Last week, I had the joy of seeing hundreds of families at the annual United Way of Delaware County and Strengthening Families Supplies for Scholars event at the Willis Education Center. With all the kids stopping by the Delaware County District Library booth sporting their new backpacks filled with school supplies, this annual event always feels like the kickoff to the school year for me.

This time of year, even though we’ve just slowed down from Summer Reading Club, we’re going full-speed into meetings with teachers, chats with school media specialists, and information booths at convocations. Through it all, we’re conveying the same message – a library card is the most valuable back-to-school supply any student can have! Students can stop by their local library branch with a parent or guardian or jump online at www.delawarelibrary.org/librarycard to get started.

The three primary ways students can benefit from their local library include using online resources, traditional resources and library spaces.

Online, the Delaware County District Library provides free access to resources like ABCmouse (early literacy development for our PreK-2nd grade users) and Brainfuse (daily online tutors in any subject for all grades).

Brainfuse also has a built-in writing lab, which allows students to upload their writing projects and receive expert feedback that includes in-text comments and a review of the writing as it applies to the prompt. Learning a new language this year? Brainfuse’s Language Lab can connect users with a live tutor every day from 2–11 p.m. in with expertise in French or Spanish. The related Vocabulary Builder will help those learning one of eleven world languages.

INFOhio is Ohio’s PreK-12 digital academy, which connects students, families and educators with supplemental resources to core subjects like reading, science, and social studies.

Within the library, we have thousands of books to help students dig deeper into their studies. Series like “Who Was…” give quick and easy glimpses into influential people in American history like the founders, civil rights activists, scientists and inventors, athletes, artists and more.

Our librarians have also been busy purchasing items that help enhance hard-to-understand subjects like geometry or chemistry, or help prepare students for tests like the SAT, ACT or AP subjects. Younger students learning letters, sounds, words, and even things like telling time may benefit from a workbook or flashcards, which can be checked out with their library card.

Once classes are back in session, the use of the physical library spaces changes dramatically. Teen spaces and reservable study rooms play host to group projects and study sessions. Younger readers venture in to meet with tutors or find books for their latest project. The Maker Studio will see teens and their caregivers in, learning how to use the equipment. Popular school-based uses of the Maker Studio include parents creating buttons with their athlete’s photo, embroidering initials on backpacks or lunchboxes, or cutting out names on the Cricut to label every item that could get lost during the year.

So don’t forget to add a library card to the list while you’re doing your tax-free shopping this week (the Ohio Sales Tax Holiday runs now through next Thursday, Aug. 8!).

When you’re ready to do some leisure reading, DCDL Teen Librarian Rachel has come up with a list of YA recommendations that feature stories all set in schools to get into school spirit!

• “Miles Morales: Suspended” by Jason Reynolds. Earning a suspension for saving the world, Miles Morales finds a long boring day turning into one that has his spidey-senses tingling as he goes head-to-head with an unexpected enemy who has the power to destroy the world’s history.

• “In the Wild Light” by Jeff Zentner. Attending an elite prep school in Connecticut on a scholarship with his best friend (and secret love) science genius Delaney Doyle, sixteen-year-old Cash Pruitt, from a small town in East Tennessee, struggles with emotional pain and loss until his English teacher suggests writing poetry.

• “The Weight of Blood” by Tiffany D. Jackson. When her classmates discover her biracial identity, Maddy, a white-passing senior, becomes the target of their bullying and discovers she possesses secret powers that pose a risk to all who wronged her.

• “Truly Devious” by Maureen Johnson. When Stevie Bell, an amateur detective, begins her first year at a famous private school in Vermont, she sets a plan to solve the cold case involving the kidnapping of the founder’s wife and daughter shortly after the school opened.

• “Kate in Waiting” by Becky Albertalli. Best friends Kate Garfield and Anderson Walker share a love of theater and crushes on the same guys, but when one of their long-distance crushes shows up at their school, real feelings might end their friendship.

• “Where You See Yourself” by Claire Forrest. Having her heart set on a college in NYC with a major in Mass Media & Society, disabled high school senior Effie learns that sometimes growing up means being open to a world of possibilities you never even dreamed of.

If you have a question that you would like to see answered in this column, mail it to Nicole Fowles, Delaware County District Library, 84 E. Winter St., Delaware, OH 43015, or call us at 740-362-3861. You can also email your questions by visiting the library’s web site at www.delawarelibrary.org or directly to Nicole at [email protected]. No matter how you contact us, we’re always glad you asked!