With the recent school, library, and business closings, we know there is a lot of uncertainty for the next few weeks. We’ve compiled lists of resources for our community that are fun and educational for adults, teens, and children including crafts, tours, concerts, and more! We will continue to update our lists as we find more resources available.
We’re also planning some virtual events! Online Storytime is released every Tuesday and Thursday, and you can join us on Facebook on Friday afternoons to find your next great read, and register for Trivia Mondays on our calendar! More events are coming soon, so keep checking the calendar!
Some of the resources require a St. Mary’s County Library card. If you don’t already have a library card, sign up for a temporary card online and start using our online resources instantly. Be sure to write down your temporary library card number when it appears on the screen!
If you have questions about your Library account or how to use any of the Library resources on these pages, please contact us!
Resources for Younger Children | Resources for School Age Children and Teens
What You Can Do | Talking with Your Child About COVID-19 | Fun, Creative, and Educational Resources for Everyone | Maryland Businesses and Employees | Legal Resources
What You Can Do
Census2020
By April 1, 2020, every home will receive an invitation to participate in the 2020 Census. Once the invitation arrives, you should respond for your home in one of three ways: online, by phone, or by mail.
MarylandUnites
How Marylanders can help one another during the pandemic, as well as a resource guide.
Maryland Responds Medical Reserve Corps
Online registration system for medical and public health volunteers for the State of Maryland.
American Red Cross Virtual Recruitment Open House
Friday, June 5, 10:30 – 11:30 a.m.
Volunteers carry out 90% of the humanitarian work of the Red Cross. Now is the perfect time to JOIN … GET TRAINED … and BE PREPARED to help your local community! Recruiters will provide program details and volunteer opportunities throughout the National Capital & Greater Chesapeake Region (NoVA-DC-MD-DE). Come listen, learn and ask your questions! The Open House will be conducted via Microsoft Teams. You can join on your phone or computer! An event link will be provided by email upon completion of the registration form.
Talking with Your Child About COVID-19
A Comic Exploring the New Coronavirus
A comic based on a radio story from NPR education reporter, Cory Turner. He asked some experts what kids might want to know about the new coronavirus.
Information for Parents from the CDC
How to Talk to your Kids about Coronavirus from PBS
De-Stressing During the Coronavirus from PBS
Fun, Creative, and Educational Resources for Everyone!
Library Resources
Creativebug
An inspirational resource for DIY, crafters and makers, with thousands of award-winning art & craft video classes taught by recognized design experts and artists.
Lynda for Libraries
An online learning site that hosts a constantly growing library of over 3,000 courses that include over 130,000 videos. Courses cover a variety of topics (including business, design, web development, and multimedia skills) and software (Microsoft Office, Adobe Creative Suite and open source applications) that can help you pursue personal and professional goals.
OverDrive
eBooks, digital audiobooks, and magazines.
Hoopla Digital
eBooks, digital audiobooks, comics, music, movies, and TV shows.
RBdigital
eBooks, digital audiobooks, and magazines.
More online learning resources from your Library!
Learn a language, work on your car, get investment information, and so much more.
Other Resources
Digital Public Library of America Primary Source Sets
Primary source collections exploring topics in history, literature, and culture developed by educators — complete with teaching guides.
Digital Public Library of America Exhibitions
Stories of national significance drawn from source materials in libraries, archives, and museums across the United States.
Yellowstone National Park Virtual Tour
Explore Yellowstone from the comfort of your own home.
Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden
Join the Cincinnati Zoo for a Home Safari Facebook Live each weekday at 3pm EDT where they will highlight one of their amazing animals and include an activity you can do from home.
Food Network Kitchen on Facebook
Chef Michael Symon will be going live on Facebook every day on Food Network Kitchen to share a Daily Dinner series.
Collecting in Quarantine
The Maryland Historical Society has launched a new initiative called Collecting in Quarantine and they invite you to participate. How is the novel coronavirus/COVID-19 pandemic impacting your life?
The Metropolitan Opera’s Nightly Opera Streams
Every day for the duration of the Met’s closure due to the coronavirus pandemic, a different encore presentation from the company’s Live in HD series will be made available for free streaming on the Met website, with each performance available for a period of 20 hours, from 7:30 p.m. EDT until 3:30 p.m. the following day.
National Theatre at Home
Beginning Thursday, April 2, National Theatre (London) will post National Theatre Live productions. Shows will be available on YouTube for one week.
Live Streams from the National Aquarium
Tune into Blacktip Reef, Jellies Invasion, and Pacific Coral Reef livestreams and enjoy a piece of the Aquarium from home.
Senior Planet’s Stuck at Home Guides
A collection of articles with everything seniors need to stay informed, supported, and entertained in the days ahead.
Senior Planet’s Upcoming Online Events
Online events for seniors, including an introduction to Zoom, using social media, and protecting yourself online.
Resources for Maryland Businesses and Employees
Maryland Business Express
Features several resources available during the COVID-19 outbreak for business throughout the state, including guidelines for employers, fair labor standards, information on insurance claims, opportunities for financial assistance, tax questions, and more.
Maryland Small Business Development Center
Resources for Maryland small businesses.
US Small Business Association
Coronavirus (COVID-19): Small Business Guidance & Loan Resources
COVID-19 Facts and Maryland’s Unemployment Insurance Benefits Administration
FAQs for employees and employers about eligibility for unemployment insurance during the COVID-19 outbreak.
Unemployment Resources and Services in Maryland
To help prevent the spread of COVID-19, many businesses have shut down operations, resulting in mass lay-offs. The Enoch Pratt Free Library in Baltimore has collected resources to help displaced workers apply for Unemployment Insurance and other benefits.
Legal Resources
Maryland Civil Legal Resources
The Maryland Access to Justice Commission, in partnership with the Maryland State Bar Association, has put together this COVID-19 Resource Page, pulling resources from a multitude of sources to make it easier for you to navigate the civil justice system during this time of emergency.