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Two children disembarking from a yellow school bus.

Kindergarten, Here We Come!

Admin Leave a comment
Two children disembarking from a yellow school bus.
Kids and parents attend a Kindergarten, Here We Come class at HCLS Elkridge Branch.

It’s hard to believe, but the back to school season is right around the corner. For our youngest students, though, there’s no “back” involved … they are going to school for the first time! Every year, the library offers multiple sessions of Kindergarten, Here We Come! at all our branches. With a goal to generate excitement, library staff ease any anxieties or worries with fun stories and activities. Then, students get to practice getting on and off a real school bus, taking some very big steps for little legs.

All classes are for children entering kindergarten in the fall. 45 – 60 minute class.
Register for July classes.
Register for August classes.

Sponsored by Friends & Foundation of HCLS and Howard County Public School System

CENTRAL BRANCH
Registration begins July 30 for all sessions.
Wed, August 13 | 10 am & 6:30 pm
Thu, August 14 | 3 pm
Sat, August 16 | 1 & 3 pm

EAST COLUMBIA BRANCH
Registration begins July 16 for all sessions.
Wed, July 30 | 6:30 pm
Wed, August 6 | 6:30 pm
Fri, August 8 | 11 am

ELKRIDGE BRANCH
Registration begins July 26 for all sessions.
Sat, August 9 | 2 pm
Mon, August 11 | 4 & 7 pm
Tue, August 12 | 11 am & 2 pm

GLENWOOD BRANCH
Registration begins July 12 for all sessions.
Sat, July 26 | 2 pm
Mon, July 28 | 2 & 7 pm

MILLER BRANCH
Registration begins July 21 for all sessions.
Mon, August 4 | 11 am
Tue, August 5 | 11 am & 2 pm
Wed, August 6 | 2 & 6:30 pm
Thu, August 7 | 6:30 pm
Sat, August 9 | 11 am

SAVAGE BRANCH
Thu, August 14 | 2 & 6:30 pm
Sat, August 16 | 11:45 am
Mon, August 18 | 10:15 am

Bilingual (Spanish/English)
Bilingüe (español/inglés)
HCLS GLENWOOD BRANCH | SEDE GLENWOOD
Tue, July 29 | 11 am
Mar, 29 julio | 11 am
Registration begins July 12 for all sessions.
La inscripción comienza el 12 de julio para todas las sesiones.

en español | SEDE ELKRIDGE
Se requiere inscripción a hclibrary.org.
Sabado, 16 agosto | 2 pm

Children exiting a school bus.

Back to School at the Library

emilyhcls Leave a comment
Children exiting a school bus.
8/6/24 Kids attend a Kindergarten Here We Come class at Howard County Library System Elkridge Branch.

by Emily B.

Did you know that every Howard County Public School System student has their own library account? Well, it’s true! Not sure what your barcode and PIN are? Head to hcpss.me and click on the HC Library button to find your account information. When visiting the library in person, you can also use your name and address to borrow library materials.

Howard County Library System and Howard County Public School System go way back – we’ve been A+ Partners in Education for more than 20 years! HCLS and HCPSS share common goals of furthering students’ academic success and enhancing students’ love of reading and learning. The A+ Partnership ensures that all HCPSS students have access to books and e-books, research tools, live online tutoring, and more. Here are some of our favorite resources for students:

Live tutoring with Brainfuse: From 2 pm to midnight, Brainfuse offers live tutoring assistance to learners of all ages on a variety of subjects. Just log on to Brainfuse with your library barcode and pin, select your grade and the subject you need assistance with, and Brainfuse will connect you with an instructor. Working on a tough writing assignment? Use Brainfuse’s writing lab to get feedback on your work.

Language Learning: Little Pim is the perfect way for young learners to begin their language learning journey with fun video vocabulary lessons. Students ages six and up can use Muzzy Online to learn a new language through interactive games and lessons. Mango is perfect for teens and adults looking for fun, conversational language lessons.

