Tag: first2know

By: Samantha Lowe

Ready or not, it’s back to school time! And the Library is here to help. The Library offers many resources to help your young scholar succeed in school.

With the influx of AI tools and the constant dissemination of misinformation online, it’s now more important than ever to teach kids how to find reliable information. I tell teens often that even if they’re not planning to go to college, knowing how to use Library databases is going to help them to be better informed, more well-rounded adults. It’s vital that kids learn how to ask questions about what they’re reading such as: who wrote this article and how are they qualified? What’s the goal of the article? Is the author trying to sell me something? When was this written and is the information still accurate or relevant? These are just some of the questions kids can learn to navigate through using our databases and resources.

Gale and Salem are two database vendors the Library subscribes to. Gale resources especially are designed for different age ranges. Essentially, your elementary schooler won’t see the same database as your high schooler. They’ll open a kid-friendly interface with relevant information for their research projects. And the high schoolers will get something closer to the databases they’ll see in college (if that’s the path they choose). Both Gale and Salem offer articles on a variety of subjects from literature to history to science and so much in between.

Of course, I can’t talk about research tools without mentioning POWER Library. POWER Library is a Pennsylvania statewide resource that provides access to thousands of articles, newspapers, reference materials, and more. There are even off shoots called POWER Kids and POWER Teens, so that kids and teens get services at their level. So, regardless of what they’re researching, students can feel confident in the information they’re finding.

The Library’s resources don’t stop at research though. Tutor.com is an online resource where students connect with live tutors to help with reading and math. You can even stick with a tutor you really like. And it’s completely free with your library card! We subscribe to Tutor.com so you can access it all with your library card and pin numbers. This is not a trial version—it’s the full website. Tutors are available to help students in first grade all the way through college. That’s right, adults can use it too. And by using your library card to access tutor.com, you can actually get a more customized experience as well. When purchasing a subscription, there’s anxiety around getting your money’s worth or possibly not being able to afford it if you need to increase your access. With your library card, you get exactly the level of access you need when you need it, with no strings attached.

Do you have a reluctant or maybe a bit of a picky reader? NoveList Plus is another resource that can help. NoveList Plus categorizes books based on age range, appeal factors, and more to help readers find their next favorite book. Does your child like a strong female protagonist? Or maybe they need a fast-paced adventure. What about a world building saga? With NoveList Plus you can browse books based on exactly what you’re looking for and see if they’re available in the Library right there.

So whether your child is conducting research, getting some extra help, or looking for their next read, the Library is full of resources to help.

By: Ann Marie Megoulas

¿Estudiarás español? Est-ce que tu vas étudier le français? Transparent Language Online can help. What is Transparent Language Online? It is an immersive, interactive language learning database available to all Pennsylvania residents through POWER Library, Pennsylvania’s portal to online library resources.

With Transparent Language Online, you can learn any of the more than 120 languages offered. Included are multiple dialects of commonly taught languages like Spanish and French, English for speakers of more than 30 languages, and American Sign Language.

Transparent Language Online’s language learning experience is fun, engaging, and effective. Each course offers a leaning path consisting of lessons, activities, and practice with listening, speaking, reading, and writing or typing. A strategic review system keeps track of your progress and provides motivation to keep you moving forward. Want to keep a record of that progress? Just sign up for a free account. To do so, you will need to supply a username and password, enter your email address, and agree to Transparent Language Online’s Terms of Use.

Not willing to create a free account? No problem! You can still use Transparent Language Online by selecting the “Continue as a guest” option. As a guest, you’ll have access to all the same lessons and courses. What you won’t have is the ability to keep a record of what you accomplished during your guest session once it ends. Exploring Transparent Language Online as a guest, however, can be a fantastic way to become familiar with what this resource offers. It allows you to explore without the hassle of remembering login details. If, as a guest, you later decide that you want to keep a record of your progress, Transparent Languages Online gives you the opportunity to create an account before you end your guest session.

So, where can you find Transparent Language Online? One place is on The Library’s research webpage: https://www.dcls.org/research/. Just visit this page and scroll down through the alphabetic list of databases until you find it.

