More Free Online Resources

Virtual Tours and video cams of museums, libraries, zoos, aquariums and other attractions

Library of Congress

  • Library of Congress: Engage! - Engage with authors, illustrators, and poets. Participate in writing activities and explore author appearances at the National Book Festival, and more from the Library of Congress.
  • For Educators: Classroom Materials & Online Office Hours - The Library of Congress offers classroom materials and professional development to help teachers effectively use primary sources from the Library's vast digital collections in their teaching. Join Library of Congress education specialists for 20-minute topical presentations followed by Q&A every Tuesday and Thursday 2-3 p.m. ET.
  • Explore Digital Collections - Dive into the Library’s digital collections of more than 2.4 million items. Click through historical portraits and cityscape photographs, listen to sound recordings and oral histories, study American history and world cultures, discover local history and folklife traditions, explore maps, music, manuscripts and so much more.
  • Library of Congress Printable Materials - The posters, bookmarks, bookplates, and other printable materials below were developed by the Library of Congress Preservation Directorate. Print-quality files are available as free downloads.
  • Rosa Parks: In Her Own Words – Visit the Exhibition Online - Visit fascinating exhibitions online including our current exhibition on Rosa Parks which showcases rarely seen materials that offer an intimate view of Rosa Parks and documents her life and activism—creating a rich opportunity for viewers to discover new dimensions to their understanding of this seminal figure.
  • Library of Congress's collection of Japanese block prints - The foremost areas of the blocks include actors, women, landscapes, and views of Western foreigners. The prints are completely free, opening up access to the formerly paid format of the Library holdings to the general public, releasing an unlimited store of knowledge. Many schools, traditions, and genres are represented, notably surimono, privately distributed prints combining pictures and poetry, and prints from the Russo-Japanese and Sino-Japanese wars. However, the primary strengths of the collection are the Japanese art forms known as Ukiyo-e and Yokohama-e.
  • The Library of Congress’s Sigmund Freud Collection Online - A group of New York psychoanalysts established the Sigmund Freud Archives after Freud’s death. The online edition comprises the personal papers of Freud and members of his family. It includes correspondence, manuscripts of Freud’s writings, calendars, notebooks, legal documents and certificates, and Freud’s pocket watch, among many other items. Also available online are transcripts of interviews with people who knew Freud personally, more than a hundred of which are newly opened and available for the first time.

Free Resources for eBooks, Audiobooks and Stories Online

  • Storyline Online - streams videos featuring celebrated actors reading children’s books alongside creatively produced illustrations. Storyline Online is available 24 hours a day for children, parents, caregivers and educators worldwide. Here are just a few examples:
  • Free stories kids from Audible - instantly stream an incredible collection of stories.
  • The Big List of Children’s Authors Doing Online Read-Alouds and Activities - Explore this list of over 50 of the best virtual author activities.
  • Where the Wild Things Are - Read by Christopher Walken, with improvisation
  • Project Gutenberg - The granddaddy of archived books. Fiction, non-fiction, reference works, musical scores, and much more. The books come in a variety of formats, including plain text, html, and audio.
  • More eBook and Audio Book options are available here.
  • TumbleBooks - easy to use, unlimited streaming access to eBooks, audiobooks, videos, and more. TumbleBooks is offered to library customers through a special arrangement through August 31, 2020.
  • enki California Digital Library - an eBook library available to every person in California.
  • Baldwin Library of Historical Children’s Literature - Browse several categories, search for subjects, authors, titles, etc, see full-screen, zoomable images of book covers, download XML versions, and read all of the over 6,000 books in the collection with comfortable reader views.
  • ASU Library Digital Repository - A rare collection of newsletters and photographs from Arizona’s Japanese Internment camps. The collection, a collaboration between the Arizona State University Library Arizona Collection and the Arizona State Library, Archives and Public Records, contains more than 5,000 pages of bilingual camp newsletters, now publicly accessible and text-searchable.
  • International Storytelling Center - The International Storytelling Center is a tax-exempt nonprofit organization and the premiere educational, arts and cultural institution dedicated to enriching lives and building a better world through the power of storytelling. The organization provides digital performances, interviews, educational content, and other programs.
  • #ColorOurCollections - Coloring book lovers can take part in #ColorOurCollections February 4-8 yearly–a campaign where museums and libraries worldwide make available free coloring books, letting you color artwork from their collections and then sharing it on Twitter and other social media platforms, using the hashtag #ColorOurCollections.
  • Coloring Sutro’s Treasures - Printable coloring sheets reflecting Sutro Library treasures

At Home Learning Resources

Science

History

Art for Kids

  • Art for Kids Hub - A variety of art lessons for kids, including how to draw, paint, and make origami.
  • Lunch Doodles for Kids - Bestselling Children’s Author Mo Willems Is Teaching Kids Drawing On YouTube.

Recreation, Exercise, and More

  • City of Ceres Virtual Recreation Center
  • City of Modesto Virtual Recreation Center and Resources
  • City of Riverbank Virtual Recreation Center
  • Healthy Aging Association - This downloadable strength training participant routine will help you stay in shape. Search for Healthy Aging Association on YouTube or Facebook for free video exercise classes.
  • 305 Fitness - This dance cardio studio with locations in New York, Boston, and Washington D.C. hosts virtual classes and has videos of their routines.
  • Cosmic Kids Yoga - Includes yoga and relaxation videos for kids who are three years and older.
  • CrossFit at Home - Find videos of home workouts that include no gym equipment or homemade substitutions (you will see a lot of water jugs in this videos).
  • Dancing Alone Together - Take a live dance class from your home. Offerings include ballet, jazz, hip hop, and more.
  • Junior Giants at Home - A free, virtual baseball season that brings the fun of the field to your home. During the 4-week season, Junior Giants are introduced to the fundamentals of the game while learning important lessons in health, education and character development. Select your city from the drop down menu. Stanislaus County cities available are Keyes, Modesto, Patterson, Riverbank, and Waterford. Junior Giants at Home Flyer
  • Peloton - Offers streaming workouts for bikes, treadmills, and strength training, with an extended free trial period of ninety days.
  • Planet Fitness - This chain of gyms hosts a virtual workout every day at 4:00 pm.
  • Special Olympics School of Strength - In partnership with the WWE, the Special Olympics created a series of videos for in-home workouts and provides resources for caregivers.
  • Yoga with Adriene - Yoga videos to fit your time and ability needs.
  • YMCA360 - The YMCA is offering videos of many of their most popular workouts, including low impact exercise, yoga, and boot camp.