Resources to Enjoy at Home

Here are some helpful resources to help you through the pandemic. We are here for your questions – call 203-488-1441 ext. 318 or email us.

Here are local and national COVID-19 links.

If you live in Branford and don’t have a library card, you can fill out our online registration form and we will mail you a Blackstone Library card, which will give you access to our digital resources.

Visit our Digital Resources Page for links to OverDrive, Hoopla, Kanopy, Digital Magazines, language learning and more.

If you need help with your genealogy research, the Family History Library Experts are offering free one-on-one consultations. Visit this page for additional information.

Here is a comprehensive booklet from Canoe Brook Senior Center on resources for seniors.

CT Visit has a great list of Virtual Activities for at-home experiences.

Qualified households can get low-cost Internet from Comcast. Visit https://www.xfinity.com/support/articles/comcast-broadband-opportunity-program for more information.

Classes and Online Learning

Visit our Blackstone Library Learning Commons page for links to a variety of tech tutorials. Now is a great time to get better at navigating your iPhone, iPad, or other device!

Here are some resources for homeschooling and having fun with your children.

Take a free online course.

Here is a list of resources from EBSCO, including study packets, lesson plans, and test prep resources.

MOMA is offering free courses through Coursera.

Music and Dance

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater is offering free streaming performances.

Check out Citizen DJ from the Library of Congress. (Full release is this summer, but you can use the beta site here.) Here’s an article describing what you can do with this online open-source music-mixing app. Read about some other Library of Congress digital collections as well.

Visit NYC Feinstein’s/54 Below YouTube channel for some great shows.

Enjoy ballets and operas from London’s Royal Opera House.

Theater

Every week, Andrew Lloyd Webber will release a hit musical on The Shows Must Go On! YouTube channel.

London’s National Theatre will release a new play every Thursday on their YouTube channel.

Social Distance Theatre from Legacy Theatre

Travel and Virtual Tours

Visit Google’s Arts & Culture website or Travel & Leisure’s website for virtual museum tours.

Check out the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History Virtual Tour.

Tour the Great Wall of China.

Visit the Vatican Museums, including the Sistine Chapel.

Go on a virtual tour of Yellowstone or Yosemite.

Visit the San Diego Zoo or the Monterey Bay Aquarium and check out the live animal cams.