Parents & Teacher Resources

…informational services and resources for parents, teachers, and guardians.

Services   |   Programs for Teachers   |   Special Collections   |   Library Cards   |   Organizations   |   Children's Songbook Index

Services

Set asides

Phone the library at (832-6187) to have Children's Services staff pull three or four titles on subject or by an author and set them aside for you to pick up. Please give as much notice as possible.

Pathfinders

Phone the Children's Services Supervisor (832-6188) to have staff develop a subject list and/or classification guide to support a study unit. A three week notice is requested.

Assignment Alerts

Call the Children's Services staff to alert them of an upcoming study unit or project. Staff will familiarize themselves with library materials on the topic and create a booklist to ensure that students and families find available information on a topic.

Group Visits

See details on group visits here

Teacher Packs

Use our online form to request a Teacher Pack.

Each Teacher Pack contains approximately 20-40 age/level appropriate items selected by the literature specialists on the children's staff as a courtesy service of the Appleton Public Library. They are a handy way to provide students and children with additional reading materials related to curriculum or just for fun. Three Teacher Packs can be requested per month. The library loan period is 4 weeks and items can be renewed.

We will gather packs of materials in a subject area or by a specific author. We are unable to pull titles from lists provided by you, but would be happy to instruct you on how to place holds on specific titles or to use one of the library's other teacher services.

What Are The Time Limits? -- Teacher Packs can be checked out for 4 weeks. Materials in the pack can be renewed at home, school or at the library on the Internet using the online catalog. All materials are subject to the normal fine policy. Loss and/or damage to materials are the responsibility of the borrower and the borrower agrees to accept full financial responsibility for lost or damaged items.

Due to the volume of Teacher Packs we anticipate preparing, we ask you to limit your requests for teacher packs to no more than three per month. You may request one to three topics per request and we will put a total of 20-40 books in your teacher pack. Depending on the availability and popularity of certain subjects and authors, staff may need to limit the number of books we give you.

How Do I Get a Teacher Pack? -- You must have a valid Appleton Public Library card (or a card from one of the other libraries in our system). Please use our online form to request a Teacher Pack; you may also call 832-6187 or e-mail children {at} apl {dot} org with any questions. We will need to know specific titles or types of books you want (subjects, fiction, non-fiction, etc.). Teacher Pack preparation requires one week; we will gather the books and notify you when the pack is ready. After we notify you, the books will be held for you at the Circulation Desk for seven days.

Programs

Children's Services offers programs at your facility that promote reading, libraries, and the use of collections. Book talks, storytelling in book character, and orientation to the children's area can be scheduled throughout the year, based on the availability of the staff.

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Special Collections

Children's Services has collections for teachers

Children's Literature Collection

Provides resources on topics such as storytelling, puppetry, and library skills.

Story Bag Kits

Contain ready to present programs for very young children including flannel boards, books and music.

Big Book Collection

A wide variety of books for check-out for childcare providers, schools and groups. They are located in the Family collections.

Parenting Collection

Materials on social experiences that affect children and their families i.e. alcohol abuse, sibling rivalry, etc.

Children's Reference Collection

Available on a wide variety of topics related to children and their literature. It contains multicultural lists, science fair project indexes, medieval history resources, etc.

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Library Cards   (Library Card FAQs)

• Any individual in Wisconsin with proof of residency and identification. Parents and guardians must accept responsibility for their minor children.
• Agency cards may be requested on letterhead with a statement about who will take responsibility for items lost or stolen or late fees. If you're requesting teacher packs on an agency card, you must designate a contact person. We recommend the media specialist.

Benefits of a Library Card

• Check out 75 items on your card. Exceptions may be made upon request to extend the limit for individuals serving organizations. Please call in advance to increase your limit.
• Renew items up to three times from home or work using our web online catalog unless another patron has requested the item. Books have a three week loan period. Fines are charged for overdue items.
• Request an item owned by another library or that is checked out at the Appleton Public Library by placing a hold with your library card. Over a million titles at libraries in Northeastern Wisconsin are available to be picked up at Appleton Public Library.
• Return items at the Appleton Public Library

Children's Library Cards

• An Appleton Public Library card is free if you live in the state of Wisconsin.
• To get a library card, go to the checkout desk at the Library and pick up an application. Have a parent or caregiver help you fill in all the blanks.
• If your parent or legal guardian is with you in the library and shows some I.D. with your address, you can get your library card right away. It's good for three years.
• When you get your library card, be sure to keep it in a safe place.
• Don't loan your card out to your friends, encourage them to get their own!
• You can use your library card to check out books, videos, music CDs, computer CD-ROMs, magazines, puppets, and more. Bring them back and get more good stuff!
• Don't wait another day! Sign up for a card at the Appleton Public Library and begin your adventures in reading today!

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Organizations

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