Need to reach the Children’s Department? Call us at 203-453-8282 (from 9am-4:30pm M-F while library is closed to the public) or email us at childrens@guilfordfreelibrary.org and the library will respond as soon as they are able (no circulation inquiries via email!).
The library is closed to the public until further notice. All physical materials currently checked out will be renewed automatically until the library opens again and no new fines will be accrued during the time the library is closed. If you wish to return books/movies/music, you may still used the book drop located on the side of the driveway as you enter the library parking lot. If you wish to return kits/toys/other equipment, please call the library to arrange a drop-off time (DO NOT PUT THESE ITEMS INTO THE BOOK DROP!). No holds may be placed or picked up at this time. No programs, tutoring sessions, meeting room requests, new equipment checkouts, or any other public activity will take place at the library until the state and federal restrictions on public gatherings have been lifted and the library has deemed it safe to re-open.
While the library is closed for the foreseeable future due to public health concerns around the coronavirus, you may continue to access the library’s digital collections from home with your library card. For many of these services, you will also have to create a free account using your email.
Overdrive & Libby (books/audio)
Freading (books) You will need to create a free Adobe Digital Editions account with your email to use this service.
eGo (CT State Library powered by RBdigital) ~ Must create a different username/password than for Guilford/LION content on other RBdigital links above!
Open Library (free ebooks from Internet Archive ~ Must create a free account to access)
Many companies and organizations are stepping up to offer a multitude of learning remotely during this difficult time, and while we can’t keep track of all of them, we will update this list as more resources come to our attention. Please feel free to email us at childrens@guilfordfreelibrary.org if you see something online that you would like to see added to this list.
You may also want to check out our parent/homework resources page here.
Guilford Public Schools latest news & resources
Lakeshore free curriculum resources for at-home learning
Mad Science at-home experiments
Crazy 8s Math Club’s At-Home Math Activities
More author talks/picture book read-alouds
Even more author talks/read-alouds
Calendar of live online events w/authors for children/teens
Audible is making some of their children’s content available for free (you must sign up for your own account and they may have other restrictions/paywalls).
TumbleBooks has a variety of streaming services you can access without your own account by clicking on the links below from now until August 31st:
TumbleBookLibrary (grade K-6 ebooks)
TumbleMath (grade K-6 math ebooks)
TeenBookCloud (grade 7-12 ebooks)
AudioBookCloud (mixed ages ~ child/teen/adult ~ audiobooks)
They even have something for parents who are interested: RomanceBookCloud (romance ebooks for adults)
Sebco free e-books for children, teens, & adults if you log in here with the following credentials:
Username: keepreading
Password: sebco
Library card/ID#: 1
Maritime Aquarium in Norwalk live daily Q&A videos with their animals at 3pm on their facebook page.
Beardsley Zoo animal cameras, distance learning resources, and live animal Q&A videos Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday at 2pm on their facebook page.
More cameras and virtual tours from parks, zoos, museums, NASA, and more from around the universe.
Storytime from space (Astronauts reading books to kids from the international space station).
A list of databases (mostly adult/academic/scholarly) that are being made freely available to the public, updated by Library Journal.
Resources for teachers or other librarians from the CT State Library.
The Children’s Department of the Guilford Free Library is the place to read, play, learn and grow! Here you’ll find everything for children from birth through 6th grade, as well as for the adults who come with them.
The children’s room was dedicated to a wonderful former librarian, Lana Ferguson, who gave so much to make it what it is today. Head on over to our facebook page to see pictures from this meaningful event.
Guilford residents with babies or toddlers are welcome to join our early literacy initiative, 1,000 Books Before Kindergarten. A fun program of reading to your children. Read books, record titles, receive a book bag, and your children will be set for Kindergarten! For more details, click here. To sign up, please visit the children’s room.
