Education & Online Learning
Explore these online resources for free with your DBRL library card.
Adult Education Guide
Local Resources
- Center for English Language Learning
The University of Missouri offers high quality English language instruction to non-native speakers of English through the Center for English Language Learning (CELL). - Columbia Area Career Center Community Education
(573) 214-3803
Part of the Columbia Public School District, CACC provides online adult education services, including medical career and other professional certification exam preparation. The Career Center also offers free online and in-person classes for adult students trying to better their English language skills. - Conversation Partner Program
The Conversation Partner Program is part of the Asian Affairs Center at MU. It pairs Americans with visiting government officials, scholars and undergraduate students from Asia. - DBRL’s Educational Resources Guide
A catalog of learning tools from your library, including virtual programs, physical and digital collections, databases and free digital courses. - Excel Adult High School
Online high school program hosted by DBRL for adult students looking to earn a high school diploma. - Goodwill Excel Center
A local tuition free, in-person high school program aimed at adult students looking to obtain a high school diploma. - Language Partners
Language Partners is a program offered by the Women’s Center at MU. The purpose is to assist a non-native English speaker with conversational English, awareness of North American culture and knowledge of living in Columbia. - Moberly Area Community College (MACC) Adult Education & Literacy
660-263-4100 ext. 11382
MACC’s Adult Education and Literacy program is free to students. It offers individualized learning assistance for a variety of interests, including preparation for the HiSET.
Electronic Resources Available through DBRL
- LearningExpress Library
LearningExpress provides test preparation materials for elementary through adult level. Tests include the ACT, ASVAB, Civil Service, Cosmetology, EMS, Firefighter, GED, GMAT, GRE, HiSET, Law Enforcement, Paramedic, PPST, Real Estate, SAT, TOEFL, United States Citizenship and more. - LinkedIn Learning (formerly Lynda.com)
LinkedIn Learning offers video tutorials on technology skills, creative techniques, business strategies and other subject areas. Classes are taught by top experts and are set up so you can learn at your own pace. - Mango Languages
Mango Languages is an intuitive, easy to start language learning platform, with 500+ language learning resources for 70+ languages and 20+ ESL courses. (Must create a username and password to access learning tools.) - Universal Class
Universal Class offers over 500 online continuing education courses taught by real instructors with remote, 24/7 access so you can study on your schedule. (Must create a username and password to access.)
Other Online Courses and Tutorials
- HiSET Preparation from ETS
Free test preparation materials and practice tests for the HiSET. In 2014 the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) began using the HiSET test as its high school equivalency test, replacing the GED. - MOLearns – High School Equivalency (HSE) Testing
314-415-4935
In 2014, the HiSET test replaced the GED. MOLearns offers free HiSET preparation to Missouri residents. Participants need to be 17 years of age or older, have access to a computer with the Internet, have an email account, and be able to get to an onsite class to take placement tests. - ProLiteracy Education Network
This nonprofit organization provides free resources for people of all ages to build their math, reading, writing and English skills. HiSET/GED and US citizenship test preparation is available as well.
Other Programs in Missouri
- Missouri Adult Education and Literacy Program
573-751-1249
The Adult Education and Literacy Program has sites located throughout Missouri. Courses taught vary by site, but most provide HiSET preparation courses, English as a Second Language courses, as well as math, reading and writing instruction. - Adult Education and Literacy–Ozarks Technical Community College
417-447-8860
This program provides specialized instruction to help students build or refresh basic academic skills necessary for success. It is offered free of charge on OTC’s Springfield, Richwood Valley, Table Rock, Lebanon campuses and coming soon to Republic. Waynesville classes are through the Waynesville School District and online classes are through MOLearns.org.
Personal Enrichment
- University of Missouri Extension
Offers several noncredit programs including Master Naturalist, Master Pollinator Steward, Master Gardener and Missouri Woodland Steward programs. Registration fees vary depending on the program. - Osher Lifelong Learning Institute
The Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at the University of Missouri offers a variety of classes for adults 50 years of age or older. Please check the brochure and enrollment form available through the link above for current fees.
Bluebird Languages
LOG IN TO THIS RESOURCE. Offers lessons in over 160 languages with a large selection of native language settings so you can learn in your native tongue. Also available via app on Apple and Android devices after creating a personal account in a web browser.
Brainfuse Adult Learning Center
LOG IN TO THIS RESOURCE. Provides live, online tutoring and skill-building sessions for adult learners in a variety of subjects, including writing and test prep.
Brainfuse HelpNow
LOG IN TO THIS RESOURCE. Provides live, online tutoring for elementary through college students in a variety of subjects, including writing and test prep.
