Information on this page is meant to connect folks with many of the free resources online providers are adding during this time to assist people sheltering at home enjoy online leisure and de-stressing activities.
Instantly stream an incredible collection of stories, including titles across six different languages, to help kids continue dreaming, learning, and just being kids. As long as schools are closed, all stories are free to stream on your desktop, laptop, phone or tablet.
Inspired by its namesake, The Decameron, a 14th-century masterwork by the Italian writer Giovanni Boccaccio, this project aims to provide readers with a new donation-supported short story or novel excerpt every day as long as the world is under threat by the coronavirus
In every episode, host LeVar Burton (Roots, Reading Rainbow, Star Trek) invites you to take a break from your daily life, and dive into a great story. LeVar’s narration blends with gorgeous soundscapes to bring stories by Neil Gaiman, Haruki Murakami, Octavia Butler, Ray Bradbury and more to life. (A podcast meant for adults, and possibly young adults, depending on maturity level)
Immerse yourself in a single poem, guided by Pádraig Ó Tuama. Short and unhurried; contemplative and energizing. Anchor your week by listening to the everyday poetry of your life, with new episodes on Monday and Friday during the season. (podcast)
If you work in a library that owns old books, or have bought used books that used to be library copies, Book Traces wants to see what makes them special. University of Virginia invites readers to send images and citations of marked copies of library books published prior to 1923.
Indexing projects from all over the world, with the projects broken down by region, and in some cases individual countries. Great practice for someone trying to find information on their own family trees, or wanting to help others locate information.
Be a virtual volunteer!
Anyone can contribute. Improve access to history by transcribing, reviewing, and tagging Library of Congress documents. (Projects include: women's suffrage, Lincoln letters, the Blackwell family, Alan Lomax, and more.)
Read and record a book in the public domain to create an audiobook for anyone to listen. In return, you can also listen to audiobooks other people have recorded. Great for performers, readers, and anyone who wants to preserve stories—as well as those interested in increasing access to audio material for the blind and those with print disabilities.
NASA’s citizen science projects are collaborations between scientists and interested members of the public. Through these collaborations, volunteers (known as citizen scientists) have helped make thousands of important scientific discoveries.
A wide range of science, humanities, and cultural heritage projects such as animal identification tasks, transcription, disaster response projects, and planet hunting.
Join the Cincinnati Zoo for a Home Safari through Facebook Live each weekday at 3pm ET where we will highlight one of our amazing animals and include an activity you can do from home. Posted later to the zoo's Youtube channel
Be delighted by the antics of our sea otters or mellow out to the hypnotic drifting of jellies. With ten live cams to choose from, you can experience the wonder of the ocean no matter where you are
The Art Institute of Chicago is pleased to offer free, unrestricted use of over 50,000 images of works in the collection believed to be in the public domain or to which the museum otherwise waives any copyright it might have
Six short videos invites viewers around the world to virtually visit The Met's art and architecture in a fresh, immersive way. Created using spherical 360° technology, it allows viewers to explore some of the Museum's iconic spaces as never before
14 municipal museums of Paris, including the Musée d’Art Moderne de la Ville de Paris, Petit Palais, and the Catacombs. Users can download a file that contains a high definition (300 DPI) image, a document with details about the selected work, and a guide of best practices for using and citing the sources of the image
A roundup of virtual performances for young audiences, online education programs, and digital content—offered during an unprecedented time when children can't physically visit the theatre, the rehearsal room, or the classroom.
Free adventures and resources for use in your games—whether you’re playing in a kitchen table campaign, you're an active participant in the D&D Adventurers League, or are simply interested in learning more about Dungeons & Dragons and trying it out for yourself. Content added each week day.
