Below is a list of internet resources that may be of interest in the community. These vary from book review websites, to local social services, to resources for searching and researching on the web. Check back, we’re always adding new links!
Featured Link – Lancaster County Joining Forces – fighting the opioid & heroin epidemic.
Please select a topic below
- Book & Reading Resources – for book reviews and recommendations.
- Community & Social Services – for the Southern End and greater Lancaster County area.
- Evaluating Information – learn how to assess the reliability of websites, news reports, Facebook posts, and more!
- Free Education Resources & Experiences – perfect trips for local families.
- Government Information & Statistics – information on government services and statistics.
- Health & Medical Information – sources for medical and health information.
- Homeschooling Resources – resources for local homeschooling families.
- Local & General Interest – resources that are local or general interest.
- Job and Career Readiness – These services and resources can help get you job and career ready.
- Library Resources – local and national library services and organizations.
- Music Resources – resources for our ukulele! Instructions on how to play, song books, and videos!
- Research on the Web – free resources available on the web, for educational and personal use!
Book & Reading Resources
Looking for that next great book? Check out these book review sites!
- Best Reading Apps for Kids – a blog post from Book Riot
- Bookpage – New book reviews
- The Center for Children’s Books – centered at the Information School at Illinois University, this is a great resource if you’re interested in children’s literature.
- The Children’s Book Council – resource for children’s book reviews and recommended books.
- Colorado Libraries for Early Literacy – a great resource for parents and caregivers of young children.
- The Cooperative Children’s Book Center – part of the Education School at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
- Dia – celebrates diversity in children’s literature
- Diverse Book Finder – “Identify and explore multicultural picture books.”
- DogoBooks – Book reviews by kids for kids!
- Every Child a Reader – “supports all those who inspire children and teens to enjoy reading— thousands of parents, educators, librarians and booksellers across America — year-round as well as through our popular and long-running national programs” – affiliated with the American Library Association
- Fantastic Fiction – information on books and authors.
- Free Comic Book Day – an annual celebration of comics, supported locally by Lancaster’s The Comic Store.
- Google Books – if you aren’t sure about reading a book, check it out here and see if it’s what you want.
- Kirkus Book Reviews – book reviews.
- Kirkus Collections – book reviews and items selected based on diversity and educational criteria.
- Longwood Gardens Community Read – the official site for our community partner, Longwood Gardens, for their annual community reading program.
- NPR Books – reviews, news, and more
- Pop Culture Classroom – educational resources focused on graphic novels, games, and other pop culture media.
- Social Justice Books, a Teaching for Change Project – an organization devoted to diversity education and social justice.
- WeNeedDiverseBooks – an organization devoted to promoting “literature that reflects and honors the lives of all young people.”
- WorldCat.org – an international library catalog and a great way to discover new books!
Community & Social Services
One-stop shopping for local social services and community support organizations.
- Advance Child Tax Credit Eligibility Assistant
- CAP – local community service organization
- Children & Youth Services of Lancaster County
- Commuter Services of PA – Helps people find and share rides to reduce traffic congestion.
- Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing Services of Lancaster County
- Disability Empowerment Center (DEC)
- Driving-Tests.org – practice DMV tests.
- Finding Your Way in PA – resources for people facing homelessness.
- Heating Assistance / LIHEAP – applications and information on getting heating assistance.
- Keystone Human Services – offers an array of social services to citizens of all ages.
- Lancaster County Behavioral Health & Developmental Services
- Lancaster County Joining Forces – fighting the opioid & heroin epidemic.
- Lancaster County Resource Guide
- Lancaster-Lebanon Intermediate Unit 13 (IU13)
- Literacy Council of Lancaster-Lebanon
- Luthercare
- Luthercare for Kids
- Meals on Wheels
- National Council on Aging (NCOA)
- National Summer Learning Foundation
- PA Commuter Services – transportation services
- Penn Manor School District
- Proliteracy.org
- SECA – Southern End Community Association
- Sesame Street Learning Areas – a great resource for parents on both serious and fun topics, including literacy, social development, and more!
- SCORE – Free Small Business Mentoring and Education
- Solanco Chamber of Commerce
- Solanco Family Life Network
- Solanco Neighborhood Ministries
- Solanco School District
- Solid Rock Youth Ministries – after school youth center in Quarryville
- Stuttering Foundation – help for those who stutter. Includes free book downloads and videos.
- United Disabilities Services
- WIC – Women, Infant, and Children Programs
Evaluating Information
There’s a lot of information on the internet and in the media. Here are some resources to help you decide what information sources can be trusted.
