FOPL will be adding to these resources and updating regularly at our FOPL OpenMediaDesk Facebook Group.  

Hundreds of potential fun and educational resources for website and social media links are suggested there for all ages of our communities.

Any Ontario library staff or board member is welcome to join this closed group.  Here’s the link:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/FederationofOntarioPublicLibraries/

Most of our public library systems in Ontario and beyond are closed as a COVID-19 precaution.

Of course, that doesn’t mean our services stop and our value to our communities is temporarily suspended.  In some ways our value can increase as long as we take the opportunity to communicate digitally through our websites, e-mail, and social media.  With all publicly funded schools in Ontario closed and most colleges, universities, galleries, sports and recreation facilities, and museums we have a lot of people working from home, quarantining themselves or on an extended 3-week school break.  Indeed with our high digital ROI and strong infrastructure, our digital branches are usually our largest branch!

Public Libraries can be there for social and educational support and isolation/boredom reduction.

Here are some ideas (please add all of your great ideas (with URLs if possible) in the comments on this post!)

Canadian children’s writers & illustrators are sharing readings of their books online

https://www.cbc.ca/books/canadian-writers-are-sharing-readings-of-their-books-online-1.5500364

25 SOURCES OF FREE PUBLIC DOMAIN BOOKS

You Can Virtually Tour These 500+ Museums and Galleries From Your Couch

📢 E-LEARNING RESOURCES FOR SCHOOL CLOSURES 📢

Curated art and gallery sites, lessons, and tours.

Digital tools can allow museums to reach out to audiences despite closures and social distancing practices. Some Ontario examples are below:

• St. Catharines Museum will post activities on their Facebook Page HERE.
• Bata Shoe Museum is releasing daily colouring sheets on their website HERE.
• Brockville Museum highlighted their digital collections on Twitter HERE.
• Osgoode Township Museum offered “to-go” kits of activities that had been prepared for March Break
• Bytown Museum showcased their virtual tour HERE.

Several Ontario museums are also available for 3D virtual tours, including:

• St. James Cathedral
• Dundas Museum & Archive
• Amherstburg Freedom Museum
• Oakville Museum

Encourage colouring since that’s a little educational too:

• Download Free Coloring Books from 113 Museums

• http://www.openculture.com/2019/02/download-free-coloring-books-from-113-museums.html

Ontario’s Trails – walking outside is the safest exercise

Find a Trail in Ontario

https://www.ontariotrails.on.ca/index.php?url=trails

Ontario Trail Maps:

Here you will find on-road and off-road cycling routes, cycling loops with descriptions, hiking and walking trails, and much more in a set of easy-to-read full colour regional maps.

http://www.ontariotrailmaps.ca/

There’s a massive free catalogue of Indigenous films online — and we have 6 picks to get you started

FOR CANADIAN FILM DAY, FILMMAKERS AND CURATORS MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS FROM THE NFB’S NEW INDIGENOUS CATALOGUE

Steal some ideas from Greenville:

Coronavirus: Virtual Learning and Fun Things to Do

Global TV: Home for coronavirus: What to do with your kids during the outbreak

Other topics to research and share with your community:

1. Homeschooling (Khan Academy and its ilk)
2. Exercising at home
3. Board Games
4. Structured outdoor games (Remember Relievio? Hopscotch, Skipping, etc.  Channel your own kid-hood!)
5. Age- and grade-appropriate workbooks or other school-oriented items that you can print off from the internet.
6. Recipes children can do with supervision
7. Of course, e-books, audiobooks, videogames, e-magazines, etc.
8. Your idea here and in the comments

Again, keep your library relevant in this evolving situation!

Stephen