top of page

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.

​

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 OrganizationsList 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.

​​​

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:

 

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.

SWON Libraries Consortium
PO BOX 36132
Cincinnati, OH 45236

Call or text: (513) 239-7739
Email: info@swonlibraries.org

​

Proudly created with Wix.com

bottom of page