The New York Public Library is an amazing place for book aficionados. The collection of materials is great as is the architecture of the NYPL building. (Somewhere I have a picture of myself next to one of those lions).

I’m writing about the New York Public Library today because NYPL.org has recently launched an iTunes channel full of free digital resources that teachers and students will find useful. Included in the collection are book talks, interviews with famous and influential people, and famous and noteworthy artistic performances. If you don’t have access to iTunes, you can access most of the same resources on the NYPL website.

Applications for Education
The digital collection of NYPL has something for almost every teacher. As a history teacher, the items that stuck out to me were the history of jazz resources and the interview with Bill Clinton about “destroying the color line.” Literature teachers will find the conversations with notable authors as well discussions about notable books to be useful.

Finally, the “Turn it Up” teen podcasts by teens for teens gives students an opportunity to hear the opinions of their peers on a variety of timely topics. In fact, the entire Teen Link section of NYPL.org is a full of resources designed for students to access.