First Lady Britainy Beshear recently announced that TeachingBooks is now available and free to use at all Kentucky schools and libraries throughout the commonwealth, as well as online from a laptop or cellphone. TeachingBooks is designed to help students from kindergarten through high school learn more about their favorite books and authors while also enhancing reading comprehension and instruction.
TeachingBooks, provided free by the Kentucky Department of Libraries and Archives (KDLA), currently features more than 376,000 resources for approximately 100,000 books for children and young adults.
Available resources include:
- Discussion and activity guides;
- Read-along audiobook performances;
- Video book trailers and video recordings of the book being read out loud;
- Book-themed activities, including concentration games, word searches and jigsaw puzzles;
- Author name pronunciation recordings, featuring more than 3,000 authors who reveal and personalize the backstory about their names;
- A feature to help discover books similar to others that readers have enjoyed; and more.
To access resources, visit TeachingBooks.net; enter a favorite book, series, author, or subject in the search box; and begin exploring.
TeachingBooks is a two-time recipient of the “Association of School Libraries Best Digital Tool of the Year for Teaching and Learning” (2020 and 2024). In 2021, TeachingBooks was awarded the “Common Sense Selection for Learning” as a best-in-class resource for students and educators.
“We want to instill a love of reading in every Kentucky student by helping them find meaningful connections to books,” said TeachingBooks Founder Nick Glass. “Whether in the classroom, library, or home, we want students to know these resources are available to them 24/7. And, we want all Kentucky families to feel empowered to encourage reading engagement at home with fun family involvement.”
Beshear said reading to children, either in the classroom or in public libraries, is one of her favorite things to do.
“On my visits around the state, I’ve learned that teachers, librarians, and families are always looking for ways to bring stories to life for their kids, just like Andy and I loved to do for Will and Lila,” she said. “That’s exactly what TeachingBooks is all about.”
The service is available to more than 25 million students worldwide in more than 55,000 schools, public libraries and higher education institutions. TeachingBooks received more than 115 million clicks, investigations, and searches last year. The service complements OverDrive’s Sora and Libby reading apps, which are popular in Kentucky schools and libraries. For more information, please visit TeachingBooks.net.
Statewide access is provided using existing agency funds from the Library Services Division of KDLA and is funded in part by the Institute of Museum and Library Services.
