Whether you're a teacher or parent (or both!), we've gathered all our best e-resources to support all your back to school needs! And the best part: they're all 100% free!

Some of these resources require a library card. Don't have a free library card yet, or need yours renewed? We're here to help! Call your local library branch, or use the online registration form.

 

Palliser’s Digital Academy (All Age Groups)

 

 

Make computer class a breeze with tutorials for all ages! Build digital literacy with Microsoft and Google programs, Windows 10, mobile devices, using the library’s e-resources, research essentials, and more.

Why We Love This

• Easy for beginners, and most tutorials have videos to show you exactly what to do
• Makes it easy to fit digital literacy learning into your schedule. Tutorials are available anytime, anywhere

 

 

Literacy Activity Calendars

 

 

Keep kids learning at home with these monthly literacy activity calendars from Palliser! Pick up a printed copy from your local Palliser library, or download and print one yourself. The calendars promote a variety of literacy skills, including:

• Reading and writing skills
• Oral communication skills
• Physical literacy
• Emotional intelligence
• Financial literacy
• Problem-solving skills
• Numerical literacy
• Cultural literacy
• Health literacy
• Digital literacy

Want to be added to the monthly mailing list for these calendars? Email [email protected]

Why We Love This

• The daily activities require minimal time, effort, and money.
• Discussion questions prompt great connections with children!
• Gives kids the opportunity to explore the world around them in ways that parents may not have thought of or tried before.
• Each calendar has a literacy tip, bonus activity, and book recommendations on the back. It feels like a book order catalogue, but the books are free from the library!

 

 

Creativebug (All Age Groups)

 

 

Art class will never be the same! Creativebug has thousands of award-winning art & craft video classes taught by recognized design experts and artists. Enjoy unlimited access to thousands of online art and craft classes. Watch classes anytime, anywhere. 

• Explore Creativebug's collection of Kids Classes.

Why We Love This

• Fun, upbeat video classes allow children (and adults) to learn visually
• Everything but supplies is included; instructions, patterns, and materials lists
• Skill-building lessons are tailored to children's interests
• More advanced classes are available for adult artists and crafters

For more information on getting started and getting the most out of Creativebug, see our online tutorial!

 

Science Online (K-12 and Post-Secondary)

 

 

This award-winning STEM resource has all your STEM teaching and research needs covered! Not only does it have an impressive collection of expert (yet easy to read) articles from sources like the Smithsonian, BBC, and NASA, but it also has printable science experiment instructions, online interactive experiments, lesson plans, and educational video content. Explore topics such as...

• Biology
• Chemistry
• Computer Science
• Earth Science
• Environmental Science
• Forensic Science
• Marine Science
• Mathematics
• Physics
• Space and Astronomy
• Weather and Climate

Why We Love This

• The information you find is reliable and has been peer-reviewed by multiple sources.
• The website is easy to navigate, so it's easy to stumble across new interesting information with every visit!
• The online interactive experiments are a great way to put students' knowledge into practice in a safe and controlled environment.
• When selecting a topic, all the relevant resources for that topic are gathered together, making exploration and lesson prep a breeze!

 

 

Library2Go/Overdrive/Libby (All Age Groups)

 

 

Download eBooks, audiobooks, and videos straight to your computer or your Apple or Android device with Overdrive (also known as Library2Go and Libby)! Find resources for students, teachers, and parents all in one handy place.

• Browse books by subjects within Fiction, Non-fiction, Juvenile, Young Adult, and Video categories
• Fiction and Non-fiction Books for Teens
• Fiction and Non-fiction Books for Kids

Why We Love This

• Get the full library experience with access to all eBooks, audiobooks, and videos in the province-wide shared collection!
• Up to 100 free holds and 100 free borrows every month.

For more information on getting started and getting the most out of Overdrive, see our online tutorial!

 

Tumblebook Library (Grades K-3)

 

 

Browse this extensive collection of animated talking picture books, eBooks, graphic novels, non-fiction, videos, language learning activities, puzzles, and games. Great for educational resources and lesson planning for all subjects in Kindergarten to Grade 3!

This resource is most easily used in the Tumblebooks app! Download it from the App Store or Google Play.

Why We Love This

• Makes lesson planning a breeze, with educational read-alouds and corresponding activities and games.
• No wait list or limit on borrowing. All content is available with the click of a button!
• New content is added regularly, so there's always something new to share with your children.

For more information about getting started and getting the most out of Tumblebooks, see our online tutorial!

 

Hoopla (All Age Groups)

 

 

Hoopla offers eBooks, audiobooks, comics, TV shows, movies, and music, straight to your computer or device. You can borrow up to five items every month for free! This fall, Hoopla has put together some Back to School collections to get you started:

• “Required Reading” eBook & Audiobook List of Common High School Reads 
• “Conquering the First Day with Confidence” Children’s eBook List
• "Ready, Set, Learn!" Collection of Children's Educational Materials
• "STEAM on hoopla" Collection of Materials about Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics
• GoKidsGo Podcasts for Kids

Why We Love This

• Huge selection of new and popular titles as well as the tried-and-true classics
• Allows you to borrow TV shows, movies, and music
• Simultaneous borrowing, perfect for multiple users to access the same material
• Save titles to your Favorites list for easy access later

For more information about getting started and getting the most out of Hoopla, see our full tutorial!

 

 

Gale in Context: Elementary School (Grades K-5)

 

 

Formerly Kids InfoBits, Gale Elementary offers a fun, kid-friendly interface with easy access to magazines, reference books and newspaper articles selected just for their age group! This is a great resource for lesson materials, or for teaching children to research topics in a safe environment.

