Resources

This collection of library resources has been thoughtfully curated through submissions from library employees across our region. If you know of a valuable resource that should be added to this list, we welcome your contributions! Submit your suggestions through this form.

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Regional Library Resources:

• Local Performer Directories – Lists of performers, storytellers, and presenters available for library programs and events.

• Inter-Library Borrowing –Information on how to access materials from other libraries, extending the reach of local library collections.

• State Library of Ohio – Provides support and resources to Ohio’s libraries, including grants, research tools, and professional development.

• Ohio Library Organizations – List of organizations connecting Ohio's libraries and providing advocacy, professional development, and networking opportunities.

• Kentucky Library Organizations - List of organizations, both Kentucky-based and national, that support the trustees, directors, and staff of public libraries in fulfilling their mission of providing high-quality library services, materials, and facilities.

• Indiana Library Organizations - List of library-related associations in Indiana, offering professional development, advocacy, and networking for library staff across the state. 

• ALA-Accredited Library Programs – Directory of American Library Association-accredited programs in library and information studies.

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Marketing:

• Canva  – A graphic design platform to easily create flyers, event posters, social media graphics, and handouts for promoting library programs.

• Remind  – Communication tool for sending real-time updates, event reminders, and important announcements to patrons and program participants.

• Hootsuite – Helps manage and schedule social media posts for promoting library programs across different platforms.

General Readers Advisory:

• Fantastic Fiction – A bibliographic website that provides information about fiction books, series, and authors. It’s a go-to resource for discovering new books and tracking publication dates for future releases.

• Goodreads – A social cataloging website that allows users to search, rate, review, and recommend books. Users can create reading lists and share recommendations with friends or book clubs.

• Common Sense Media – A nonprofit organization that provides age-based reviews and ratings of movies, books, TV shows, games, and apps to help families and educators make informed decisions about digital content.

• Book Riot – A media company that focuses on all things book-related, providing articles, podcasts, and recommendations for avid readers. It covers a wide range of genres and book culture discussions.

• Novelist – A library resource that provides recommendations, read-alikes, and lists by genre, appeal, and more for all ages.

Children’s Readers Advisory:

• Lexile Framework for Reading – A scientific system that measures a reader’s ability and the complexity of a text, helping educators and parents match students with appropriate reading materials based on their Lexile levels.

• A Fuse #8 Production – A blog by Betsy Bird, a librarian and book reviewer, focusing on children's literature, publishing news, book reviews, and discussions on trends in children’s services.

• INFOhio – Ohio's PreK-12 digital library, providing free access to digital content, online tools, and professional development for educators to support student learning and academic achievement.

• Read Brightly – A website that provides book recommendations and resources to help parents, educators, and caregivers inspire a lifelong love of reading in children. It features book lists, reading tips, and literacy advice.

• See What We See – A children’s book database searchable by theme and reading level that rates books using a stoplight system to indicate quality and content awareness.

Children’s Programming and Storytime:

• Storytime Katie – An extensive blog run by a children's librarian that shares storytime plans, book recommendations, songs, and crafts designed to engage young children in early literacy activities.

• Jbrary – A resource hub for children’s librarians offering videos of songs, rhymes, fingerplays, and tips for conducting engaging storytimes. It’s a popular site for early literacy programming.

• Loudest Librarian – A blog that covers children's library services, storytelling, and programming ideas with a focus on how to enhance the experience for young readers and library users.

• Ohio Ready to Read – Provides early literacy information and ways to enhance storytimes, supporting both librarians and caregivers.

• Babysignlanguage.com – Offers graphics and videos to learn signs for baby storytime.

• Reading With Red – Blog by Brooke Newberry, focusing on baby storytimes and children’s programming.

• The OT Toolbox – Provides activities and resources that support the development of fine motor skills, sensory play, and handwriting—helpful for storytimes or other early childhood programming.

• Ready for Success: School Readiness Program – Focuses on early childhood education and kindergarten readiness.

• Simple Everyday Mom – Blog with activities, crafts, and printables for early childhood development

• Dulemba.com – Extensive free coloring pages, including many inspired by books and libraries.

Teen Programming:

• YALSA (Young Adult Library Services Association) – Offers best practices, book lists, and programming ideas specifically for serving teens in libraries.

• The Hub (YALSA's Teen Collections Blog) – Provides book recommendations, media lists, and discussion guides for engaging with teen readers.

• Teen Services Underground – A collaborative blog with program ideas, book suggestions, and resources for teen librarians.

Adult Programming:

• Programming Librarian – Offers a wealth of resources for planning adult programming, from book clubs to technology workshops and cultural events.

• Next Avenue – Aimed at older adults, this site provides articles on health, money, work, and living well, which can inspire programming for seniors.
   

General Programming:

• Pinterest – Visual inspiration platform for discovering and organizing programming ideas, storytime crafts, library display concepts, and more.

Reference:

• Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ) - A community-curated directory providing access to high-quality, peer-reviewed, open-access journals. The platform promotes scholarly content available for free without subscription barriers.

Technical Services:

• Cataloger's Reference Shelf - A comprehensive set of online tools and reference materials for catalogers, including resources on MARC standards, subject cataloging, and other technical services.

• The Cataloging Lab - A collaborative space for catalogers to experiment with and discuss ideas for improving bibliographic description and subject headings, with a focus on making libraries more inclusive and user-friendly.

• Linked Data Service - A service from the Library of Congress that provides access to authoritative data for use by libraries, archives, and museums to improve resource discovery through linked data.

• The International ILL Toolkit - A resource provided by the American Library Association (ALA) to assist libraries in managing international interlibrary loan transactions, including best practices, policies, and procedures.