SOURCE: Molly Wetta for City of Santa Barbara
Santa Barbara Public Library (SBPL) activated more than 6,000 Student Success Library Cards for students of Santa Barbara Unified School District (SBUSD) this week.
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SBPL has been working with SBUSD for several months to create a simple, straightforward way for students to access library materials, both by checking out books or materials, or accessing SBPL’s extensive digital collections.
Parents and guardians are able to opt-in at enrollment to have their student’s ID number function as a library card. No physical card is issued, and all students needs is their ID to access materials. Details on the program can be found on the library’s website along with answers to frequently asked questions.
With schools transitioning to virtual instruction the last few weeks, digital resources have become more in demand than ever.
Santa Barbara Public Library offers digital ebooks and audiobooks through Overdrive; access to ebooks, digital audiobooks, movies, TV and comics through Hoopla Digital; access to language-learning software, Mango, access to The New York Times, and digital magazines through RBDigital; access to online test prep materials through Enki; and more online learning and research resources.
“Santa Barbara Public Library curates resources to support education, from read-alongs for emerging readers to test prep books and study guides for high school students,” said library director Jessica Cadiente.
“The Student Success partnership allows students to access resources that would otherwise not be available, and gives teachers more tools to supplement research needs or to support independent reading projects,” she said.
“With in-person classes suspended, digital resources like those Santa Barbara Public Library offers become even more critical in ensuring our student’s success,” she said.
“The city of Santa Barbara is committed to the success of SBUSD and all of our students,” said Mayor Cathy Murrillo. “It is our hope that the Student Success Cards will provide our youth with access to resources they need for academic achievement.”
SBPL is also offering SBPL Delivers! mail delivery of books, and students with the new cards are eligible for that service. SBPL Delivers! is funded by Santa Barbara Public Library Foundation.
Currently, the library is working with SBUSD to allow parents or caregivers to opt-in at any time so cards can be automatically activated. SBPL hopes to expand the program to include partnerships with other public school districts in the service area, including Santa Barbara, Montecito, and Carpinteria.
Visit the Santa Barbara Public Library online at SBPLibrary.org for information. All library services are free and open to the public.