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Here’s a list of fun things to do, or information to have on hand, while the library is closed and so many of us are staying home. Newest info will be at the top, so check back often! Have a link that you’d like to share with everyone? Send it to: askus@woodbridgetownlibrary.org

Make Your Place in History, Even at Home
Booklist Magazine offers a list of suggestions to keep busy at home, and all have a historical theme. From making a time capsule to recording oral histories to helping digitize papers for the Library of Congress–everything can be done at home, and some with very little equipment! 

Family Math Enrichment Activities
Building, sorting, noticing similarities and differences get kids actively learning. Numbers and shapes are all around us! There are lots of math opportunities indoors, but the good news is…it’s spring. Step outside, take a math walk, and see the world through a child’s eyes. Here are some resources to get you started!

• Math at Home Toolkit from the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC)
• teach@home (Daily Lessons & Activities for K-5 Students) from hand2mind
• 10 Playful Math Activities from Parents Magazine
• 25 Fun Maths Activities and Games for Kids from Third Space Learning 

Even More Virtual Tours and Experiences in Connecticut 
Look at this long, ever-growing list of things to do and experience from home from CTVisit.org (Connecticut Office of Tourism). There’s everything from animals to art to concerts to mindfulness–and things for all ages to enjoy! 

Free Live Family Concerts with Tom Chapin
Folk singer Papa Tom Chapin is in the house! And he’s pretty sure you’re in your house too. Let’s get together and sing! Free live family concerts weekdays at 11 AM Eastern time. You bring your kids and grandkids, and he’ll do the same. Find him on Facebook or Instagram to see him live. If you miss the live feed, or want to watch again, search YouTube for “Mornings with Papa Tom.”

BookPage Available Online
While you can’t come to the library to pick up April’s issue (which has been delayed anyway), we can bring it to you! All of the 2020 issues have been digitized, so you can catch up if you missed previous months and find great new reads. No sign up or log in needed.

Marvel announces free access to popular comics
To access the free issues, download the Marvel Unlimited app via the Apple or Google Play app stores and select the free comics option. No credit card information or trial subscription required to read from the list above. New titles will be added monthly.

While Baseball is on Delay…
Brush up on your baseball history with Ken Burns’ well-known documentary, Baseball. All NINE parts are available to stream via PBS for free! 

Introducing TumbleBooks! 
TumbleBooks, a world leader in online children’s book databases, announced that it will make its family of online libraries available for free to all public libraries through the summer! Several databases are available for all ages (even adults!) and there’s a TumbleMath too! No library cards or passwords needed. These links take you directly to each collection. 

TumbleBookLibrary – K-6 children’s ebook database
TumbleMath – K-6 math ebook database
TeenBookCloud – grade 7-12 ebook database
AudioBookCloud – all ages audio book database
RomanceBookCloud – a huge collection of steamy Romance novels for the older crowd!

Ancestry.com
The Library’s subscription to Ancestry is NOW available at home with your Woodbridge library card! This is only until we are back in the building, so take full advantage of being able to do your genealogical research anywhere as long as you have internet access and your Woodbridge library card.

Instructions:
1. Log in to your account on the catalog page: https://wd.catalog.lionlibraries.org
2. Go to the “help” area on the left side of the page. A little menu will pop out, and Ancestry Library will be at the bottom.
3. Click on that, and go!

Read & Learn with Simon Kids
Simon & Schuster has many curriculum guides and reading group guides for educators, as well as kid-friendly activities, that may prove useful to you at this time. Visit their Read & Learn with Simon Kids website for links to everything they have to offer!

You Can Ride the Universal Studios “Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey” Ride From Your Couch
Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey is the must-experience ride inside of Hogwarts castle at Universal Studios. A video from UndercoverTourist.com takes you through the entire experience–even waiting in line, which is arguably one of the best parts as you get to check out the halls of Hogwarts.

NFB launches Indigenous Cinema website with more than 200 films to stream
The National Film Board of Canada has launched Indigenous Cinema, a website that offers free streaming of more than 200 titles by Indigenous directors. The website is part of the NFB’s three-year Indigenous Action Plan and will also feature playlists and filmmaker biographies.

