UPDATE: As of Monday, August 3, the NYPL has expanded its grab-and-go service to 30 library locations, following the initial reopening of 8 library locations on July 13. At each of these locations, patrons can access a limited area for returns and pick up materials that they’ve reserved. Patrons can place holds on physical materials for pickup at our open locations via our online catalog or via phone.
All New York Public Library locations are temporarily closed until further notice due to the rapidly changing situation in New York City around novel coronavirus (COVID-19).
While our locations are closed, we remain committed to serving the public. In order to better serve our patrons, we have worked with our database vendors to expand offsite access to e-resources that are usually only available from our locations, including Ancestry.com, JSTOR, and The New York Times archive. NYPL Connect will be a periodic e-newsletter to update our patrons about library services they can access remotely from their homes as we expand our digital resources and offerings. Below you’ll find highlights to explore.
You can also find a comprehensive list of our digital resources on our website. This includes access to e-books, research e-journals, online newspapers, and resources for young learners. If you have any questions, please refer to our reference service, Ask NYPL.
We hope the below resources will be of use to you during this difficult time. (If you received this email from a friend and would like to stay updated on our digital offerings, sign up to receive NYPL Connect.)
Resources for Children and Teens
- At-Home Play Activities: Play is a fundamental part of childhood and an important way that kids learn. Our online guide has creative activities and helpful prompts to engage little ones and encourage them to make predictions, experiment, and enhance their vocabulary while learning new concepts. For grades Pre-K–2.
- Books to Make Independent Reading Time Fly By: If your kids are having trouble sitting still for independent reading on top of remote learning, here are some recommendations from Jefferson Market Library's own children's librarian, Rebecca Schosha. For grades 3–6.
- Graphic Novels, Literacy Help & More Just for Teens: Looking for a new graphic novel? Need help with a school project? Or just want to relax with an e-book? TeenBookCloud is here to help. Part of our popular TumbleBookCloud service, TeenBookCloud features a wide range of engaging and educational resources for teens, including Enhanced Novels—a curated selection of YA novels, classics, and foundational texts that offer professional narration and line-by-line highlighting to help you follow along. For grades 6–12.
- Free online Tutoring with Brainfuse: Get free online homework help from one-on-one tutors, daily from 2–11 PM. Available in English and Spanish, from early elementary through high school grades, in core subject areas. Start learning with the Library's partner in one-on-one tutoring, Brainfuse. Log in with your library card number for access. Please note: library cards must have a home library selected. If you need to select a home library, log into your account and click on Settings to set your Preferred Pickup location. If you sign up for a card through SimplyE, you must complete this step once your barcode has been emailed to you.
- Online Storytime: Our children's librarians will be providing storytimes that families can access anytime, with new videos posted every weekday morning at 10 AM. These programs will feature engaging read alouds, songs, and early literacy tips. We invite you to follow along at home. No matter your age, the Library has something for everyone.
- Online Tools for Kids and Parents: The New York Public Library has loads of resources available for all ages. You can find complete, trustworthy information quickly using the Library’s online tools. Wherever you are, you can access a wide range of resources with your library card.
- BookFlix, Read Aloud for Kids: Missing storytime or reading aloud at the Library? With your library card, you can use Bookflix to listen to read-alouds and learn about science, music, history, and more. Also available in Spanish. For Pre-K–Grade 3.
- Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center: Students can use the Opposing Viewpoints database to help develop critical thinking skills on thousands of current social topics in the form of primary source documents, statistics, websites, and multimedia. For Grades 9–12.
Featured Resource
- Borrow E-Books with SimplyE: Explore a wide array of digital resources during our closure period, including hundreds of thousands of e-books and audiobooks. Plus, new users who live in New York State can apply for a library card directly through the app! Download on the App Store or Download on Google Play
Explore Our E-Resources
- Get Remote Access to Research Collections: During the temporary closure of The New York Public Library's locations, the Library's Research Collections and Services remain available to help researchers access information and materials. From personalized email consultations with research librarians to expanded access to our online research databases, find a wide variety of ways you can use the Library's online tools.
- New! Access Ancestry.com from Home: During our closure, enjoy expanded access to Ancestry.com from home, previously only available at the Library. Access billions of names in thousands of genealogical databases including Census and Vital Records; birth, marriage, and death notices; the Social Security Death Index; and more.
- Use Our Genealogy Research Guides: Want to get started on genealogical research, but don’t know how? Our librarian-curated genealogy research guides will teach you how to conduct genealogical research using a wide array of Library resources, including newspapers, directories, Census data, and more.
