Resources for Teachers
Assignment Alert: Students are often unclear about their exact assignments. Teachers can help library staff find the right materials for their students by sending us copies of their assignments.
Web Sites for Teachers: These sites have been selected by Duluth Public Library staff. See also a list of sites for Homeschoolers.
Checking out Materials: Schools, businesses and other institutions may apply for library cards that can be used by their employees. The school then accepts the responsibility for paying overdue fines or damage charges and controls access to and use of the library card. Ask your principal or call 730-4218 to find out if teachers at your school are authorized to check out classroom collections on an institutional library card. If not, you may request that an application form for an institutional card be sent to the school principal. If your school does not have a card or does not authorize teachers to use the card, materials may be checked out on your personal library card and you are then responsible for those materials.
Help for Students: The Library will help students over the phone with short, factual questions if the questions can be answered fairly quickly. Call Youth Services at 730-4218 or Telephone Reference at 730-4202. Students may also e-mail their questions.
Class Visits: Call Youth Services at 730-4218, Mt. Royal Branch at 730-4290 or West Duluth Branch at 730-4280. If you would like to have library card applications sent out for your students, please schedule your visit at least two weeks in advance to allow for mailing and card processing time. Class visits may include research for a specific assignment, selecting books for checkout or a tour of Youth Services. Homework Help computers may be used during a class visit; Internet computers and games computers may not.
Additional Resources: In addition to books on many topics, the Library has newspapers, magazines, pamphlet files, CDs, videos, books on tape & disc, toys, story kits, big books, audiotapes, microfilm and government documents. Library staff have prepared lists of selected Internet sites, arranged by subject. There are lists for adults and secondary students and lists for younger students and preschoolers. There is also a page of sites selected for teachers. The Duluth Public Schools' Lit Picks lists are available. Electronic databases are available both in the Library and through the web site (click here). Homework Help computers in Youth Services have selected databases and web sites to help with homework projects.
Interlibrary Loan: Materials that are not owned by the Duluth Public Library may be borrowed from other libraries. Most interlibrary loan requests take 2 - 4 weeks to fill, but could occasionally take several months. Ask about interlibrary loan at any of the service desks, or call Youth Services at 730-4218 or Telephone Reference at 730-4202. These services are also available through your school library. Interlibrary loan materials may not be included as part of a Teacher's Collection. Click here for more information about interlibrary loan.
Parent/Teacher Book Collection: Located next to the picture book bins at the Main Library is a wide array of books and magazines dealing with parenting and teaching issues. If you need storytime suggestions; bulletin board ideas for your classroom and much more, this is the place to start.
Big Book Collection: These oversized versions of popular children's stories are real crowd-pleasers. They are located in the children's area of the Main Library near the Parent-Teacher collection. An extended loan period is available for teachers and daycare providers.
Toy Collection: The Main Library has a large selection of toys available to check out, from infant toys and flash cards to board games and stilts.
5/24/06
Duluth Public Library, 520 W. Superior St., Duluth, MN 55802
