The school resource services listed below are available to teachers employed by TK-8 schools in the City of Alameda. If you are a preschool teacher in the City of Alameda, please call the Children’s Department. If you teach at a school outside the City of Alameda, please contact the library located in your school’s neighborhood for more information on how your local library can help you and your students. High school teachers, please visit our Teen Services page here, or scroll to the bottom of this page for links to helpful resources.
For information about services AFL provides to elementary and middle schools in the City of Alameda, please contact the School Resource Services Librarian Andie Cultrera at alamedafree4schools@gmail.com.
TK-8th grade classroom teachers at schools in the City of Alameda may schedule grade-level specific classroom visits. Let the library come to you! I will visit each school in person ≈ every 7 weeks to read books that supplement your curriculum and promote library services, digital resources and programs.
Visit https://calendly.com/alamedafree4schools to find out when Ms. Andie will visit your school! Scroll down the page to select your school, then scroll through the calendar to find available dates (in blue) and reserve an available time slot. Fill out the questionnaire to select which type of visit best suits your class.
Bring your class to us! Your visit to the library will include a read-aloud, a brief tour of the Children's Department and the opportunity for students to receive new or replacement library cards. You may schedule a tour at the Main Library here. If you would prefer a tour at the West End or Bay Farm Island Library, please contact Andie Cultrera directly.
Is your class working on a project or doing research on a specific subject? Let us prepare a Library-To-Go box of materials for you! You must have a Teacher Library Card on file in order to check out a box.
A Teacher Library Card is just for those who teach in K-8 schools within the City of Alameda. Materials for use in the classroom may be checked out one week longer than what is allowed with a standard library card, there are no late fees, and we allow up to 3 lost books per school year. To save you time and energy hunting around the collection for the materials you need, you may check out premade Library To Go Book Boxes or ask our staff to curate a box for you with your Teacher Card.
Apply for one here: Teacher Library Card application.
A list of premade Library-To-Go boxes by subject and grade level can be found here.
Library-To-Go boxes contain supplemental, curriculum-related books, DVDs, and/or a set of literature-circle books to augment a specific classroom unit or provide more independent reading choices for your students. Your classroom may keep these books for up to 4 weeks.
Library-to-Go boxes may be customized to relate to a specific topic (e.g., Civil War, endangered animals, planets...). Teachers may request specific books or simply indicate a topic and ask the library to find appropriate books (or a combination of both). While we can’t guarantee we’ll have every requested book available for inclusion, we’ll do the best we can to find enough similar materials to satisfy the request.
Click here to reserve your box today!
Library-To-Go boxes may contain up to 30 library items and can be checked out for one 4-week period. Boxes may not be renewed.
Library-To-Go boxes may only be checked out using a Teacher Card. Apply for one here.
The Library-To-Go service is available to educators in Alameda schools serving K-8th grades.
Library-To-Go boxes are designed to supplement existing classroom resources during the study of larger units or projects.
Teacher Cards are to be used for classroom materials only. Educators must use personal library cards for materials checked out for personal use.Teacher Cards are kept on file at the Children's Department at the Main Library. Contact Andie Cultrera for assistance.
Databases and websites designed for use by educators.
ALSC's Website for Educators: Put together by the Association for Library Services to Children, this site includes book lists of award winners and other notable books, online continuing education opportunities, and other professional tools.
Explora for Teachers: Assists teachers in crafting targeted lessons and contains more than 1,000 standards aligned to the Common Core State Standards Initiative.
CultureGrams:Unique cultural information provided by natives and long-term residents on daily life and social customs around the world. The World Edition is written at a higher Lexile for older grades. Log in with your library card, then scroll to the bottom to see "Teaching Resources" and "Teaching Activities".
Teachingbooks.net: An engaging collection of resources that brings books to life. Free for CA residents; resources for students and educators.
iCivics.org: https://www.icivics.org iCivics exists to engage students in meaningful civic learning. We provide teachers well-written, inventive, and free resources that enhance their practice and inspire their classrooms.
Kialo Edu Kialo Edu is a custom version of Kialo (kialo.com), the world’s largest argument mapping and debate site, specifically designed for classroom use. Its clear, visually compelling format makes it easy to follow the logical structure of a discussion and facilitates thoughtful collaboration. Kialo’s mission is to promote well-reasoned discussion online, and to that end, Kialo is free for educators to use.
Quizizz.com: Free tools to teach and learn anything, on any device, in‑person or remotely.