A+ Teaching Resources

If you’re a teacher, you probably have a lot going on.

Here are six tips to help you make the most of the library with the least amount of work.

1. Make a list and share it. Did you know that you can make a list of books, website links, etc., in your personal library account, and share the link directly with your students or their parents?

Log in and select “Lists” from the My Account dropdown to get started. Some hints:

• Lists must have four items to be published.
• You can add annotations to your items.
• You can choose to keep your list private, share a link with specific people, or publish it so anyone can see it.
• If you make it public, anyone searching the catalog by user (in the keyword menu) who enters your username, for example MsFrizzle2023, can find your list.
• Whether the list is public or shared by link, the person looking at it can check availability and place holds directly on the items listed, or click straight through if the item is a URL.

2. Check out our librarian-approved reading level lists. We have always accessible, up-to-date lists of suggested reads for ages ranging from 0-5 to middle school at the bottom of the Kids page for whenever you get stuck and need ideas.

3. Filter for databases and online resources. The CPL website uses smart search terms, which means you can type things like “new books” into the search bar to find all the books the library has added to the shelves in the last 180 days. You can also type things like “science database” or “science projects” and use the format filter to limit results to those specific types of resources and see everything available. 

Most CPL databases and online resources can be accessed from anywhere.

Bonus tip: you can save full text articles with citations directly from Gale databases into your Google Drive or Microsoft OneDrive for ease of access.

4. E-books make things easy. The library offers simultaneous use of e-books on hoopla and Libby, which means we never run out of copies, so all the kids in your class can read the same book at the same time.

5. Learn to read, and read to learn. Bookflix offers great matched pairs of fiction and nonfiction books to encourage a love of reading and learning from pre-kindergarten to 3rd grade students.

6. Students can access free homework help in two ways.

• During the school year, National Honor Society students from P-CEP are at CPL to provide 3rd-12th graders with free homework help. Check here for days and times.
• HelpNow by Brainfuse provides on demand live tutoring, expert online writing assistance, live skills building and a library of lessons. Students will need a Canton Public Library card to use this resource; all students who go to school in Canton are eligible for a card.

Looking for more hands-on help? Check out our teacher concierge page—you can request items, ask for recommendations, and find out about specific services.

We know you’re busy. Let the library help you get stuff done.