How to Get Your Books for Summer Reading

Did you know your GCS student ID works as a library card too? On the library website, you will use GCS followed by your student ID number (ex: gcs1234567) as your library card number. If you have trouble, call the library; one of the library staff there will be able to help you. That's what they're there for! If you're checking out a physical book from the library, one of the library staff can help you with the process of using your GCS ID to check out your books.

There are some limits with this method; you can only check out 3-5 items at a time with your student ID (compared to a larger limit with an official library card).

Once you have a library card...

You have several options for borrowing books:

• Go to the library and check out a physical copy; make sure you renew or return it on time! If someone else has the book checked out, you can place the book on hold so that you get it when it's available. (You can check availability, place a hold, or reserve a book online through the library's website.)

• Ebooks & Audiobooks - You can borrow ebooks and audiobooks from the library from your phone, tablet, or computer. There's no way to get late fees for these books, because at the end of the borrowing period, the item will automatically return to the library. (You can renew it to keep it longer.) 

  • Use the Libby app- This app lets you borrow the book or audiobook and then begin reading or listening right in the same app. This is the easiest way to get ebooks and audiobooks. (Libby also offers the option to send the ebooks to a Kindle or Kindle app on your phone for free if you prefer that--but the book is still temporary. At the end of the borrowing period, it will disappear from your Kindle/app!)

The public library will have nearly all of the books on the list available in at least one format.

In addition to books, ebooks, and audiobooks, your library card also provides free access to movies, music, and academic materials (databases for research, homework help, etc.).

This is by far the easiest option for getting your books for free.

As a student in a Guilford County School, you are eligible to have a library card in Greensboro or High Point (or both!), regardless of which city you live in. Getting a library card is free. (If you had a library card but have lost it, there is usually a replacement fee. For the Greensboro library system, the replacement fee is $1.) 

In the Greensboro system, anyone under the age of 18 will need a parent to sign for their library card. In High Point, you can get the card by yourself if you are 16 or older. Both libraries will ask you to show proof of identity and proof of residence. You can use a driver's license, or a photo ID plus a piece of mail that shows your current address (like a recent utilities bill). 

To see more about the policies for applying for a library card: Greensboro Public Library; High Point Public Library.

Once you have a library card...

You have several options for borrowing books:

• Go to the library and check out a physical copy; make sure you renew or return it on time to avoid late fees! (The Greensboro library has now eliminated late fees for books; you only have to pay for the book if you don't return it at all. However, you should still return the books in a timely manner to be courteous towards other readers who might want to borrow the book too.) If someone else has the book checked out, you can place the book on hold so that you get it when it's available. (You can check availability, place a hold, or reserve a book online through the library's website.)

• Ebooks & Audiobooks - You can borrow ebooks and audiobooks from the library from your phone, tablet, or computer. There's no way to get late fees for these books, because at the end of the borrowing period, the item will automatically return to the library. (You can renew it to keep it longer.) 

  • Use the Libby app- This app lets you borrow the book or audiobook and then begin reading or listening right in the same app. This is the easiest way to get ebooks and audiobooks. (Libby also offers the option to send the ebooks to a Kindle for free if you prefer that--but the book is still temporary. At the end of the borrowing period, it will disappear from your Kindle!)

The public library will have nearly all of the books available as physical copies, and many of the books available as ebooks and audiobooks.

In addition to books, ebooks, and audiobooks, your library card also provides free access to movies, music, and academic materials (databases for research, homework help, etc.).

SGHS Media Center has ebooks available that you can check out even during the summer. 

1. Download the Destiny Read app.

2. Select our state (NC) and then type in our school name (Southern Guilford High School) and select our school.

3. On the Log In page, you'll log in the exact same way that you log in to the school computers: your username is your student ID number (your lunch number), and your password is your birthday (8 digits: MMDDYYYY).

4. Browse or search, then check out the books you want to read. Our library has some of the books from the list, but not all.

Trouble logging in? Contact our media specialist, Ms. McConoughey, mcconor@gcsnc.com. 

Amazon - You can purchase a physical copy of the book or download an ebook. (Ebooks are often--but not always--cheaper.) Ebooks can be read on a computer, tablet, Kindle device, or on your smart phone (you'll need the Kindle app). You can also purchase audiobooks through Audible (which is owned by Amazon), but these are often expensive. (Sometimes you can get the audiobook as an add-on to the ebook for just a few dollars more, but usually an audiobook costs $15-20 unless you have an Audible subscription.) For a free audiobook option, see the library information above.

Barnes & Noble 

Thrift Books - Online used book store. They will have most of the books from the list. Buying used can often save money. 

McKay's Bookstore - Located at 1607 Battleground Avenue in Greensboro. Sells used books, so their prices are lower than Barnes & Noble. There's no option to shop online because their inventory changes every day. They will almost certainly have multiple copies of the older books from this list, and they might have a few of the more popular titles of the newer books.

Scuppernong Books - Independent bookstore located in downtown Greensboro. They are currently closed for in-store shopping until June 1, but they offer shipping and curbside pick-up. The staff are really helpful and knowledgeable; they may even be able to help recommend a book for you (just show them the website with the theme information). 

Wonderland Books - An independent bookstore that sells only children's and YA books. They will not have most of the adult novels or nonfiction on the list, but they will have many of the YA fiction novels. 

The Scribd website provides unlimited ebooks and audiobooks to subscribers for $10 per month. They have a lot of the books from the list (but not all). Think of it like Netflix: they have a lot of really popular stuff, but what they have available changes from time to time. 

Scribd offers a free 30 trial. If you want to use it, you can sign up, complete your summer reading, and then delete your account before it charges you any money. However, you will need to enter a credit/debit card or Paypal account to sign up for the free trial. This is not a great solution for everyone, but it is an option.

Audible is a website for purchasing audiobooks, owned by Amazon. You can purchase audiobooks individually (usually around $20), or pay a monthly subscription fee to get one ebook per month. If you only need one ebook, you can sign up for a free trial, pick your one ebook, and then cancel the subscription.

(Most of the time, you can get the same audiobooks through the public library.)

This article from Lifehacker describes several ways to get free ebooks during the COVID-19 closures. These deals may not be available all summer and may not have all books on the list, but you can try them out.