already have a library card, your existing library account will provide you with Online Library access.
2. Download eBooks: Thanks to OverDrive and RBdigital, you can use your library card to checkout eBooks, audiobooks, and more! We also offer Chinese eBooks through HyRead and Spanish eBooks through Odilo. Not sure how to download an eBook? To get started, check out our Online Library Help page, which includes our Get Started & How-To Guides, as well as our Video Tutorials. 
3. Stream movies and music: Watch movies and music at home or anywhere you have internet access! Choose from documentaries, classic and indie films available online through our streaming service, Kanopy. For kids, we offer unlimited movies and TV shows as well as animated storybooks and classic fairy tales through Kanopy Kids. For those who enjoy watching The Great Courses, Kanopy provides unlimited access. For music lovers, we offer Freegal Music where you can stream 13 million songs from around the world. If you’re a lover of classical music performances, check out TV. You can watch live and on-demand concerts, operas, ballets, and more.  
4. Read magazines and newspapers online: Browse current and past newspapers, including the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and Mercury News. We also offer international newspapers and magazines from around the world in 60 different languages through PressReader. Check out the latest issues of popular magazines such as Rolling Stone, Vogue, US Weekly, The Economist, People, Sports Illustrated, TIME and Consumer Reports through our Flipster and Overdrive Magazines. And dive deep into our digital magazine archives for National Geographic, Science, TIME, Life, The Atlantic, and more.  
5. Update your tech, business, and creative skills: Want to learn how to code? Want to become an expert in Photoshop? Check out our online classes and tutorials offerings via Treehouse and Universal Class. 
6. Receive free assistance for job seekers: Job search, resume writing, interview tips and live tutoring and skill building are available through the Brainfuse Adult Learning Center, JobNow. For veterans that are either entering or re-entering the workforce, VetNow, provides live assistance, resources and more for veterans and their families. If you need to prepare for an occupational practice test, check out the Career Preparation Center by LearningExpress. It offers occupational practice test on a variety of topics.  
7. Get help with your homework: Brainfuse offers students in grades K-College live online homework help and tutoring. The service is available Monday through Sunday from 1-10 pm PST. You can also get help with SAT/ACT preparation.  
8. Learn a new language: Want to become fluent in a second or third language? The library offers the language-learning software Rosetta Stone, which offers immersion language learning for 30 languages including ESL! Brush up on your reading, writing, speaking, and listening skills in another language. Use the built-in interactive voice comparison tool, take quizzes, and other fun challenges as part of advancing within the lesson plans.   
9. Get creative: Nurture your artistic side with 1000+ video classes in painting, knitting, crafting, sewing and more through Creativebug
10. Receive research help online: If you need help choosing your next book or finding some information, consider connecting with a librarian virtually. You can send us your reference questions via text, chat, or email. For your next research project, try using Yewno—a research tool that utilizes AI technology to find different intersections between multiple research topics. We also have a wide variety of research databases and articles on just about any topic of interest.  

To get started, visit our Online Library homepage, or visit the Online Library Help page for video tutorials and guides.  

Keeping Healthy and Staying Informed

Latest recommendations from the Department of Public Health & CDC

The best way to protect yourself and your loved ones is to be informed. We’ve all learned a great deal over the past two months about the proper requirements for social distancing, sheltering in place, and the correct way to cough to avoid spreading germs. Each of us can be a part of the solution to beat the COVID-19 pandemic and flatten the curve by closely following the guidelines set by the County Public Health Department.

Following and sharing false information can have very dangerous results. The Santa Clara County Public Health Department is the best resource to turn to for the latest figures around COVID-19’s local impact, state and County updates, plus suggestions on how to stay healthy. They also have a strong presence on social media (@sccpublichealth), with posts and videos in multiple languages and formats.

SCCLD also has a page devoted to news about COVID-19, which includes links to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the World Health Organization, two of the leading public health agencies that are working to find cures and directing prevention and treatment efforts. They have the latest information about how long the virus can survive on hard surfaces, which risk factors are of greatest concern for those exposed to COVID-19, and the overall progress being made on suppression on state and federal levels.

The Santa Clara County website (sccgov.org) has a lot of valuable information around COVID-19 to help answer questions you may have. The website addresses assistance and resources for businesses including financing for small business, workforce resources, employees of affected businesses and/or unemployment claims, financial assistance for low-income residents, tax assistance, and more.