Practice Exams: High schoolers can visit Peterson’s Test Prep and LearningExpress Library to take practice tests for the SAT, ACT, AP exams, and beyond.

Research Tools: Need to do some research for homework or a project? Gale In Context provides reference materials, including primary sources, newspaper articles, and videos, about a wide variety of topics. Gale curates these resources for each school level, offering Gale In Context sites specifically designed for elementary, middle school, and high school research. Each site has a built-in citation generator, making it easier than ever to credit your sources.

If you’re not an HCPSS student, you can access these resources and more online by visiting hclibrary.org. In the “research” section, select the resource you’d like to use, and sign in with your barcode and pin when prompted.

De-stress for Success!
Tue, Sep 10 | 7 – 8 pm
HCLS Glenwood Branch
For ages 11 –17. Register today.
With the start of the new school year, it can be easy to get stressed! From breathing exercises to fidgets, there are many tools out there to help you manage stress. Learn about some of the tools you can add to your de-stressing toolkit.

Tutoring Tuesdays: Math Made Easy
Tuesdays 4 – 5 pm
Sep 3, 10, 17, 24 & Oct 1, 15, 22, 29
HCLS Central Branch
For ages 11 – 18. Drop-in.
Do you struggle with math homework or tests? Do you want to improve your math skills and confidence? If you are a middle or high school student, extra help and dedicated time to work practice problems is available for middle school math, Pre-Algebra, Algebra 1, and Algebra 2.

Maximize Your National History Day Research
For ages 11+.
Assigned a National History Day project? Our research experts have tips and tools for you. Meet History Day judges and recent winners, and learn strategies to locate sources. Parents and teachers welcome.
See the HCLS National History Day webpage for a complete list of events.

Emily is an Instructor & Research Specialist at the Central Branch. When she’s not reading, she enjoys puzzling, listening to music, and re-watching old seasons of Survivor. 

Booker stands in front of a desk and shelves of books holding a golden ticket.

Happy Reading this Summer!

Admin Leave a comment
Booker, the library's mascot owl, strides out from a spinning globe while carrying a suitcase.

Dear Parents of HCPSS students,

Summer is almost here! In addition to fireworks, family time, and barbecues, I’m looking forward to tackling my summer reading list.

I’m proud that the Howard County Public School System and Howard County Library System are again partnering to present a fun and engaging summer reading experience for our community. I hope this letter encourages your child – and your whole family – to participate.

Here’s why:
There are games (and prizes!) for each age group, including an attractive reading journal for adults. Begin your summer reading adventure on June 1. The children and teens games celebrate reading (including graphic novels, comic books, and audiobooks) and activities.

Summer reading helps connect your family to the library this summer. That includes six celebrations, hundreds of free summer classes and activities for all ages, and STEAM classes for middle and high school students. HCLS has an amazing collection, and staff that love helping your child select a book they’ll love. Learn about it all at hclibrary.org/summer.

Just like a dessert with secret veggies in it, this fun is good for you! Reading all summer has been shown not just to eliminate slide in reading but also to help students advance their skills.

Get started! Every elementary school student will receive a gameboard at their school. Middle and high school students can pick up gameboards at their school media centers. Additional copies may be picked up at any Howard County Library System branch. I know that library staff are ready to answer questions and get you started!

New this year: When your elementary student finishes summer reading and submits a ticket to the library to receive their prize, please check the box authorizing the library to share their success with their school so we can continue to celebrate them when they return to school in the fall.

Happy reading!

Sincerely,
William J. Barnes
HCPSS Superintendent

The picture is of the National HIstory Day logo, with black lettering on a white background and red stripes in between the lines.

Crossing the History Day Frontier

jeanboone1 Leave a comment
The picture is of the National HIstory Day logo, with black lettering on a white background and red stripes in between the lines.

by Jean B.