Another place to look for the Transparent Language Online database is on POWER Library’s e-resources webpage or on POWER Teens. Start by visiting the POWER Library website. Click on the “List all e-resources” link under “Find,” or on the “POWER Teens” link at the very top of the homepage and browse through their list of e-resources. Below is an example of POWER Library’s Transparent Language Online link:

(Note: For easy access, links to the POWER Library e-resources page and for POWER Teens are available on The Library’s Research webpage.)

Whichever way you find it, within minutes you will have what you need to begin learning a new language anywhere, any time that you choose. Transparent Language Online is available for use on nearly all internet-connected computers, phones, or tablets, and mobile apps that provide offline and hands-free modes are also available.

Transparent Language Online offers lessons to meet the needs of learners of all ages and abilities, even children. For young users, Transparent Language Online offers six KidSpeak courses featuring English, Chinese (Mandarin), French, Spanish (Castilian), Italian, and German. Each of these courses use animations and more than 40 interactive activities, puzzles, and songs to teach kids foreign-language words and phrases. They are perfect for kids age 6 and above. An easy way for kids to find the KidSpeak courses is to use the POWER Kids link on The Library’s Research webpage. The POWER Kids portal displays colorful links for each of the featured KidSpeak courses there.

So, whether you are young or old, a beginner or an experienced language learner, give Transparent Language Online a try. It is free and easy to use. Buon apprendimento.

By: Rachel Miller

Christian Maximilian Wilkerson, often referred to as Max, is a 17-year-old Eagle Scout with Boy Scout Troop 77. He enjoys reading, playing video games, and talking with his friends. Max often visits the East Shore Area Library to attend library programs, check out books, and more recently, visit the teen gaming section.  This year, as a project for Boy Scouts, Max created a seed library at the East Shore Area Library that has been a big success with many community members who visit that library.  

How did you get into Boy Scouts and how has your experience with that impacted you? 

  I got into Boy Scouts when I was in first grade, they were offering Cub Scouts.  I went to the first meeting, and I enjoyed it a lot. I’ve made a lot of friends that I still have now. I think my life would have been very different without the Boy Scouts. It’s the code that Boy Scouts and Cub Scouts live by has really shaped the way I interact with people because it tells me that I need to be trustworthy, loyal, helpful, friendly, courteous, kind, obedient, cheerful, thrifty, brave, clean, and reverent, as well as doing my duty to God and my country. 

What inspired you to make the seed library at your own library? 

I got the idea for it in Florida because there’s a seed library at my grandparent’s library, and didn’t think we had many of those in PA. I thought it would be really cool if I could bring it to the East Shore Dauphin County Library and pay them back for all the books they’ve loaned me for the past 17 years. 

What was your process for putting the seed bank together? 

First, I had to research different containers to use. Originally, I was going to find one of those card catalogs that libraries used to use, but I found out they were $4,000 a pop. So, I scrapped that idea and went to Amazon to look at some cabinets that were a little smaller. I found the ones that are at the library today for about $75 each. Also, talking with Maria Lagasca (Public Services Director) about what size and what exactly the library wanted for this definitely helped a lot with the decision-making process.  

Then I researched the different seeds and the types of seeds that would work best. Later in the project, we found out there are actually regulations on seeds that can be distributed. You can’t bring in your own seeds that you took from your garden, which forced me to adjust what you could do with the seed library.  Stauffers of Kissel Hill made a very generous donation that allowed me to purchase a lot of seeds for the seed library’s original stock. 

I also would like people to buy seeds and if they still have the packages, bring them to the seed library because it needs restocking. Last time I was there, I noticed there were a lot of people who actually took out seeds. It was amazing to see all the people that wrote their phone numbers and names down, but the seed library does end up needing to be restocked. I would be very appreciative if people got that going, so it didn’t fizzle out. 

What advice would you give to any other young people who want to do a similar project to benefit their community?   

Looking around and seeing the needs in the community definitely helps find a project. Do the research. Make sure you budget correctly. Keep working no matter what setbacks you have. Just keep moving forward, and don’t give up.