Digital Literacy
LOG IN TO THIS RESOURCE. Follow along with interactive activities using digital tools to create podcasts, multimedia presentations, social media campaigns and more; explore articles on digital citizenship and research skills; and learn the skills to navigate today’s virtual landscape.
ERIC
LOG IN TO THIS RESOURCE. The Education Resource Information Center provides bibliographic records of education-related journal articles and materials from other sources such as scholarly organizations, professional associations, research centers, and state and federal agencies.
Fiero Code
LOG IN TO THIS RESOURCE. Fiero Code is a fun and engaging way for patrons of all ages to learn web design and how to code in multiple languages at your own pace.
New user? Sign up for a free account using your library card number and PIN (your birthdate [MMDDYYYY] as the default).
To use this free service, you need to live in Boone or Callaway County and have a current Daniel Boone Regional Library card.
Homeschooling Guide
Library Resources
- Brainfuse HelpNow
Provides live, online tutoring for elementary through college students in a variety of subjects, including writing and test prep. - DBRL Early Childhood Connections
A Facebook group dedicated to highlighting local resources and programs that provide support and resources to parents. - DBRL’s Educational Resources Guide
A catalog of learning tools from your library, including virtual programs, physical and digital collections, databases and free digital courses. - LearningExpress Library
Provides test preparation materials for elementary through adult level, as well as math, reading comprehension and writing courses. - Universal Class
Offers online continuing education courses taught by real instructors in subjects like language arts, math, science and history. (Must create a username and password to access.) - Homework Help Databases
A list of our best subscription resources to help with schoolwork on subjects ranging from history and literature to science and math. Just use your DBRL library card to gain access.
State and Local Resources
Associations, Groups and Homeschooling Information
- Columbia Homeschooling Resource Group
CHRG is an organization for mid-Missouri homeschoolers offering supplemental educational and social activities. - Jefferson City Home Educators (JCHE)
A Christian-based group offering support, activities and homeschooling information for mid-Missouri families. - Jefferson City Secular Homeschooling Group (JCSHG)
An “inclusive, secular group” providing support for homeschooling families. - Mid-Missouri Co-op of Home Educators
- A2Z Homeschooling – Missouri
A listing of associations, events, publications, etc. centered in Missouri. - Families for Home Education
Represents and lobbies for home educators in Missouri.
Curriculum Support and Classes
- Columbia Area Career Center
Offers many classes for high schoolers, some of which can be taken for credit. - Heritage Academy
University-model school offering K-12 classes, designed to supplement homeschooling. - Missouri Digital Heritage Initiative
List of digitized collections specific to our state, as well as educational programs and curricula. - Missouri Course Access Program (MOCAP)
MOCAP offers online courses for K – 12 students statewide.
Things to Do
- Enns Entomology Museum
Located at the University of Missouri, this museum holds approximately 6 million specimens of insects, arachnids, and fossils. - Leisure Times
Online edition of Parks and Recreation’s activity guide, listing recreational classes and activities available for all ages. - Museum of Art and Archaeology
This museum frequently has special exhibitions, offers many options for tours, and has a number of education materials on its website. - National History Day in Missouri
A yearlong educational competition that provides opportunity for young people grades 6 – 12 to explore history and present their findings in a range of formats. - TRYPS (Theater Reaching Young People and Schools)
Community children’s theater company with a year-round production season.
National Resources
Associations, Groups and Homeschooling Information
- Finding Dulcinea: Homeschooling Web Guide
Offers resources covering different kinds of home-based schooling, legal aspects, teaching and test-prep resources, online homeschool communities and news. - Home School Legal Defense Association
Nonprofit home school advocacy organization providing legal information, including a summary analysis of the homeschooling law in Missouri. While many resources are free, legal advice, courses and some other tools are limited to paying members. - New York Times “Times Topics”: Home Schooling
Current news about home schooling, including commentary and archival articles published in The New York Times. - National Home Education Research Institute
NHERI conducts research and collects and analyzes statistics, facts and findings about home-based education.
Curriculum Support
- American Library Association Book Lists – Children
- American Library Association Book Lists – Young Adults
- Coursera
Offers free online courses from partner universities and educational organizations on topics spanning the humanities, medicine, biology, social sciences, mathematics, business, computer science, and many others. Many courses are suitable for high school students. - Database of Award-Winning Children’s Literature
Use this fully-searchable database to create a tailored reading list of quality children’s literature or to find out if a book has won one of the indexed awards. - Enchanted Learning
Curriculum support items, including coloring pages, unit studies, science fair projects and more. Click free sample pages for resources available to non-members. - iCivics: The Democracy Lab
Georgetown Law’s web-based education project uses games and simulations to teach civics to students. Includes curriculum units for teachers. - Khan Academy
A free online collection of over 2,800 micro lectures via video tutorials stored on YouTube teaching mathematics, history, finance, physics, chemistry, etc. for all ages. - Library of Congress Digital Collections
Provides free and open access to written and spoken word, sound recordings, still and moving images, prints, maps, and sheet music that document the American experience. - The World Factbook
From the CIA, information on the history, people, government, economy, geography, communications, transportation, military and transnational issues for 266 world entities.
