Cool Tools for Back to School
As kids return to classrooms for the start of a new school year, we’ve got a backpack full of resources to make life easier for parents and caregivers. Whether it’s live online homework help, educational apps, or other learning tools, your Library offers many ways to help young learners succeed.
Find additional services or resources at kclibrary.org/kids.
Your Library Card: The Hall Pass to Success
It's easier than ever to access the Library’s catalog collections, digital resources, and other services thanks to our online library card portal. Register for a card online and instantly access eBooks, digital audiobooks, streaming movies and TV, and more. Or stop by any of our locations in person and get your card!
GET A CARD
Student Cards
Students enrolled in Kansas City Public Schools automatically receive borrowing privileges at all Kansas City Public Library locations in addition to school libraries. Their school I.D. serves as their library card!
The number will be KCPS00xxxxxxx (student's unique school ID) + 8-digit PIN (student's birthday). Updates to these accounts should be made through the school district.
Educator Cards
If you’re a teacher or homeschool educator, you can apply for an Educator Card and get benefits such as longer checkout periods. This service also helps you keep your classroom borrowing separate from your personal account. Learn more »
Homework Help and Resources
Students can get a leg up on their learning thanks to our homework services and resources.
- BrainFuse’s signature service, HelpNow, offers online homework help, writing assistance, and collaboration tools — all available 24 hours a day for students of all ages and all grade levels. You can even connect to live tutors online between 2-11 p.m.
- Explora for Elementary and Explora for Middle and High School are great starting points for research on any topic. Explora also includes sample lesson plans and additional resources for educators.
- Make use of online test preparation services such as Learning Express Library or Mometrix. Get ready for entrance exams by exploring high school equivalency tests, SAT, and Graduate Record Examinations (GRE), and more.
More Education Resources
Need Tech for Homework? Borrow It From Your Library.
Computers and internet access are essential school tools, but not all families have reliable home broadband or regular access to the proper equipment. The Library’s free Tech to Go services can help students stay connected for all their learning needs. Find out if your household is one of the 48 million eligible for the Affordable Connectivity Plan, a federal program to get every American online.
Chromebooks to Go
Borrow a Chromebook computer with built-in Wi-Fi and LTE mobile data, keeping you connected to the internet anywhere and anytime. Great for students who need a device to complete homework assignments or do online research.
Internet to Go
Wirelessly connect your smartphones, laptop computers, or tablets to the internet with a Wi-Fi hotspot. Enjoy online access from nearly everywhere!
A Little Shelf Help for Young Readers
Many readers love our Shelf Help personalized reading recommendation service. Did you know we also offer Family Shelf Help, which gives parents and caregivers an assist in finding great reads for kids? Our youth librarians will help you pick out page-turners for the early readers in your household.
SHELF HELP
For more quality kids reading suggestions, follow our Youth & Family Engagement catalog account for lists that feature all kinds of stories and tales for youngsters.
Read, Listen, Watch, Learn, and Play!
Our popular Dial-A-Story storytelling-by-phone service provides recordings of entertaining tales narrated by our talented librarians and other guests. Listen online or call 816.701.3456!
DIAL-A-STORYThe KC Library Youth channel on YouTube is full of videos featuring hands-on activities, STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics) experiments, book talks, storytimes, and more!
Youth & Family YouTube
Your library card lets you access our wide collection of digital resources – including many educational services, apps, and other online tools. Here are a few that can prove handy for the at-home learning environment.
DIGITAL BRANCH- Kanopy Kids highlights youth films and TV series that help children develop empathy, mindfulness, and self-esteem through entertaining and educational videos. It features age-based ratings from Common Sense Media, as well as additional parental controls.
- Bookflix is a digital literacy resource that pairs more than 120 animated stories from Weston Woods with a best-selling nonfiction eBook from Scholastic on a similar subject.
- hoopla offers thousands of movies, TV shows, music, digital audiobooks, eBooks, and digital comic books for free – no holds required, no waiting. All you need is a library card and a web browser, phone, or tablet.
- OverDrive and its Libby app offer large digital collections for kids and teens. Browse, check out, download, and stream tens of thousands of eBooks and audiobooks with your library card. Link cards from multiple libraries and sync positions, bookmarks, and notes across your devices.
- TumbleBook Library offers online narrated children's books, complete with sound and moving images. Related services include: TeenBookCloud (grades 7-12) and TumbleMath (grades K-6).
- iVox is an interactive storybook app for children ages 4-8. Available for iOS and Android, iVox brings favorite stories to life with three dimensional characters and scenes that children can explore.
Explore more at kclibrary.org/kids.