September is Library Card Signup Month, a time when JMRL joins with the American Library Association and public libraries nationwide to make sure that our students have the most important school supply of all: a free library card.
JMRL urges parents to give their children this key to lifelong learning. Resources at the library are available to anyone who has a library card, no matter how young. Students can turn to the library for materials, programs and services that support academic achievement.
“Getting your first library card is a rite of passage into a world of learning,” says John Halliday, director of the regional library system. “Our library provides all types of students with the tools they need to succeed. Studies show that children with library cards read more and do better in school. We provide students with exciting and engaging programs that make learning fun and resources that they can access from the library or from home – all with a free library card. It is for these reasons that a library card is most important school supply of all.”
In addition to borrowing books, audiobooks, music and DVDs, library card holders also have free online access to databases containing thousands of newspaper and magazine articles, as well as other trusted and reliable information sources for homework help. Databases include ValueLine, Morningstar, HeritageQuest, and Ancestry.com (for genealogy), Chilton’s (an auto repair manual database) and Transparent Language Online, which is a powerful new online language-learning system. These databases and many more can be accessed here.
Using your library card, you can also download audiobooks and ebooks from the library’s website. There are also full-text magazines freely available from Zinio. Access all these resources from here.
Before they start school – and after – children with library cards may also attend library programs such as storytime classes that encourage growth of motor, cognitive and pre-literacy skills.
Getting a library card is simple. Visit any JMRL branch and fill out a short registration form. Bring an ID with your address (to receive a free card you must live within the City of Charlottesville or Albemarle, Greene, Louisa, and Nelson counties). Sign your child up for a library card today and see how it brings them into a world of opportunity.
