ConnectED - Student Library Accounts - Bellingham Public Library

Bellingham Public Library is working on a new partnership with the Bellingham Public Schools known as ConnectED, which gives students access to great educational resources and learning materials in our libraries and on the internet.

Through the partnership, student ID numbers are used as Bellingham Public Library accounts, allowing students to:

Borrow two physical items at a time, such as books, CDs or DVDs, from any public library location
Borrow five digital eBooks or eAudiobooks at a time
Borrow digital magazines
Use computers with internet access at any public library location
Access other educational resources, such as online research and study support, using the internet from school or home

This is in addition to, and separate from, a standard library card and account that a student may already have.

ConnectED FAQ

Digital content helps with reports and projects, including:

CultureGrams: A geography resource to help students learn about different countries, states, and provinces and experience the culture of those places. ConnectED barcodes must be entered with letters in ALL CAPS.
The Gale In Context databases present a wide variety of age-appropriate information in multiple formats – text, images, video, including primary sources. They are a great source for homework.
Mango Languages: Learn 70+ languages, including courses for ESL learners. Lessons contain reading, writing and listening components.

Encourage reading, with:

eBooks: Thousands of titles for every reading level with a wide range of topics and genres.
eAudiobooks: Take stories on the go!
Digital magazines: Over 150 titles from American Girl to Yoga.

Prepare for standardized tests and career exams, including:

Skills improvement for grade 4-12 in the areas of math, reading, history and social studies
AP Tests
PSAT, SAT & ACT
Career exams such as Cosmetology, Real Estate and Law Enforcement

ConnectED is an opt-out program, meaning all students will be automatically enrolled unless a parent/guardian contacts their child’s school librarian to opt-out. Note: many schools now consider a public library card an essential “school supply” and some teachers may be asking students to use ConnectED digital resources for assignments. If you are considering whether to opt your student out, please contact your school librarian or Bellingham Public Library with your concerns.

Your student can have both a regular library account and a student account. Both will enable access to eBooks and digital resources. The ConnectED account does limit students to checking out only two physical items at a time, so students may wish to use a standard account if they want to check out more than that.

The Bellingham Public Library no longer charges overdue fines for materials returned after the due date. See the Borrow Materials page for details. Electronic/digital checkouts expire after their checkout time has passed, so they are never overdue.

Yes! Student accounts will remain active during the summer.

Please visit your local public library with your student and apply for a regular library account. Borrowing limits are much higher than two at a time!

If your student is attending another school district, their student ID will no longer work as a library account. If you still live in Whatcom County, you are welcome to sign up for a standard library card and account.

The student’s ConnectED account will remain active until the start of the new school year. We encourage graduating seniors to get a standard library card and account.

If a student has difficulty signing in, give us a call and a staff member will troubleshoot. Or, send us an email and a staff member will contact you to troubleshoot the account and get it working.

Fantastic! Please contact your school librarian and they can facilitate that process.

District-issued laptops have an internet filter, even when students access wifi at the library, or any non-school access point. The public library internet stations do not have internet filtering.

Please chat with your school librarian or use our Ask Us! form to email your questions or feedback. We are happy to hear from you!