Homework Help Guide
These online learning tools and research websites are all off-site resources available for free with your library card.
Authors & Books
- Books & Authors
Find a new author or a whole new series tailored to your reading taste. Can limit search to young adults or children. - Book Collection: Nonfiction – Middle School Edition
Search the full text of more than 3,100 popular nonfiction books for middle school students on subjects like health, life skills, ethnicity, sports, adventure, technology, history, science and more. - Book Collection: Nonfiction – Elementary Edition
Search the full text of more than 1,300 popular nonfiction books for elementary school students on subjects like animals, weather, holidays, sports, Native Americans and more. - Literature Resource Center
Critical essays and biographical information on more than 165,000 authors. Can limit search by “target audience” (including children). - eBook Collection (EBSCOhost)
Online collection of 88,000 e-books. (Formerly NetLibrary.) - Novelist
Search for works by a favorite author, readalikes and book discussion guides.
General Research
- AccessScience
McGraw-Hill’s Encyclopedia of Science and Technology. - Biography in Context
Biographies on more than 5,100 people. - CultureGrams Online
CultureGrams Online offers World, Kids, Canadian Provinces and U.S. States editions in which you’ll find maps, statistics, photo galleries, famous people and recipe collections. - MAS Ultra – School Edition
Designed for high school students, this database contains full text articles, biographies, primary source documents, reference books and images on topics ranging from science, history and literature to political science, career exploration and more. - Middle Search Plus
Designed for junior high and middle school students, this database features full text for magazines, biographies and historical essays; primary source documents; the Funk & Wagnalls New World Encyclopedia; American Heritage Dictionary; and photos, maps and flags. - World Book Online Reference Center
Every article from the print encyclopedia enhanced with state-of-the-art multimedia, maps, and more. Includes Spanish Student Discovery Encyclopedia, World Book Kids and World Book Reference Center.
History & Geography
- A to Z the USA
Information about each state and U.S. territory, including climate, weather, demographics, geography, history and historical images. - African-American History Online
Provides expansive and in-depth information on the people, events, and topics important to the study of African-American history. - American History Online
Spans more than 500 years of political, military, social, and cultural history, highlighting the important people and events of the American experience. - American Indian History Online
Offers thorough access to more than 15,000 years of Native American culture, history, and heritage. - American Women’s History Online
Covers the important people, events, legislation, and issues relevant to the study of women’s history in the United States. - Ancient and Medieval History Online
Explores the pre-modern world with in-depth focus on Egypt, Mesopotamia, Greece, Rome, Africa, Europe, the Americas, and Asia. - Issues and Controversies in American History
Builds a deeper understanding of how historical events have shaped our nation by exploring the key players and the battles they fought. - Modern World History Online
Covers the people, places, and events in the broad expanse of history–from mid-15th century to the present. - U.S. Government Online
Presents in-depth information on the structure and function of the U.S. government and its everyday role in the lives of citizens.
Magazines & Newspapers
- MasterFILE Premier
Provides full text and images from a wide range of general interest magazines. - NewsBank
Full-text articles from the Fulton Sun and other American newspapers. - Newspaper Source
Cover-to-cover full text for more than 40 national and international newspapers as well as selective full text for more than 389 regional papers, including the Columbia Daily Tribune. - SIRS Issues Researcher
General reference database containing thousands of full-text articles exploring social, scientific, health, historic, business, economic, political and global issues.
Practice Tests, Exercises, & Tutoring
- Brainfuse HelpNow
Provides live, online tutoring for elementary through college students in a variety of subjects, including writing and test prep. - Learning Express Library
Learning Express provides test preparation materials for elementary through adult level. Also includes sections useful for elementary school, middle school, and high school skills improvement, with diagnostic tests and practice exercises as well as math, reading comprehension and writing courses. -
Parks and Recreation
Open Monday-Friday from 3-7 pm during the school year. Many of the volunteer tutors are provided by MU’s Office of Service Learning. Call to confirm: 573.817.5077. There are no appointments.
Location: Armory Sports Center – Downstairs
701 E. Ash Street, Columbia MO.
LearningExpress
LOG IN TO THIS RESOURCE. Access a breadth of academic and career preparatory tools, including résumé and cover letter builders, as well as test preparation materials for elementary through adult level. Includes the ACT, ASVAB, civil service, EMS, firefighter, GED, GMAT, GRE, law enforcement, paramedic, PPST, real estate, SAT, United States citizenship and more.
