TRL offers online resources to support students

Timberland Regional Library (TRL) offers a wide range and depth of educational tools for K-12 students in a variety of learning atmospheres, said Timberland Regional Library Executive Director Cheryl Heywood.

“It is always a priority for TRL to support our local students and educators,” Heywood said.

MyTRL is a program offered by TRL in partnership with school districts that enables K-12 students to access TRL’s vast electronic resources by logging in to TRL.org from school or home on any computer or device using an e-card number from the students’ school’s software.

Educational resources offered by TRL include:

• Homework help for kids
• Books and apps for kids
• Homework help for teens
• Books and apps for teens
• K-12 STEM research and projects
• K-12 Social Sciences topics and analysis
• Jobs and careers
• Language learning
• eBooks, Audiobooks, eMagazines, and streaming documentaries

According to the Association of College and Research Libraries, evidence suggests that students’ academic success, including improved student retention and enhanced academic experience, is linked to library usage.

For students that already have a regular library card, MyTRL can serve as a second library account with online-only privileges.

Students at North Thurston Public Schools, the Olympia School District, the Tumwater School District, the Tenino School District, Rainier School District, Griffin School District, Yelm Community Schools, Rochester School District, and Gravity Learning Center are already enrolled in the MyTRL program.  

TRL also offers special homeschool accounts that can be linked to existing accounts for easy access online with the same checkout and hold limits as regular cards. A current library card with a verified address is needed to qualify.

“We want to help provide children and teens the best education possible, whether they are learning at home or in a school building,” Heywood said.

To apply for a library card a person can visit any one of the 29 TRL libraries in the five-county region served by the library district to verify identity and other basic information. Parents may verify ID and information for minors.

• Basic card: Verifying ID allows patrons to check out up to 10 items and place 10 items on hold and access online resources.
• Regular card: If a current address is on the patron’s ID, or they supply another form of address verification, they can upgrade to a regular card. This allows patrons to borrow up to 50 items and place 50 items on hold and access online resources.

For more information visit TRL.org.