10.23.2021

"at your library" in the north island eagle: back-to-school: your library can help

Back-to-School: Your Library Can Help

With the kids back to school, both parents and students need all the help they can get. Your library has a wealth of resources to help families succeed.

The Vancouver Island Regional Library (VIRL) has a wealth of e-resources that will come in handy for all types of research and reports, at every grade level. 

Solaro is a great resource for test preparation and study, specifically designed for the BC curriculum. On Solaro, you can find math, science, and language arts for grades 3 through 12. It’s very customizable, so you can tailor your study to exactly what you need. Homeschool families and students in traditional classrooms will both find Solaro fun and useful. 

Getting set up with Solaro is a two step process. First, find it through the VIRL website and enter your library card number. You will be assigned a username and password. Then, download the Solaro app, put in that username information, and you’re good to go. 

Solaro isn’t the only BC-centric learning tool that your library offers. The Encyclopedia of British Columbia is the definitive reference work on the province. It contains more than 4,000 entries, plus more than 1,500 photos, maps, charts, and tables, plus audio and video clips. It’s reliable and authoritative – a real go-to for research.

KnowBC contains more specialized information about our beautiful province – birds, plants, shells, and marine life. There are fascinating articles about hidden histories, such as the first Black pioneers of the province, the BC labour movement, and the history of First Nations fishing in this region.

Explora for Kids is a kid-friendly research database, featuring a huge range of topics and subjects. It’s great for homework, reports, and simply to answer questions. Younger kids – grades K through 3 – will want to use PebbleGo. Both are reliable, trustworthy sources.

Find all of these by visiting virl.bc.ca > learn > all databases, or learn > kids. 

Teens have even more choices when it comes to e-resources. Visit virl.bc.ca > learn > teens > homework help for teens. Whether a teen is exploring a topic they’re passionate about or researching a project, they’ll find resources here.

Parents need support, too! Your library has books to offer guidance, suggestions, advice, and support to help parents succeed in their most important jobs. Whether it’s homework help, anxiety, identity issues, bullying, decisions about college or university, health and nutrition, or just about anything else you can think of, your library is your go-to source for information. Let us help you find support. It’s confidential, and it’s free. Give us a try.

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