Stay safe, stay healthy and stay informed.

Join our Spring Reading Program

Earn a Chance to Win a Prize!

Kids and their families are invited to join SCCLD to explore great books and activities with our Spring Reading Program.

Sign up online using the program Beanstack. Then, log five hours of reading time and earn badges by completing fun online activities, like trying out our digital library and taking a family adventure online. Visit our Online Library 24/7 to see what we offer.

Participants who complete their five hours of reading and online activities will be entered to win a prize from their library. The Spring Reading Program runs through May 31, 2020.

Earth Day: Taking Action for our Future

Youth taking the lead on this 50^th Anniversary Commemoration

The future belongs to the young, and they are showing their elders the importance of saving the planet with their leadership and acts of courage. 2020 marks a half century of environmental activism to save the Earth. This year’s theme is Climate Action. What started off as a U.S. based set of marches across the country that attracted an astounding 20 million people (a tenth of the population) has grown into a worldwide phenomenon with nearly 200 nations and approximately one billion people taking part.

No better example exists for the seriousness with which young people are taking the issue of climate change than Greta Thunberg, Time’s 2019 Person of the Year. Just 16, she spoke directly to leaders of international bodies and chastised them for prioritizing rhetoric over action. She even chose to travel by boat instead of plane in order to reduce her carbon footprint.

While not everyone is willing to take the same measures as Greta, youth are taking a number of small actions to transform their daily lives that together can add up to big change. From going vegetarian, advocating for the Green New Deal, or doing away with “disposable fashion,” they are leading the way to creating a society in which we produce no new net emissions.

The Library has a number of resources around Earth Day, including children’s books, Kanopy films including “Earth Days: The Seeds of a Revolution”, and a collection of audiobooks and eBooks.

April is Poetry Month

Celebrating with new County Poet Laureate Sapigao

There is much for those who love verse to enjoy this month, from SCCLD’s teen poetry contest to resources found in our Online Library 24/7. In case you missed it, San José resident Janice Lobo Sapigao was appointed by the Santa Clara Board of Supervisors to the honorary post of Santa Clara County Poet Laureate for 2020-2021. Check out the Board’s presentation from February 10, which includes Janice’s reading of one of her poems (starts at 2:40:00).

Janice is a poetry editor at Angel City Review and has authored two books of poetry and numerous chapbooks. During her time as Poet Laureate, she plans to develop a Youth Poet Laureate program for the county. For the month of April, Janice will be sharing daily writing prompts on Facebook (@poetlaureatecc). Follow along and see if you get inspired to write yourself!

Young poets are encouraged to enter the 14^th Annual SCCLD Poetry Contest. We invite teens to create up to three poems for a chance to win a $50 gift card! Click here to see the rules and how to apply. Check out some of our past winners. One winner will be selected from each of our libraries, with separate prizes for students in Grades 6-8 (Middle School) and 9-12 (High School).

Poetry lovers are also encouraged to browse Columbia Granger’s World of Poetry through our Online Library 24/7. This database offers 250,000 full-text poems that are accessible to all our patrons for free! Features include the Listening Room, where you can find audio recordings of poetry read by poets. Patrons can also search poetry in other languages, and the type of form you are seeking.

Storytime, Storytime, What do you See?

The Library has many online storytime options for children to enjoy

With families at home and unable to attend storytimes, the Library District has put together a new page on our website that is a one-stop-shop for storytimes, activities and access to zoo webcams. Storytime Online lists the schedule of our children’s librarians storytimes, which are streamed on Facebook Live. We are currently offering them each weekday (excluding holidays). Be sure to follow us to get notifications about our livestreams.

The Storytime Online page includes information about author activities. Whether you want to do some Lunch Doodles with Mo Willems or storytime with James Dean, we have all of the information in one place, so you don’t have to scour the internet to find it! We have included a link to Storyline Online, the SAG-AFTRA Foundation’s children’s literacy website where actors read children’s books alongside beautiful illustrations.

Additionally, you can find other entertaining and educational resources such as our very own Storytime Seedlings Podcast with Librarian Lauren and Kindergarten Readiness Storytime on YouTube in English and Spanish. Our animated book resources include Bookflix, which pairs video storybooks with related nonfiction eBooks and Sesame Street eBooks with interactive eBooks.