Middle and high school students participating in the 2023 National History Day competition can count on HCLS to be their partner as they explore the theme, Frontiers in History. It’s easy to cross the frontier into your neighborhood library for support and materials. In fact, many HCLS resources are available to you without leaving home! Go to our History Day web page where you can find details on the local, state, and national contest rules and timelines, and a gateway to curated support for your journey:

Inspiration and guidance. You’ll find classes and workshops at many HCLS branches where you can meet History Day judges and learn important tips and tools, from choosing a topic, to thinking about a research strategy, to completing an annotated bibliography. Search National History Day on our calendar of events for dates, locations, and details.

Personalized support. Once you have an idea for your project, sign up for a one-on-one meeting with an HCLS teen instructor to develop your thesis, learn how to use library research tools, access appropriate primary and secondary source materials, or have your work reviewed. Request an appointment at hclibrary.org/new-a-main/students/history-day-research.

Authoritative primary source materials. Did you know that you can read The Ellicott City Times from the 1920s to the 1950s on microfilm at the Central Branch? That’s one classic way to cross history’s frontiers! But with your A+ Student account and a computer, tablet, or phone, you can access the vast range of historical documents found in HCLS’ online databases, like these:

  • American Periodicals: Includes more than 1,500 magazines and journals published from 1740 – 1940.
  • Archives Unbound: Includes Maryland’s city and business directories from 1752 – 1929, letters and reports from the War of 1812, and Confederate newspapers.
  • Baltimore Afro-American Archives: Search issues of the most widely circulated African American weekly newspaper on the East Coast (1893-1988).
  • Indigenous Peoples of North America: Find short films, photos, newspaper articles, manuscripts, and much more about Native Americans.

Hitch your wagon to HCLS for History Day success and start your journey today.

Jean B. is a Children’s Instructor and Research Specialist at the Central Branch and loves reading books for all ages when she isn’t enjoying the outdoors.

All different sorts of shoes in a rainbow of colors, sitting on little rocks.

Creating a safer space for LGBTQ+ students

Sarah C Leave a comment
The photograph shows an open hand holding a white ceramic heart, with a rainbow above on a dark background.

by Sarah C.

Here at HCLS, we try to make our spaces as welcoming and inclusive as possible, especially for our tweens and teens, as that age range can include a time of many changes, questions, issues, excitement, and experiences both good and bad. Do you remember middle school? Exactly, ugh! I sure do, and at age 42 I’m still slightly traumatized by some of those memories!

As June is LGBTQ+ Pride month, I’d like to touch on some things we do to create a safer space here at HCLS for our wonderful rainbow students.

Something as simple as wearing a rainbow button or bracelet, or having a “safe space” sticker on your office door can make a huge difference, especially if a student does not know you yet. It identifies you as a someone they can approach for LGBTQ+ books, ask about LGBTQ+ events and groups, or just someone who they can talk to who will listen and not judge them.

I am not subtle about my support of LGBTQ+ students. I visually identify myself as such with the above examples and am very vocal with all my students about respecting ALL people. That has been instrumental in our students feeling not just welcome here, but represented and celebrated. Our students of all ages know that some people and/or spaces are not LGBTQ+ friendly and have learned they need to be cautious. It’s not fair, but it is our reality, so please consider identifying yourself as a supportive person for them and help grow their circle of safety.

HCLS also hosts LGBTQ+ author visits, participates in community events such as HOCO Pride, assists with local SAGA/GSA school groups, helps with book clubs like the Rainbow Reads book club, and offers classes such as Make Your Own Pronoun Buttons and Let’s Talk About LGBTQ+ Issues in Education featuring Freestate Justice.

And of course, since we are a library system, we purchase and display many books written and/or illustrated by LGBTQ+ authors that feature LGBTQ+ main characters. We also have Rainbow Reading lists for adults, teens, and a new one for children! Grab a printed copy at your local branch or find other recommendations online. Check out the review of Gender Queer by Maia Kobabe on the library’s blog. The post talks about why books that represent all experiences are so vital.

Sarah is the Teens’ Instructor and Research Specialist at the Savage Branch, where she can be found geeking out over new graphic novels, spotting rainbows and drinking day-old coffee.