National Emergency Library to Provide Digitized Books to Students and the Public
To address our unprecedented global and immediate need for access to reading and research materials, as of March 24, 2020, the Internet Archive will suspend waitlists for the 1.4 million (and growing) books in their lending library by creating a National Emergency Library to serve the nation’s displaced learners. Just follow the link and create an account for free access to their collection!

STEAM Ahead @ Home
In response to the needs of library staff and their patrons who are practicing self-isolation and social distancing during the Coronavirus Pandemic, STAR Net is developing a special collection of resources through a new “STEAM Ahead @ Home” initiative. You can see free webinars and more on their YouTube and here’s a fun activity families can try at home: Daylight in a Bottle

Getting a Library Card
If you live in Woodbridge and do not already have a card, please send an email to askus@woodbridgetownlibrary.org. Include your full name, address, phone number, and email address. We will provide you with a barcode via email, so that you may access our digital resources. Your physical card will be mailed to you via USPS.

Creativebug
Creativebug is offering 50 free classes to take over the next 30 days!!! No credit card required, as with so many other trial periods. Learn something new or take that old hobby back up while you’re stuck at home or thrown off your usual routine. Start your trial here!

Care for Your Coronavirus Anxiety
Check out virusanxiety.com, brought to you by Shine and Mental Health America. The site has resources for anxiety and your mental health in a global climate of uncertainty.

Visit a Museum, Without Leaving Your Couch
From Travel & Leisure, here are 12 museums offering virtual tours, including the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam.

Accessing digital materials at home
hoopla circulations have increased to TEN per month! hoopla gives you access to ebooks, audiobooks, comics, music, movies, and more without any holds lists
OverDrive/Libby provides ebook and audiobooks
RBDigital is your gateway to magazines
Kanopy offers streaming movies and TV shows, with special programming for children

Complete the Census! 
https://my2020census.gov/

Register to vote
https://portal.ct.gov/SOTS/Election-Services/Register-to-Vote/Voter-Registration-Application-English-and-Spanish

Storyline
https://www.storylineonline.net/
Well-known celebrities reading children’s picture books. Click on the link of the selected title, then choose your platform (Vimeo, YouTube, etc.).

Potential COVID-19 Treatments
An article from PharmacyChecker.com that highlights the safety issues surrounding what you may have heard in the media. 

The Library has just added a trial subscription to ReferenceUSA to its collection of databases. ReferenceUSA has vital information on every business and consumer in the United States and Canada. It assists business executives in finding valuable sales leads, conducting market research or competitive analysis, and provides an avenue for businesses to do effective marketing & outreach. Students are able to reference this data for research projects and job seekers may find gainful employment. ReferenceUSA provides data on businesses, consumers, healthcare providers, new movers and homeowners, as well as historical business information.

To begin using ReferenceUSA, visit our databases page or click here to be taken directly to the site. You will need your Woodbridge library card with a valid barcode to log in, after you “accept and continue” at the very bottom of the terms and conditions page. If you have questions or need assistance, please contact us.

The Library’s subscription to Ancestry is NOW available at home with your Woodbridge library card! This is only until we are back in the building, so take full advantage of being able to do your genealogical research anywhere as long as you have internet access and your Woodbridge library card.

Instructions:
1. Go to our catalog page: https://wd.catalog.lionlibraries.org
2. Click on the “help” area on the left side of the page. A little menu will pop out, and Ancestry Library will be at the bottom.
3. Click on that; you will then see a prompt asking you for your Woodbridge library card number.
4. Type your card number and go!

(We have subscribed to Ancestry for years, but usually it is only available for in-library use.)

The Library remains closed to the public, and staff are now working remotely. Please send emails to askus@woodbridgetownlibrary.org and we will reply as soon as possible. We will continue to update our social media accounts and our website with the latest information. See below for other library news.

