We may be closed, but KFL staff is still here to help! We'll be using this tab to post updates, information, and links to online resources. 

 

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Library News and Updates

We miss seeing you in person, but we're still here! While we're closed, we are trying to maintain as many services as possible. Here's some of what we're working on:

• We're still around to talk to you. Every staff member is working from home and available to answer e-mails. We are also checking the library voicemail daily. Leave us a message and we will call you back.
• Friends of KFL have provided funds to add additional books to Overdrive, the digital library available to KFL patrons. Instructions are available here. As always, if you have any trouble, let us know and we will walk you through it.
• The Maine State Library is redirecting $40,000 to add more books to CloudLibrary, Instructions are available here. FAQs are here. Let us know if you need help.
• If you need a new library card to access online resources and are a Kennebunk, Arundel, Kennebunkport, or Wells resident, call or e-mail us and we can get an account set up for you. We can also renew your existing cards. 
• Our wi-fi will remain on and accessible from our lawn and our parking lot - you can access the internet without leaving your vehicle.
• Even though we can't meet in person, we are working on ways to offer more of our programming online. - check back for updates! In the meantime, check out Miss Maria's story times on Facebook.
• We are happy to offer you journaling pages. You can print them at home, or use them as a template to create your own.
  • Many people benefit from daily routines. If your routines have been upended like ours have, you might enjoy using a daily checklist to create and track some new routines to care for yourself and others. 
    • ​Blank Daily Checklist
    • Sample #1 -- by time of day
    • Sample #2 -- by task type
  • Would you like to feel more connected to nature? Observing the plants, birds, weather, etc. in your own backyard and neighborhood and then writing about your experience in a journal can help! You might like to use one of these nature notes journaling pages to get you started:
    • ​Blank Nature Notes
    • Sample #1 -- one box per day
    • Sample #2 -- one page per day
  • ​Looking for a way to record what books, audiobooks, movies and music you've been enjoying? Try out our What I'm...  reading, watching, or listening to pages:
    • ​Blank "What I'm..." -- 4 per page
    • Blank "what I'm..." -- 2 per page
    • Blank "What I'm..." -- 1 per page
    • Sample "What I'm..." 
• ​Who's ready for a scavenger hunt at home? We've created two printable pages for you to enjoy reading clues and searching for spring leaves!
  • The At-Home Scavenger Hunt Clues page can be trimmed to match the number of leaves you plan to hide. The fill-in-the-blank clues allow you to personalize the hunt to your home.
  • The At-Home Scavenger Hunt Leaves page can be cut along the dotted lines. Leaves can be decorated and/or adorned with a name, to designate whose leaf is whose, and just to be creative. We hope you have fun!

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Free Online Books, Movies, and Entertainment

Books and Reading:

Physical books and movies may not be available, but there are plenty of online options.

• CloudLibrary - ebooks and audiobooks through the Maine State Library (free with a KFL library card)

Video Tutorial on how to use CloudLibrary (courtesty of Rockport Public Library)

• OverDrive - ebooks and audiobooks through KFL (free with a KFL library card)
• Portland Public Library - PPL is offering temporary eResource library cards. To sign up, e-mail them at lending@portlib.org.
• Project Gutenberg - thousands of public domain e-books.
• LibriVox - Audiobooks - Volunteers reading public domain books (this is great both for listeners and people wanting to volunteer! It also has books in multiple languages)
• Audible - A selection of hundreds of audiobooks are free on Audible “for as long as schools are closed”, including many books for children.

 

Streaming Video:

• Crackle - Free TV/movie streaming
• Tubi - Free TV/movie streaming

Virtual Tours:

• Tour famous museums
• 94 Fun Things You Can Do at Home, Anytime
• National Parks You Can Tour Virtually

• Color Our Collections - libraries, archives, and other cultural institutions around the world are sharing free coloring sheets and books based on materials in their collections
• Online game options to play with people

 

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Resources for Adults

Including COVID-19 Resources

Community Resources
Do you need local assistance? Do you want to help but don’t know how? Many organizations in the York County area are here to help those affected by the COVID-19 crisis, and are in need of donations.  A non-exhaustive list is below, please reach out to them for more information. ​

• Community Outreach Services
• Seeds of Hope
• Southern Maine Agency on Aging - Meals on Wheels Program 
• United Way of York County
• York County Community Action
• York County Shelter Programs
• Biddeford Food Pantry

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Resources for Children

For parents, caregivers, educators, and anyone with young ones around, we have curated our favorite/the most helpful Children's Resources we found this week. 
 

Books and Reading:

• Tumblebooks - access to children’s e-books.  Username "Tumble735" password "books".

Streaming Video

• Mister Rogers' Neighborhood - Watch full-length Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood programs.
• Storyline Online - Videos of actors reading picture books accompanied by animated illustrations
• Lunch Doodles with Mo Willems - Daily writing/art classes with author Mo Willems

Lessons/School:

• RSU21 assignments (grades K-6)
• RSU21 Distance learning expectations
• Scholastic Classroom Magazines - 20 days of free lessons/activities to keep learning at home through school closures
• Center for Interactive Learning - Live-streaming educational programming for grades K-6
• Code - Free coding classes and project for K-12
• Author Kate Messner is compiling a “library of resources for kids, families, teachers, and librarians to make sure that reading & learning can happen anywhere this spring.”
• Steve Spangler Science experiments at home - Science experiments to do at home
• Tech for Learners - A database to search for products and services by EdTech companies 
• Babbel - Language learning lessons, 3 months free for students
• Babble Dabblee Do - Craft ideas for children

Miscellaneous:

• Digital Maine Library - full text articles and abstracts from magazines, newspapers, journals and reference. It also provides students, business people, public library patrons, and higher education students and educators the ability to use online learning tools.

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