Patrons can also enjoy zoo webcams from some all over the country, including the Monterey Bay Aquarium and the Smithsonian National Zoo. There is so much more to explore for free with your SCCLD Library account number!

Smart Investing: A Web Guide

Library Resources to explore during Financial Literacy Month

Managing your money is one of the most important tasks we all must tackle, particularly in these uncertain economic times, so SCCLD librarians have put together a handy web guide to help!

The Smart Investing @ The Library resource was developed for all ages and incomes and for multiple financial goals. Browse booklists created by librarians for various financial needs, access online library resources such as Morningstar, and discover vetted external websites and tools. Explore age-appropriate information for kids and teens as well as curated sections such as financial protection, retirement investments, and more. Our librarians have also compiled a helpful and timely investment book list.

One good piece of news- the IRS has pushed back the deadline to file taxes to July 15, 2020. This should give everyone who has yet to file more breathing room, and will mean that they may possibly see larger direct payments through the recently approved economic relief plan as the IRS will use their 2018 taxes to determine income if their 2019 taxes have not yet been filed. Find more information on the IRS’s coronavirus page. The AARP also has its own advice for seniors.

Library Resources for Teens

At home all day and looking for something to do? The library has several suggestions for you

Explore the best in YA fiction and nonfiction eBooks and audiobooks through our online library

The new SCCLD website has a Teen Section with polls, blogs from our teen librarians, unique digital content, and list of new books, movies, and music of interest to youth. Check out our staff picks, which are organized by topics like Teen mysteries 2020, Teen Science Fiction, and Teen stuck at home (eBook list). There’s also a Book of the Month club that you can join, as well as a Teen page for OverDrive, which offers a large selection of eBooks and audiobooks.

What books are you reading during this time of shelter in place? We’d like to know. Help us compile a list of the best YA books for 2020, so we can use it to develop a survey for teens later this year to pick the top selection for each library. You can also check out the 2019 Teen Top 10 book list from the Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA). They have a number of other best of lists as well, ranging from audiobooks to films, graphic novels to books for the college bound.

Calendar of April Events

No in-person events planned this month, but plenty to do online

While we have cancelled all library-based events due to recommendations from public health officials, we have created a slate of online programming that you and your family can enjoy at home. Please also note that the Gilroy Maker Faire planned for May has been rescheduled to next year.

Check out our Facebook Live Storytime sessions led by our talented children’s librarians. We are now offering Storytimes each weekday, with morning and evening offerings, plus a Spanish bilingual version.

SANTA CLARA COUNTY LIBRARY DISTRICT
April 2020 EVENTS

NOTE: All Libraries will be remain closed throughout the month
(No reopen date set yet. Check sccld.org for the latest updates)

BOOKMOBILE 

Craft Night Live with Amytha the Librarian
Thursdays, April 2, 9, 16, 23, & 30, 8:30 – 9 pm, FACEBOOK - @SCCLDBookmobile
Learn about fun crafts that you can do at home using items you already have around you.

Facebook Live with Amytha the Librarian
Fridays, April 3, 10, & 17, & 24, 9 – 9:30 am, FACEBOOK - @SCCLDBookmobile
Our fearless Bookmobile director Amytha leads a virtual chat in which she shares ideas for crafts to do at home, resources to keep the kiddies and everyone else in the family entertained, and more. Find her on the Bookmobile’s Facebook page. The session streams live, but you can watch it after the fact as well.

Book Chat
Mondays, April 6, 13, & TBD, 9 – 10 am, Call in
Do you miss talking about books? Us too! Call 1-415-527-3546 and enter the access code: 545-9015, followed by #. Speak your name, press # again and join in.

CUPERTINO

Origami with Cindy Wee
Mondays, April 6, 13, 20, & 27, 4 – 4:45 pm, FACEBOOK - @CupertinoLibrary
Let's fold! We will feature 1 or 2 projects a week. You can use, or reuse any paper around the house. 

LIVE Online Storytimes from Your Librarians
Children's librarians live-streaming on Facebook: stories, songs, and more!

Weekly Storytime Schedule (as of 4/1/2020)