Great Resources for Kids
Getting a Card
If you attend a school in Petersburg, including St. Josephs, You should have a library card through your school. That will let you check out books through Hoopla and Overdrive, but you won’t be able to check things out of the library. If you get a card at the library, you will be able to check books and DVDs. If you are not 18 yet, your parent or the person responsible for you will need to come into the library and get the card for you.
Public Computers & Wi-fi
If you have a phone or a laptop or a tablet and need wi-fi, just come to the library! You can use our wi-fi to get internet access. This is free, and you do not need a card. If you don’t have a phone, laptop or computer, and if you are 12 years or younger, you can use the computers in the children’s department. You can just put in your library card number! If you do not have a card, and if your parent isn’t in the library to get you one, you can ask at the desk in the children’s department, and a staff member will print you out a number that will let you use the computer that day. If you want to print something, it will cost you fifteen cents for each page to print in black and white and a one dollar for each page in color.
For Fun!
State Parks Backpacks – Check out an adventure pack that includes all the tools needed to discover the hidden wonders in Virginia’s 36 state parks!
Overdrive Kids’ Reading Room – Library of Virginia Kids collection – magazines, ebooks, and more
Novelist K-8 Plus – NoveList K-8 Plus is a database of book recommendations for all library workers who do readers’ advisory.
Juvenile Library Guild (login screen) – The reading revolution that puts the best new books in the hands of your PreK-12 readers.
Just for Kids (login screen) – The Just for Kids Streaming Collection for public libraries gives children—and their parents—a thoroughly kid-safe, advertisement-free media platform they can freely explore and enjoy.
Day by Day VA – A family activity calendar with new suggestions every day for stories, songs, activities, and games! En Espanol!
Dial a Story – Call 833-690-0646 (toll free) to hear a story read in both English and Spanish. A new story will be available to listeners each Wednesday
Access Video: Just for Kids – Enjoy TV shows like Arthur, Sesame Street, Odd Squad, SciGirls, and much more, including: read-along storybooks and learning videos to explore topics like reading, writing, math, arts and science.
For School!
Gale in Context (Elementary) – Elementary meets the research needs of students in Kindergarten through grade 5, with age-appropriate content from magazines, newspapers, and reference materials, covering current events, the arts, science, health, people, government, history, and more
Homework Help Now – Connect LIVE with a certified tutor, seven days a week between 2 and 11 pm, for assistance with assignments, research and writing. Also find practice tests, study plans, and more. Tutoring is available in English and Spanish.
Explora Secondary Schools – Explora supports both student research and classroom instruction with age-appropriate content for middle and high school learners with an easy-to-use interface and great accessibility tools, including translation and text to sound.
Read It! – Research while practicing reading skills with Read It!™ Students build reading skills as they learn about topics that they need for school and everyday life. Read It!™ is also a great tool for English Language Learners.