The Best FREE Tools for Students at Your Local Library
Parents have long known that local libraries are a great resource to check out books and materials to help with homework and studies, but did you know the library also offers a variety of additional FREE resources to help your student excel?
These are our favorite library resources for students:
1. FREE Library Cards: Access to books AND so much more!
Students may sign up for a free card at your local branch or online. Cardholders may check out books, DVDs, CDs, and other materials and use the Library’s online resources.
Many Kansas Citians live in one area and work in another, making it practical to use multiple branches or systems within the area. Mid-Continent Public Library has teamed up with Johnson County Library, Olathe Public Library, and Kansas City Public Library so you manage all of your library cards with a single catalog username. Learn how to link accounts here.
- Mid-Continent Public Library
- Johnson County Library
- KCMO Public Library
- KCKS Public Library
- Olathe Public Library
- Cass County Public Library
- North Kansas City Public Libraries
- Bonner Springs Public Library
If your student attends school in one of the following school districts, they can use their student ID as the basis of their MCPL Access Pass (Library card) number: Center, Fort Osage, Hickman Mills, Independence, Kearney, Liberty, North Kansas City, Park Hill, and Smithville. Visit mymcpl.org/Student to learn more, or see your school’s library media specialist.
Our local libraries also offer a free-of-charge interlibrary loan (ILL) service allowing customers to check out materials from other library systems through the WorldCat online database if your local library does not offer the materials you need.
2. FREE Live Homework Help and Test Prep Center from Tutor.com
Are you befuddled by algebra? A little rusty on your Spanish? Check out the FREE online resource Live Homework Help from Tutor.com! This is an invaluable aid to K-12 students in need of homework assistance. Live tutors assist with homework for both English and Spanish-speaking students in nearly any subject. Students may submit math problems, review papers, and work on test prep. The Test Prep Center's live tutor service is also open from noon to midnight, seven days a week, helping the student prepare for major entrance exams, including the SAT, ACT, PSAT, and AP Tests as well as the GED and U.S. Citizenship Tests. In addition, the Skills Center is open 24/7 and offers resources on the SAT, ACT, standardized tests in all 50 states, graduate schools entrance tests, and more.
3. Free Programs for Parents!
Local branches are hosting FREE Helping Your Child with Homework classes. To see a full list of resources specifically geared toward homework help for kids and teens, visit mymcpl.org/homework.
4. Hundreds of FREE Online Research Tools
Our local libraries offer hundreds of FREE online resources. Students working on research projects, science fair projects, or studying for a class will find everything from history, current events, business, and finance, to health, foreign language, and the arts. My kids use National Geographic Kids all the time. When prepping for the science fair, the Science Reference Center is great. Foreign language students may use Mango Languages or Muzzy with lessons for dozens of languages.
5. Special Programs to Connect with your Community and Explore New Topics
If you browse the library websites, you will find a calendar of events. Our local libraries host wonderful programs for families ranging from concerts to puppet shows, as well as children’s programs including craft projects and petting zoo visits, and adult programs to learn new languages or art forms. Over the years, I’ve come to especially love the cooking classes offered at the library featuring exotic foods and healthy alternatives for families. These events are free and provide another outlet to meet new friends in our community. The Plaza Branch of the Kansas City Public Library offers tremendous family programs every Friday night in the Truman Auditorium. Simply visit your local library website (all listed below) for an upcoming calendar of events and be sure to register for programs in advance, as many programs do fill up quickly.