Why We Love This

• Great resource for interesting and engaging lesson materials.
• Safe environment to teach children how to research.
• Very user-friendly! Easy for learners, young and old, to explore.

 

 

Gale in Context: Middle School (Grades 6-12)

 

 

This database combines reference content with age-appropriate videos, newspapers, magazines and primary sources for students in grades 6 to 12. It covers a range of the most-studied topics including cultures, government, science, people, literature and more.

Why We Love This

• Teaches students to research and explore topics on their own.
• Provides a safe and age-appropriate environment for exploration.
• Easy to navigate and find the information you're looking for.

 

 

Gale OneFile: High School Edition (Grades 6-12)

 

 

Designed for students in middle and high school, with access to over 2,000 titles of indexed and full-text magazines, newspapers and reference books with information on current events, the arts, science, popular culture, health, people, government, history, sports and more!

Why We Love This

• There's a feature called "Topic Finder" which helps students find other keywords related to their search term, presenting them in a sort of visual "mind map".
• Students can find research material that is suited to their age group.

 

 

Novelist K-8 Plus (Infant-Grade 12)

 

 

Novelist K-8 Plus helps kids find books that are perfect for their reading level and interests! They can search a book they liked, and find suggestions for similar books! Parents, teachers, and librarians can also find tools to teach with books and engage young readers. Find adult titles by using Novelist

Why We Love This

• Search a book, and find suggestions for similar books
• Curated lists for genre, subject, and age group
• Summaries and reviews for titles
• Save your favorites to a folder for easy access later

If you can't find the book you're looking for, Novelist also offers an adult version!

 

 

Explore History (All Age Groups)

 

 

Explore History is your gateway to a world-class collection of primary sources – maps, photos, newspapers, manuscripts, pamphlets, portraits and more. Explore the lives and history of Indigenous Peoples, British actors and musicians, as well as members of the LGBTQ2S+ community. Check out periodicals such as The Economist and The Times.

This collection combines the following databases:

• Archives of Sexuality and Gender
• Eighteenth Century Collections Online
• Gale Primary Sources
• Indigenous Peoples of North America
• Nineteenth Century Collections Online
• Sabin Americana: History of the Americas, 1500–1926
• Seventeenth and Eighteenth Century Burney Newspapers Collection
• The Economist Historical Archive
• The Making of the Modern World
• The Sunday Times Historical Archive, 1822-2006
• The Times Digital Archive

For more information on primary sources, check out this Introduction to Primary Sources Video!

Why We Love This

• All Saskatchewan residents receive unrestricted access (no library card required!)
• Great way to teach students about the importance of primary sources.
• Easy to find primary sources for any social studies lesson.

 

 

AncestryLibrary (All Age Groups)

 

 

This popular genealogy research tool is available for free when accessed at the library. It provides digital access to U.S., U.K. and Canadian census returns, vital statistics, military records, ships' passenger lists, directories, parish records, family trees, maps and forms.

Why We Love This

• Great for a family tree project, or a hands-on exploration of local history.
• Explore primary sources with students and instill a personal interest in history!

For more information on getting started and getting the most out of AncestryLibrary, see our online tutorial!

 

Duolingo (All Age Groups)

 

 

Duolingo makes learning a language easy and fun, with game-like lessons for people of all ages! So far, they have 36 languages to choose from, and they keep adding more!

• Download the Duolingo app on your Apple or Android device, or visit Duolingo's website.
• There's also a Duolingo Kids app for younger children. This is available on the Apple App Store.

Why We Love This

• Game-like lesson and rewards keeps both adults and kids engaged
• Set daily goals for language learning and change them at any time

For more information about getting started and getting the most out of Duolingo, see our online tutorial!

 

 

Duolingo for Schools (All Age Groups)

 

 

Now you can bring Duolingo into the classroom for free with Duolingo for Schools! Students receive personalized training, and teachers can track their students' progress in the new teacher dashboard.

Why We Love This

• Setting up a classroom is incredibly easy. Like 5-10 minutes.
• Track all your students' progress in one place
• Option to completely customize curriculum by choosing your own vocabulary words and testing lessons

 

 

Duolingo ABC (Ages 4+)

 

 

The Duolingo ABC app is a fun, hands-on way for your child to learn to read! Created by the team behind Duolingo, the world’s #1 education app, Duolingo ABC helps kids have fun while they practice reading and writing in English. The app is available for both Apple and Android devices.

Why We Love This

• Game-like structure keeps young children engaged and excited about learning to read!
• Safe ad-free app is easy for children to use independently.

 

 

Media Literacy Teachers Hub (Grades K-12)

 

 

Media literacy skills are crucial for our children. Cathy Wing, co-Executive Director of MediaSmarts, says, "Young Canadians aren't just passive consumers of media anymore – they're broadcasters too. It's harder than ever to tell the difference between accurate information and advertising, misinformation and parody, and it's easy for any of us to inadvertently spread false information."

Learn how to teach children about media literacy with the Media Literacy Teacher's Hub! They offer activities and lesson plans centered around five themes: Use, Understand, Engage, Access, and Verify. Find age-appropriate activities and explanations for Grades K-3, 4-6, 7-8, and 9-12.

Why We Love This

• The activities are engaging, thought-provoking, and fun!
• Covers a wide range of topics, like finding balance in our digital lives, protecting personal information, cyber-bullying, sexting, advertisements, online activism, fact checking, and more.
• Pre-made lesson kits make it easy to teach media literacy in the classroom.
• There are activities specifically tailored for families to use at home.

 

 

Need help choosing resources or getting set up? We're here to help! Send us a Facebook message, visit our Facebook Page, or use our online contact form!