(Note: Carver County Library branch managers are providing updates on programs and services for Carver County Local News. This month, Chaska location manager Kevin Spencer shares recommendations for settling back into school. Check the library Events Calendar for more details about dozens of options).
September has arrived. Backpacks have been packed, alarm clocks have been rediscovered and families everywhere are once again trying to remember how mornings are supposed to work.
The beginning of a school year brings a lot of change all at once. New teachers, new classrooms, new schedules, activities, homework and the realization that nobody knows where the permission slip went. As everyone settles into a new routine, the library can help.
Keep Reading Fun
Once school begins, reading can quickly become associated with assignments, reading logs and due dates. The library is a great place to make sure some reading remains purely for enjoyment.
Let children and teens wander the shelves and choose what interests them: graphic novels, joke books, sports, fantasy, cookbooks, magazines, nonfiction or the next book in a favorite series. Librarians are always happy to help find something for the kid who insists there is “nothing good to read.”
And adults aren’t excused. Seeing grown-ups read for pleasure sends a pretty convincing message that reading isn’t just something teachers make you do.
Leave Room for Discovery
September calendars fill remarkably fast. School. Sports. Lessons. Clubs. Homework. Before long, weekly planning requires the logistical planning of a small military operation. Not every free moment needs another scheduled activity.
Stop at the library after school and simply explore. Attend a program, browse a section not previously visited, read together or discover something completely unexpected. Libraries are one of the few places where children can spend time without anyone expecting them to buy something—or even accomplish anything in particular. Sometimes wandering around and getting curious is enough.
When the Homework Arrives, the Library Can Help
Sooner or later, someone will be sitting at the kitchen table staring at an assignment that has the entire household stumped.
That’s a good time to remember HelpNow, a free online resource available with a Carver County Library card. Students from kindergarten through college can connect with live expert tutors from 1 to 11 p.m., seven days a week (except holidays). Help is available in both English and Spanish, and HelpNow includes resources for adult learners, too.
The library itself offers free Wi-Fi, public computers, research resources, printing and staff who can help students find reliable information.
Keep Learning Outside the Classroom
School isn’t the only place where learning happens. Library programs give children, teens and adults opportunities to explore art, science, technology, books, history, culture and much more. No grade. No test afterward. Learn something simply because it sounds interesting. That may be one of the best things to carry over from summer: the freedom to follow curiosity wherever it leads.
The first weeks of school can be exciting, exhausting and occasionally chaotic. Give the new routine some time. Somewhere among the homework, practices, packed lunches and missing permission slips, leave a little room for reading, discovery and curiosity.
Carver County Libraries will keep a place for all three.
Find HelpNow, library programs and more at carverlib.org.