- AllSides – a news aggregator and that delivers multiple perspectives on any topic to reveal bias, engage users, and connect people for civil conversations. Includes bias ratings, balanced search engine, guidance for civil conversations across perspectives, etc.
- CRAAP Criteria for Website Evaluation– CCBC Library
- Evaluating Resources from the Web – a video by Western University
- Evaluating Information on the Web – from the University of Arizona University Libraries
- Snopes.com – resource for finding truth in internet and media rumors and memes.
- Politifact.com – resource for evaluating statements made by politicians.
- FactCheck.org – resource for evaluating statements made by politicians.
Free Education Resources & Experiences
There are a wealth of local sites, available for free, that make great family trips.
- Best Digital Tools for Teaching & Learning – chosen by the American Association of School Librarians.
- Lancaster STEM Alliance – a collection of local organizations devoted to STEM education.
- Pennsylvania State Academic Standards
- Plant the Seed of Learning– devoted to early childhood brain development.
- National Summer Learning Foundation
- The Afterschool Alliance
- Family Museum Pass Program – sign out a pass from one of our museum partners and visit a great area museum, for free!
- East Lampeter Park – fitness trail and disc golf for the family on the move
- The Rail Trail
- Quarryville Parks – Huffnagle and Legion Memorial Parks
- Lancaster County Central Park
- Strasburg JayCee park
- Lancaster Central Market
- Long’s Park
- Lancaster County Conservancy Preserves
- Lancaster County Conservation District
Government Information & Statistics
- Americans with Disabilities Act
- Bureau of Labor Statistics
- Choose My Plate – the USDA nutrition guidelines site. Excellent for learning and teaching portion sizes.
- Explore Census Data – search US Census data and statistics
- Federal Student Aid – resources for youth and families on federal student loan programs and resources.
- IRS – Internal Revenue Service, for Federal Tax Forms. Get Ready for Tax Season site: Get Ready
- Municipality Finder for Pennsylvania
- PA Department of Revenue – for State Tax Forms
- PA Department of Transportation – for info on getting your driver’s license.
- PA Department of Transportation – information on getting a Pennsylvania ID card.
- PA Driver’s Manual – a link to the pdf of the Pennsylvania Driver’s Manual.
- PA Voting – PA Voter Registration, Elections information, and Resources
- Pennsylvania Department of Vital Records – for information about birth certificates, marriage certificates, and more.
- ReadyPA – Prepare for a disaster in 3 easy steps.
- Social Security Online Services – Retire online, eNews, Benefits Planners, Online Calculators, Social Security Statement, Multi-Language Gateway
- US Department of Agriculture
- US Dept of State: Passports
- US Geological Survey
- US Forest Service
Health & Medical Resources
- Choice Magazine Listening – A free audio magazine for adults with impaired vision or other disability
- Family Media Plan – a free calculator for how much screen-time on digital devices is appropriate for your child, from the American Academy of Pediatrics.
- Health Reform information – information about health reform
- Healthy Teeth, Healthy Children – for dental health information
- Hospice Foundation
- Lancaster County Behavioral Health & Developmental Services
- Lancaster County Joining Forces – fighting the opioid & heroin epidemic.
- Medical Subject Headings – from the US National Library of Medicine
- Medline Plus – medical resource from the National Institute of Health
- PA Chapter, American Academy of Pediatrics
- Philhaven – Mental Health & Behavioral Care Provider
- PubMed – a free online database of biological and medical research.
- Quarryville Borough Annual Drinking Water Quality Report
- Stuttering Foundation – help for those who stutter. Includes free book downloads and videos.
- PA 211 – (Dial 2-1-1) Where to call when you need help.
Homeschooling Resources
These are great educational resources, organizations, and tools. Also check out our Resources for Parents page.
- The Afterschool Alliance
- American Chemical Society – offers free resources and lesson plans for parents and teachers.
- Coalition of Homeschoolers Across Lancaster County (CHALC)
- The Lancaster Academy of the Performing Arts
- Lancaster County School & Homeschool Group Programs
- Lancaster STEM Alliance – a collection of local organizations devoted to STEM education.
- The National Afterschool Foundation
- The National Informal STEM Education Network (NISE) – for educational resources for science.
- The National Environmental Education & Training Foundation (NEEF) – for educational resources related to nature and the environment.
- National Science Digital Library
- PA Homeschoolers Accreditation Agency
- PBS Parents
- Plant the Seed of Learning – devoted to early childhood brain development.
- Pop Culture Classroom – educational resources focused on graphic novels, games, and other pop culture media.
- The Quarryville Tutoring Center – local tutoring service, contact Dr. Barbara M. Jones at 717-806-5397
- ShareMyLesson.com – resources for all ages and many subjects.
- Tutor Doctor – local, Susquehanna Valley tutoring service.
