Supporting Students and Virtual Learning

HCPL has coordinated with our public schools to support students and their families during the virtual start to the school year. We have pledged to provide educational support to our young people and their families. Through our collaboration with Henrico County Public Schools (HCPS), we have expanded opportunities for ebook access for students, are promoting our new digital cards, and have lots of spaces, including reservable meeting and study rooms, at our many open library locations for educational activities. Read on to learn more about how libraries can help you make the most of virtual learning this school year.

We know that this is a challenging time for our students and families, and we have worked with HCPS to determine resources we can provide to our students during this extraordinary time.

Expanded Ebook Access

Many of you may be familiar with OverDrive, our primary ebook service. We worked with HCPS to provide ebook and audiobook access for all HCPS students through OverDrive’s educational service, Sora. Sora can be accessed through an HCPS student’s Clever login and Sora users can check out three ebooks or audiobooks at a time. This will make accessing reading, research, and other educational or leisure reading material much easier for students. And there are no fines associated with ebooks! They automatically expire from your account when they are due. Learn more about how HCPS students can access Sora.

Library Cards

Students can use their existing physical card, or visit a library to register for a new physical card. Get started with the online registration form if you prefer, and then visit a library to complete your registration and pick up your new card. If you prefer not to visit library buildings at this time, you can apply for a digital card that provides access to ebooks and online resources. Visit our Get A Card page to get started.

Meeting Spaces

Meeting, conference, and study rooms are available with reduced occupancy to facilitate social distancing, and can be reserved online. Larger meeting or conference rooms could support non-profits, educational groups, and pods, so long as your activities adhere to our policies. A group or individual can have up to two reservations at a time to allow access and opportunity to as many people as possible. While meeting and conference spaces must be reserved by adult cardholders, study room reservations can be made by cardholders of any age. Learn more about the library’s reservable spaces (temporarily unavailable).

Tutor.com

The library provides free access to Tutor.com, where students can connect with real tutors online, drop off papers or math problems for review and assistance, and get assistance with all kinds of academic questions. Tutors can work with students in Kindergarten through 12th grade, AP level classwork, and intro-level college coursework. Online tutors are available seven days per week from 10 a.m. to midnight, and students can access practice quizzes, test prep, study resources, and writing help 24/7. Check out Tutor.com.

In addition to these library resources, library staff are available online, over the phone, and in person to support you as best we can. We are collaborating with HCPS to anticipate the needs of virtual students. Students’ school-issued laptops are compatible with library wifi and wireless printing. The library also provides virtual programs for young people to have extracurricular educational experiences. Check out our Online Events Calendar to learn more.

During this time, an unaccompanied minor must be age 14 or older. A brief, touchless health screening is required for entry to the library, and young people under age 14 must be accompanied by an adult age 18 or older.

We want you to know that your library and your school system are working hard, together, to support you. If you have any questions about our services for students, please contact our Youth Services Coordinator, Rick Samuelson, at rsamuelson@henricolibrary.org, or call your library to see how we can help. We wish you all a great start to the school year.