Stay-at-Home Resources for Everyone

We’ve compiled a list of available resources you can access from home.

LIBRARY-RELATED:

Overdrive–e book and digital audiobooks HERE.

RB Digital–digital magazines and graphic novels HERE.

Philadelphia Inquirer–Search current and archived issues with full-color newspaper pages, full-text articles and content only published online. Also available remotely 24/7 on any device. WJN cardholders access it HERE. Other Montgomery County libraries’ cardholders will need to go to their home library’s website for access.

Bookpage: A preview of upcoming releases, as well as interviews and reviews. The March issue is free online HERE.  (Bookpage is provided free in the library each month courtesy of the Friends of William Jeanes Memorial Library.)

Other libraries: As a resident of Pennsylvania, that little blue “Access Pennsylvania” box on your library card means you are entitled to an e-card for the Free Library of Philadelphia. Apply online HERE, and they will email you a barcode. This is only good for their online resources. (If you want to check out a physical item, you may have to go to a Free Library branch–when they reopen–and prove you live or work in Philadelphia.) Once you have the card number, check out their huge list of online resources here—everything from Lynda.com to Hoopla and more!

Free resources for children and families, compiled by Ms. Rachel, can be found HERE.

Free resources for teens, compiled by Teen Librarian Sara, can be found HERE.

STORYTIMES AND READINGS ONLINE

Our own Ms. Rachel is doing virtual storytimes, daily readings of picture book biographies to celebrate Women’s History Month, and reading through “The Wild Robot” by Peter Brown, a few chapters at a time. Check out the latest readings here!

A big list of children’s authors reading their books online can be found HERE.

Storytime from space can be viewed HERE.

Audible is offering free story streaming for kids, in 6 different languages, while schools are closed. Start HERE.

Stories for the non-kids among us:

Humans of New York HERE.

Sir Patrick Stewart reading a Shakespearean sonnet a day on Instagram HERE.

OTHER INFORMATION:

The deadline to register for the 4/28/20 Pennsylvania Primary is 4/13/20. Register online HERE.

Apply for an Absentee Ballot by 4/21/20, HERE. (Deadline to return the ballot is 4/28/20.)

Once you receive your Census ballot, go online HERE to file online.

Federal Tax Forms may be downloaded from HERE.

State Tax Forms may be downloaded from HERE.

For Local Tax information, please contact Berkheimer HERE.

FUN FREEBIES:

Major museums, zoos, and aquariums are offering free virtual tours on their websites and Facebook pages. Many are offering live “classes” each weekday. We’ve started adding them to our Facebook page, but you can visit the website of any major institution for more information. Check our own Museum Pass page for links to locations and attractions in our area.

CALM App: free links to movement, meditation, music, and more! Click HERE for the page of resources.

Love to sing? Learn how to create your own Virtual Choir here.

MOOC (Massive Online Open Courses) Join the MOOC movement and take free online courses from a number of well-known institutions and universities: edx, coursera, udemy, and more! Learn more HERE.

The Great Courses site offers select free video courses HERE.

Free streaming cooking classes for adults:

The Kitchn’s Cooking School is a 20-day, 20-lesson program where students tackle an essential cooking topic each day. You’ll even have homework! (Free to join at The Kitchn)

The BBC has a selection of cooking videos for people with a variety of skill levels. Don’t know how to cut an onion? There’s a class for that. But there are also classes on advanced techniques. (Free at BBC)

One of America’s most popular newspapers, The New York Times, has an online cooking school with video lessons. (Free at The New York Times)

Texas A&M has a variety of classes to teach students to make quick and healthy dinners. (Free at Texas A&M)

Most people associate MIT with building those intense robots that rip each other apart in a ring, but MIT also posts online versions of real classes, including one called Kitchen Chemistry. (Free at MIT)

Delia Online features a host of cooking technique articles of varying levels of difficulty. Each lesson has step-by-step instructions with photos. (Free at Delia Online)

Learn the basics in the cooking classes at Better Homes and Gardens. (Free at Better Homes and Gardens)

Just as many online sites exist to teach you everything from how to crochet to how to code. All you need is an internet connection and some free time.

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