LinkedIn Learning
LOG IN TO THIS RESOURCE. LinkedIn Learning offers video tutorials on technology skills, creative techniques, business strategies and other subject areas. Classes are taught by top experts and are set up so you can learn at your own pace.
LOTE4Kids
LOG IN TO THIS RESOURCE. LOTE4Kids (Languages Other Than English) offers hundreds of animated stories in various languages. Listen to and read along with over 4,500 stories in over 70 languages, including various sign languages.
Mango Languages
LOG IN TO THIS RESOURCE. Explore learning tools to help you prepare for realistic conversations in over 70 world languages.
Niche Academy
LOG IN TO THIS RESOURCE. View online video tutorials on how to use digital collections and services such as OverDrive, Hoopla, Consumer Reports, Morningstar and Universal Class.
Read It!
LOG IN TO THIS RESOURCE. Designed for middle and high school students and English Language Learners that need background knowledge in a variety of subjects. Topics covered include: history, civics & culture, life skills, literature and science. Each article is short and includes photos, diagrams and maps. A “Listen” feature highlights words as they are read. A “Translate” feature offers translation into 34 different languages.
Test Prep Guide
Practice Tests
- LearningExpress Library
Learning Express provides test preparation materials for elementary through adult level. Tests include the ACT, ASVAB, Civil Service, Cosmetology, EMS, Firefighter, GED, GMAT, GRE, HiSET, Law Enforcement, Paramedic, PPST, Real Estate, SAT, TOEFL, United States Citizenship and more. - ACT Student
Online ACT test preparation offers free practice questions and two complete ACT practice tests that are fee-based. - College Board
Free practice questions are available for SAT, PSAT/NMSQT, AP, and CLEP. Online and paper study guides are available to purchase. - ETS: Educational Testing Service
This site offers free links to practice questions for several standard tests such as GRE, HiSET, TOEFL and other tests. Test preparation guides are also available for purchase. - Study Guide Zone
Free site offers study guides to over 40 high school, college, graduate and vocational standardized tests. - Test Prep Review
This free service provides practice test questions for ACT, PSAT, SAT, GRE and over 60 other standardized tests.
GED / HiSET
- NOTE: In 2014 the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) began using the HiSET test as its high school equivalency test, replacing the GED. See DESE’s website for more information.
- HiSET Preparation from ETS
Free test preparation materials and practice tests for the HiSET. - Moberly Area Community College (MACC) Adult Education & Literacy
1-660-263-4100
MACC’s Adult Education and Literacy program is free to students. It offers individualized learning assistance for a variety of interests, including preparation for the HiSET. - MOLearns – High School Equivalency (HSE) Testing
314-415-4935
MOLearns offers free HiSET preparation to Missouri residents. Participants need to be 17 years of age or older, have access to a computer with the Internet, have an email account, and be able to get to an onsite class to take placement tests.
GRE
- Graduate Record Exam (GRE) Information
Find test centers, information about the GRE, and register to take the test.
TOEFL
- Educational Testing Service
This site offers free links to practice questions for TOEFL.
Tests: Classroom, Online or Tutor
- Adult Basic Education – Callaway County
(573) 659-3122
HiSET classes are free and open to anyone who is over 16 and not currently enrolled in any public school. Classes are open enrollment and you work at your own pace. A state certified teacher facilitates evening classes to assist the student when necessary. The classes help the student to prepare for the HiSET exam, learn to read, improve workplace performance skills, or just brush up on the basics. Attendance and performance records are kept confidential. - Brainfuse Online Tutoring
Brainfuse is an online platform offered through the library that contains resources for test prep, as well as online tutoring in a variety of subjects and education levels. - Columbia Area Career Center
Columbia Area Career Center offers a wide variety of Business, Industry courses and Career certification programs. Classes include EPA Refrigeration Handlers, EPA Automotive Air Conditioning, Journeyman Electrician, A+ Certification and Network+ Certification, Accounting, Bookkeeping, Graphic Design, Home Inspection, Medical Coding, Medical Transcription, PC Repair and more. All classes are fee-based. - HiSET Preparation from ETS
Free test preparation materials and practice tests for the HiSET (replaced the GED in 2014). - Kaplan Test Prep
(800) 527-8378 and (800) KAP-TEST
Kaplan offers a large variety of high school, college, graduate and professional test classes. This is a commercial site that offers classroom, online and tutoring for a fee.
Universal Class
LOG IN TO THIS RESOURCE. Offers over 600 free online continuing education courses taught by real instructors with remote, 24/7 access so you can study on your schedule.