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| National Library, Richelieu Branch, Paris |
It’s week two of the tourist phase of our Williamsburg life. We’ve walked Duke of Gloucester Street from one end to the other. We’ve scoped out the shopping and the numerous parks. We’ve caught glimpses of the prolific wildlife. There is so much enjoyment to look forward to—but it’s January and it’s cold outside! Our years in Europe spoiled us with grand, historic libraries like the Richelieu in Paris. Two curators once gave us a private tour of the Lucca Library where we handled fourteenth-century parchment. Coming home to the States, we were eager to find our local equivalent. We’ve discovered some cozy reading nooks and have devoured Williamsburg’s international, botanical, and historical literature—along with popular children’s novels. But as a family still looking for an address, we can’t get a library card yet and take any of these lovely books home. Luckily, we found some great free resources for ebooks. So when we are not out exploring our new terrain, we have been curling up to the fire with our Kindles and binge-reading all of our favorite reads. Whether you are navigating a move or simply looking for a way to increase reading time on the way to soccer practice, a portable library offers a sense of stability that isn’t tied to a zip code.
These free resources are available to teens nationwide. We were looking for a library card we could gain nonresident access to for a reasonable fee,
when I stumbled upon
this amazing offer
from the Brooklyn Public Library. I am a big fan of this library, having spent
a fair share of time there on a trip my husband and I took to New York City—browsing through art museum coffee table books while my husband read through the Scarlatti Sonatas.
If you are a library nerd like I am, you may already be familiar with the Brooklyn Public Library’s amazing selection. I looked into having our kids get a library card there just
a few months before, and either the nonresident option wasn’t available or there
was an essay requirement for their Books Unbanned program. Regardless, they
are now offering library memberships to youth ages 13-21 for free! My son emailed them and he received a response the next day. He now has a library card to
one of the largest libraries in the United States, which we all have been enjoying. The Brooklyn Public Library is
actually partnering this program with 4 additional libraries, and our kids can apply for library cards to all of them:
These libraries offer memberships primarily as a support for their stand against banning books. I was pretty hesitant to approach the banned books topic, as it can be pretty
political. But I looked into some of the classic children’s literature that
has been banned at various times for various purposes. I realized I would rather be the primary curator of my children’s booklist than outsource that responsibility to any external entity. Here’s how we do
it in our home to make sure our kids aren’t stumbling upon resources we don’t
feel are in their best interest.
1. Discussion
We talk about it! Seeking out the best books is a learned approach. Frequent discussions about what makes different educational choices great and what makes
others not-so-great shows children how important it is to make good choices.
With seven children, you can imagine how they cover a wide range of natural
interests. Finding the perfect book for a child to fit just their age and
interest is a joy. It also requires lots of observation and, in many cases,
discussion.
2. Scaffolded Supervision
Most parents would never let their children roam the streets of an unfamiliar
city alone. We explore the world by knowing a little about an area before we
go. We select locations because we believe there is something of value there.
Intentional parenting requires us to take a similar approach to any
educational resource. In our home, the Libby App lives on my password-protected device, allowing the digital library to be a shared space we navigate together. When kids are
interested in reading something new, we talk about it and/or look for it
together, the type of involvement dependent on their maturity. Libby also has content controls, which I didn’t realize when I first
started using the app.
3. Reflect
Even after doing our best research, we can’t read every book our kids want to.
This means that we don’t always make the best choices. This becomes a learning
opportunity for both parent and child. When we train children to be aware of
content that isn’t in harmony with family standards and we use these as
sources of family or individual parent-child discussions, our children have an
opportunity to develop their own sense of who they are and what they want to
become. Encouraging children to reflect on the books they read, whether as a
discussion or in writing, is a great way to expand a parent’s ability to observe, supervise, and connect with what children are learning.
Access to these stellar libraries is a vital bridge while we wait for our permanent address. So far we’ve found expanded options in non-fiction for my science-minded
child, listened to Theater Shoes as a family, and identified copies of a few C.S. Lewis books I’d had my eye on. This ensures that even during times of transition, our children’s minds have plenty of space to grow. I invite you to consider: what does your ‘portable library’ look like? These digital treasures don’t just fill a gap; they are a beautiful rotational complement to the physical bookshelves we are building together.
These books complement our bookshelf—you may find them a great complement to yours, too!
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