In accordance with Governor Lamont’s executive order 7H, which permits only essential services to remain open and operational, the Town of Woodbridge offices closed at 8 pm on Monday, March 23 with the exception of first responders and all other essential personnel. This will be reviewed on April 22 or earlier if necessary or required. Visit the town’s website for the most up-to-date information on available services and other relevant news.

Library materials may still be returned via the book drop. All late fees will be suspended while the Library is closed. Due dates for currently checked out items have been extended to May 1.

While we are closed, Woodbridge Town Library cardholders can visit our website to access many downloadable and streaming digital resources. You can download ebooks and audiobooks on Overdrive or Hoopla, stream movies on Kanopy, or browse magazines on RB Digital. We have raised the fine threshold to $100, so that more may borrow and stream.

This is an unprecedented but important measure to keep everyone in our community and our staff healthy as long as possible. We appreciate your patience as we adjust to working in different conditions.

   The Woodbridge Town Library will begin to offer courtesy renewals to our patrons on February 1, 2020. The change was recommended by the LION Consortium which is committed to sharing, expanding and promoting excellent library resources and services. Courtesy renewals means that a few days before checked-out items are due, all that are eligible will be automatically renewed. 

   Materials will not be eligible for courtesy renewals if:

• Another patron has a hold on the item
• The item has reached its maximum number of allowable renewals
• Renewals are not allowed for the item (e.g. museum passes or items in a bestseller collection)
• The relevant patron account is expired or suspended

   This service does not apply to downloadable or streaming materials. Only items owned by the Woodbridge Town Library, or those of another LION library* that have enacted courtesy renewals, will automatically be renewed. (Please see below for a complete list of which libraries are participating.)

   Patrons who receive notifications by email will receive a notice letting them know what has been automatically renewed, what is due soon, and a link to a list of any other items they have checked out. Patrons using Shoutbomb will not receive texts when an item is automatically renewed; they will still receive texts for items due soon and items that need to be manually renewed.

   Patrons can still choose to renew items manually by going online, calling the library, or stopping by the library. The maximum number of renewals is the same, no matter the method of renewal. 

   Patrons without an email address will not receive any courtesy calls or notices. Courtesy renewals happen whether or not a patron has an email address listed in their patron record. Any patron who would like to switch to email so that they can receive these courtesy notices are encouraged to do so.

   Items can always be returned before their due date. Not all patrons will need or want to take advantage of the additional time. 

   Please call or stop into the library if you have questions about this initiative! 

*As of January 15, the following LION libraries have adopted courtesy renewals:

Bethany
Branford
Durham
East Hampton
East Lyme
Essex
Haddam
Hamden
Ledyard
Meriden
Middlefield
Middletown
New London
North Branford
North Haven
Norwich
Old Lyme
Old Saybrook
Wallingford
West Haven

These LION libraries do not have courtesy renewals:
East Haddam
Guilford
Ivoryton
Madison
Mitchell College
Orange
Stony Creek
Westbrook

Library hours as of 10/4/21:

Monday: 1 pm to 7 pm
Tuesday: 10 am to 5 pm
Wednesday: 10 am to 5 pm
Thursday: 10 am to 7 pm
Friday: 10 am to 5 pm
Saturday: 10 am to 5 pm

WOODBRIDGE TOWN LIBRARY ADDS FILM STREAMING SERVICE, KANOPY

With Kanopy, Woodbridge Patrons Will Have Access
to more than 30,000 Films, For Free

Woodbridge, Connecticut [January 31, 2019]  – The popular on-demand film streaming service Kanopy is now available for free at the Woodbridge Town Library. Library card holders can access Kanopy and sign up to start streaming films on instantly by visiting woodbridge.kanopy.com. Films can be streamed from any computer, television, mobile device or platform by downloading the Kanopy app for iOS, Android, AppleTV, Chromecast or Roku.

Offering what the New York Times calls “a garden of cinematic delights,” Kanopy showcases more than 30,000 of the world’s best films, including award-winning documentaries, rare and hard-to-find titles, film festival favorites, indie and classic films, and world cinema with collections from Kino Lorber, Music Box Films, Samuel Goldwyn, The Orchard, The Great Courses, PBS and thousands of independent filmmakers.

