School Services
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Donegal County Library Service provides a network of libraries and a range of online and in person resources aimed at encouraging and enhancing community life.
Central to any thriving community are schools and Donegal County Library aims to support schools, teachers, and young people by providing spaces for learning, access to quality information, and teaching and learning resources, in a safe and supportive environment.
Access to books is the most important factor in a child’s reading development and we strive to encourage and foster a love and appreciation for books through a range of family literacy programmes and incentives. These include:
• Seachtain Na Gaeilge
• Spring into Storytime
• Summer Stars
• Family Time at your Library
• Wainfest Children’s Arts and Book Festival
• Science Week
• My Little Library – a ‘My Little Library Book Bag’ is available free for every child starting school to help them to prepare for this big step.
• Battle of the books – a reading challenge for primary school pupils available in certain locations.
Check out our What’s On Calendar to find out what public events are happening near you so you can recommend to parents. For schools, libraries will be in touch directly informing you of what’s happening at your local library and offer you the opportunity to participate.
Donegal County Library has a range of resources in place to support and encourage participation in these fantastic initiatives. Library members can access a host of free online resources suitable for for children and young people including
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Did you know that you can now access eBooks, audiobooks, newspaper and magazines all in one place? Borrowbox has you covered! If you’re already a BorrowBox user, you’ll see a new ePress section in the app, and that’s where you’ll find magazines and newspapers. If you’re not already using Borrowbox, it’s really easy to start and you’ll love it! Just download the app or click on the icon, log in with your library details and start to browse, borrow and read.
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LOTE4Kids is an online database of digital books in World Languages, that allows children to enjoy the magic of books in LOTE (Languages Other Than English). Each book also comes with English translations to help children learn a language. LOTE4Kids has 2000+ digital picture books in 65+ languages, with new books and languages released each month. Log in using your library card number. Select a language. Choose a story. Enjoy a book! |
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Transparent Language Online provides a fun, effective, and engaging experience for learners, of all levels, looking to build their listening, speaking, reading, and writing skills in a foreign language. Combining extensive courses and supplemental resources for over 100 languages, including English, Transparent Language Online is one of the most complete language-learning systems around.
Access Transparent Language Online either by clicking on the icon below, or by downloading the Transparent Language App
Existing users of Transparent Languages are required to perform a password reset to be able to pick up where they left off. Existing Users Password Reset Instructions for TL |
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Touch-Type Read and Spell (TTRS) is an award winning online course that teaches touch-typing skills to help children and adults improve reading and spelling. Through a multi-sensory approach, the user hears a word spoken, sees the word on screen and is prompted to use the correct fingers via the on-screen keyboard. TTRS is particularly useful for those with Dyslexia, Dyspraxia, ASD, and ADHD. TTRS is extremely beneficial for anyone experiencing reading, writing, and spelling difficulties. This web based program supports self-paced learning and can be accessed from the privacy of your own home on your own device.
To register for TTRS simply email your full name to: ttrs@donegalcoco.ie
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Britannica Junior is perfect for curious young minds and is a great resource for school projects.
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Perfect for young students for their research needs packed with features such as research tools and materials. |
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The OED is the definitive record of the English language, featuring 600000 words, 3 million quotations, and over 1000 years of English.
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The extensive online supports offered by Donegal County Library Service are complimented by the wide variety of books and resources available in-branch.
Library Members can:
• Borrow items from any library location in Donegal and return to any library that is convenient to them.
• Renew loans online or borrow digital content.
• No fines on late returns.
For Teachers and Childcare Providers:
• Option of taking larger loans for a longer period (40 books for 84 days), simply bring a letter from the school to your local branch.
• Teachers can also avail of class sets of reading materials in English and Irish, Picture books and Big books.
• Talking books and CDs of songs, rhymes and stories are also available.
• Book collection service available by contacting library staff in advance to have books ready for collection.
• Bite Size Books is a book drop delivery service available in certain locations.
• Donegal County Library takes pride in its commitment to providing inclusive technology, available to all. Check out our inclusive services section to find out what’s available at each location.
Class Visits
Class visits to the library are always welcome and are a great way of showcasing library services to children and young people. Library staff offer a warm welcome, explain all that there is available to children and young people in their local library, and how to access them. Visits to the library help promote and encourage reading for pleasure and as a means of self-development. But more than anything else, visits to the library are lots of fun! Just let staff know what the purpose of your visit is, and it can be tailored to suit your needs.
To arrange a visit contact your local library or we can arrange for a librarian to visit your school. We strongly advise booking in advance.
Find out how to become a member today.