KCLS K-12 Resources for Equitable Student Outcomes

King County Library System (KCLS) offers many free resources for King Country students. Learn how to use the free online resources available with a KCLS library card or Student Account. These resources can increase equitable outcomes for K-12 students in an online learning environment.

Student Account

Student accounts are partnerships that King County Library System has with all 18 school districts within King County and several private schools and two-year colleges. These accounts are automatically created for students so they have access to all the KCLS online resources. The aim is to offer seamless access to KCLS online resources. Students and teachers can log in with their student ID or their employee ID number, instead of having a physical library card. Visit https://kcls.org/ ask for any questions regarding students’ accounts.

Study Zone Plus

Study Zone Plus (https://kcls.org/studyzoneplus ) was developed by KCLS. It is a free volunteer tutoring service for students in Kindergarten -12th grade, available Tuesday to Thursday from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturday from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. It does not require a library card or student account to access. Students can connect with experienced tutors in a variety of different subjects on Zoom or by phone. They can receive help in reading or math, join a math club, or participate in a recharge room where they can do coloring and play games. Also, additional support is available for ELL and BIPOC students. There are tutors available to speak a variety of different languages. Study Zone Plus is more suitable for elementary students because they can see and talk to tutors on Zoom. There is usually a summer session available too.

Tutor.com

Tutor.com is a contracted service that KCLS pays for and is an online resource for students in Kindergarten -12th grade. It’s a volunteer-powered, free online, one-on-one Tutoring program using chat or audio. It’s available in English at https://kcls.org/tutuor and Spanish at https:// kcls.org/tutorespanol by logging in with the KCLS student account.

The tutors on Tutor.com are trained to help students find the answers themselves by asking them questions and offering suggestions. Instead of doing the work for students, they are supporting the students to find the answers.

Normally, students can access this service at home for free 24/7. However, live tutoring is only available from 2 p.m.- midnight daily. There is always a tutor to help all students. Each live tutor session lasts about 20 minutes. In each tutor session, a tutor can answer up to two questions. There is no limit to how many sessions a student can use a day.

Also, middle or high students can submit/drop off papers, assignments, or math questions 24/7, and they will receive feedback within 24 hours. They can also take a free practice quiz for different school subjects. There are also prep tests for standardized tests. Because it is free, it is particularly helpful for families looking for SAT/ACT, AP exams, and other test-prep services.

E-books and Downloadable Audiobooks

KCLS subscribes to OverDrive, a digital reading platform. In 2021, KCLS lent out almost 8 million e-books and downloadable audiobooks, and the numbers keep going up every year. There are collections for every age. KCLS has special portals to see the collections for kids and teens. KCLS digital collections are different from its physical collections because they purchase licenses for e-books instead of owning them. For each student account, students can check out and hold a limit of 25 items and can borrow e-books for up to three weeks. Items are returned automatically on due dates. Students can use a free app called Libby, which is available free in the App Store or Google Play. Libby also has some additional features, such as a sleep timer and bookmark.

Students can access OverDrive through their student account: https://kcls.org/students or https://kcls.overdrive.com/library/kids or https://kcls.overdrive.com/library/teens.

Other Services that Support Students & Teachers

Currently, KCLS is in phase 4 of the pandemic recovery plan, which means the libraries are open at full capacity. The meeting rooms are not open for reservation yet and KCLS is only doing online programs currently. Masks are required for ages 5 and up, but proof of vaccination is not required. The hours will be expanded soon.

Right now, the available library services include: Pick up & return items, browse the collection, use library computers, connect to library Wi-Fi, print from a device, and pick up at the library (not available at all branches). For more services, please visit https://kcls.org/visit.

K-12 webpage

Visit https://kcls.org/k-12/. It has resources for teachers and parents with students in kindergarten to 12th grade. Teachers and parents can sign up for the monthly newsletter. It includes lots of resources, programs, and services that the library is offering to help support students.