With the motto of “thoughtful entertainment,” Kanopy provides Woodbridge patrons with access to films of unique social and cultural value; films that are often difficult or impossible to access elsewhere, and programming that features diversity, with a wide array of foreign language films and films on race, and current affairs.

“We’re thrilled to be able to provide access to this wonderful streaming service to the community,” said Library Director Eric Werthmann. “The array of movies it offers is diverse and impressive and we feel like it will be a valuable complement to our DVD/Blu-Ray collection. We’re extremely grateful to the Friends of the Library for providing funding that makes this new service possible.”

The Kanopy collection includes indie hits like Hunt For the Wilderpeople and 2 Days in Paris, classic masterpieces like Aguirre, the Wrath of God and Seven Samurai, and award-winning documentaries like the 2017 Oscar®-nominated I Am Not Your Negro and Sundance Film Festival winner Mother of George. All Woodbridge patrons have access to seven films per month.

In addition, Woodbridge patrons have access to Kanopy Kids: thoughtful entertainment for children aged preschool and up. Parents can trust in a curated selection of educational and enriching videos on Kanopy Kids with developmentally appropriate, age-based ratings from Common Sense Media, as well as additional parental controls to keep kids safe. Kanopy Kids highlights films and TV series that inspire and inform, helping children develop empathy, mindfulness, and self-esteem through entertaining and educational videos.

Kanopy Kids categories include TV Series, Learning Languages, Animated Storybooks, Anime Favorites, Classic Films and Movies for the Whole Family. Key titles include Arthur, Babar, Franklin & Friends, Maya The Bee, Wild Kratts, Between the Lions, Little Pim, and Nigerian-animated Bino &Fino. The collection also highlights Classic Films from Charlie Chaplin and Buster Keaton and Oscar® nominated titles including A Cat in Paris and The Secret of Kells, plus family-friendly documentaries, Girls Rock and The Endless Summer.

Kanopy was founded in 2008 by CEO Olivia Humphrey as an educational tool for colleges and universities. More than 5 million Kanopy users stream the most acclaimed movies and documentaries from award-winning filmmakers, and experience the best in independent, classic film, and world cinema.

Now you can get text notifications sent directly to your mobile phone using the library’s Shoutbomb text messaging service. Receive text messages about items available to pick up, items due soon, overdue items and fines. Even send a text to request a renewal and then receive a text back with the result of your request plus many more options. Click here to find out how to enable this awesome service.

Please note: The library does not charge a fee for this service, but your cell phone plan’s regular text-messaging rates apply. Also you will continue to receive the email and/or postal notices from the LION system.

 

 

 

 

 

Ancestry Library Edition, the largest online family history resource available, provides unprecedented access to family history via documents that record the lineage of individuals from the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Europe, Australia, and more. Distributed exclusively by ProQuest and powered by Ancestry.com, it brings the world’s most popular consumer online family history resource to you right here at the Woodbridge Town Library. Available for in library use only.

 Visit Consumer Reports

The Woodbridge Town Library now offers online subscription access to Consumer Reports. Consumer Reports is the largest paid publication and subscription-based website in the world. It enables consumers to make better purchasing decisions on the products they are shopping for. Whether the user is looking to find the best deal on a LCD TV, or researching the top-recommended used vehicles, ConsumerReports.org provides ratings, reviews, recommendations, and buying advice for thousands of services.

In addition to product ratings and reviews, users will find in-depth advice, tips, and trends written by Consumer Reports experts. Frequently updated articles, blogs, and video content allow consumers to peruse the latest consumer news. ConsumerReports.org also includes Cars Best Deals Plus for consumers looking for reliable information on new and used cars. Additionally, ConsumerReports.org features extensive health content from Consumer Reports Online Health, which is designed to inform customers as they navigate the health care labyrinth and seek a trusted unbiased source of information.

Patrons may attain direct access to this service in the library or at home with a valid Woodbridge Library card number. For more information please contact the library Reference Department at 203-389-3434.