Job and Career Readiness
These are local organizations to help you get ready for your new job or career.
- Federal Student Aid – resources for youth and families on federal student loan programs and resources.
- Lancaster County Resource Guide
- Lancaster Lebanon Intermediate Unit 13 (IU13)
- Literacy Council of Lancaster-Lebanon
- MySmartBorrowing – Learn how to make SMART decisions about career and college borrowing choices.
- Occupational Outlook Handbook – provided by the USA Bureau of Labor
- PA Career Guide Online
- PA Career Link of Lancaster County
- Skill-Up Lancaster
- Solanco Family Life Network
- Windows 10 Troubleshooting Guide – a comprehensive resource on using Windows 10.
Library Resources
- American Library Association (ALA)
- American Association of School Librarians (AASL)
- Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC)
- Baldwin Library of Historic Children’s Literature – curated by the University of Florida, this archive contains more than 6,000 items of historic children’s books, all free to read online.
- Cotsen Children’s Library at Princeton University, a digital library of children’s literature.
- Digital Public Library of America
- Europeana – a digital library of European cultural heritage.
- Family Place Libraries
- Free Library of Philadelphia – any resident of PA can get a library card and sign out ebooks and e-audiobooks.
- Library of Congress
- National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped (NLS)
- Philadelphia’s Library for the Blind and Physically Handicapped (LBPH)
- WorldCat.org – an international catalog of library items!
- Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA)
Local & General Interest
- AARP
- Central Penn Parent – a great resource to find out what’s happening in the community
- Challenger of Lancaster County Little League – a baseball league for folks with special needs or disabilities.
- The Chronicle
- Driving-Tests.org – practice DMV tests.
- Fig Lancaster
- Lancaster Farming News
- Lancaster Newspaper
- LancasterHistory.org – Lancaster County Historical Society
- Lancaster STEM Alliance – a collection of local organizations devoted to STEM education.
- Live Lingua – a language-learning resource with both free & paid classes.
- Make717 – a Maker-Space in the city.
- National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) – get your novel started this November!
- Pennsylvania Association for Sustainable Agriculture
- Podcasts for Youth & Family Members – a listed created by the Library System of Lancaster County
- The Quarryville Tutoring Center – local tutoring service, contact Dr. Barbara M. Jones at 717-806-5397
- Signing Savvy – resource for learning American Sign Language (ASL)
- Solanco Fair
- Southern Lancaster County Historical Society
- Stuttering Foundation – help for those who stutter. Includes free book downloads and videos.
- Zenkaikon – local convention for fans of Anime and Science Fiction!
Music Resources
- Ukulele Uprising – local ukulele group, centered in Lancaster City, and welcoming to all levels of players. Their site features lots of tools for learning how to play the ukulele.
- Ukulele Underground – a national ukulele group, with educational resources for learning the ukulele.
- Uketastic – a British blog featuring songs of all levels
Research on the Web
Search Engines
- Ask.com
- Bing
- Dogpile
- RefSeek.com – a new search engine for students and researchers. Includes a directory of reference sources.
- Wolfram Alpha – a new internet search engine, described as “a computational knowledge engine,” perfect for STEM-field questions.
- Yahoo
Biographical Resources
- Biography.com – a free biographical resource
- Notable Biographies Encyclopedia of World Biography – a free biographical reference
Directories
- IPL2.org – a resource for finding info on the internet. No longer updated, but still useful.
- RefSeek Directory – a directory of free online reference sources.
- Virtual Chase – a directory for legal information
- White Pages – directory of people
- Yellow Pages – business directory
General Reference
- Encyclopedia.com – a free online encyclopedia. A great source for fast facts.
- Infoplease – a free reference source, for biography, profiles of nations, and more!
- The Internet Movie Database (IMDb)
Geographical Resources
- National Geographic – free printable trail map quadrants
- USGS National Geologic Map Database – various kinds of maps, available for free.
Social Sciences and History
- Europeana – a digital library of European cultural heritage.
- National Museum of the American Indian – a Smithsonian museum
- Native American Heritage Month – every November
- Smithsonian Museums – a great starting place for projects on American history and culture.
Literature and Language
- Biblio.com – information about books and authors
- Oxford English Dictionary – for the history of a word, definitions, and more
- Poets.org – for biographical information about poets!
- Poetry Foundation
- VictorianWeb.org
Science and Medicine
- American Chemical Society – offers free resources and lesson plans for parents and teachers.
- BioMed Central – an open access publisher of scientific research in biology and medicine.
- Encyclopedia of Life – “Information and pictures of all species known to science”
- National Science Digital Library
- PubMed – a free online database of biological and medical research.