By M. Diane McCormick 

Seventy years after the U.S. Supreme Court issued Brown vs. the Board of Education to strike down segregated schools in America, schools everywhere continue to struggle with creating educational experiences that are equitable and accessible for all students. 

In honor of that landmark ruling, while recognizing that the journey continues, The Library reminds local school districts and teachers that a world of free resources to enrich and deepen learning is at hand.  

“We can try to remove those barriers,” said Library Programming and Outreach Administrator Tynan Edwards. “Everything we can do to make access easier to our resources and materials is what we’re trying to do for students, teachers, and parents. We’re making sure that we serve as a functional extension of the classroom.” 

Teachers can bring students to their local Libraries to introduce research materials and demonstrate how to check out books, but The Library’s support extends well into the classroom and even into the homes of Dauphin County students and families. 

Tutor.com 

 Tutoring can give struggling students the personalized boost needed to master their academic skills, but for many families, the expense puts it out of reach.  

While The Library offers free Tutor.com on its website for all Library members, local schools can also bring Tutor.com directly to every student through our website.  By going to our School Tools website, at https://www.dcls.org/schooltools/ , simply click on the Tutor.com link. It all begins with installing The Library’s Libby app for accessing Library resources, including e-books, audiobooks, and databases. Anyone with Libby can reach Tutor.com,  

“When we talk about Brown vs. the Board of Education, it’s about integration, equality, and equity,” Edwards said. “Tutoring is one of those things that happens for rich people. When you had to pay for a tutor, that was the last thing someone was buying when they had food, clothes, shelter, and health care to pay for. Tutor.com eliminates that because it’s free. It gives that same level of educational access to everyone.”  

A side dish of learning 

 Kids love to cook, but they’re probably unaware that all that measuring, mixing, and storytelling makes it educational. The Library’s Charlie Cart, a mobile kitchen and all-in-one food education station, is available for teachers to borrow. It comes with thorough, grade-level lesson plans and recipes that align with state standards.  

“There’s the ‘Three Sisters’ Sauté,’ which weaves in language arts and storytelling because the teacher will talk about how Native Americans planted three crops close together and the reason for it,” said Edwards. “Each one builds on the next, or the teachers can pull them individually, for lessons focusing on math, science, social studies, or language arts.”  

With helpful additions such as videos and shopping lists, Charlie Cart “takes a lot of the guesswork out of it for the teachers,” he added. “Beyond traditional Library resources, we’re excited to offer something concrete for the teachers who say, ‘I want to do something different for my kids, and I can get that from The Library.’”  

Amelia Bellis is a veteran elementary school teacher and, since October 2023, principal of Halifax Elementary School in Halifax School District, a longtime Library partner. Bellis has always appreciated Library programs that generate enthusiasm for the Summer Reading Challenge and The Library’s back-to-school packets for kindergarten students.  

In recent years, The Library’s mobile exploration station, Marco, has participated in the early-summer Super Cool Book Parade at Halifax Middle/High School. Through Marco, The Library distributes free books that help families build home libraries and keep students’ literacy skills sharp until the new school year.  

“The Library builds excitement around reading, and students get encouraging incentives that are related to reading, like a free book,” Bellis said. “It’s not like they’re getting a toy. It’s geared toward literacy at their age level.” 

The Library is constantly in dialog with Dauphin County schools, making sure that its free, powerhouse lineup of educational resources is in the hands of the teachers, students, and parents who benefit from them.  

The Library is the place for research, test preparation, reading, tutoring, and everything else that makes learning fun and explorational. Learn what The Library can offer schools by visiting the School Tools page at dcls.org.