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Teacher and Student Cards

Teacher and student cards can be created like any other card; however, there are a few conditions to take into consideration before creating one. Learn how student cards need to comply with the Student Online Protection Act (SOPPA) and how to create a school partnership, including an Intergovernmental Agreement (IGA) template. 

Teacher Cards

Public libraries in SWAN will make a local decision on whether or not to issue library cards to school teachers. If your library has decided to issue a teacher card, follow the instructions below.  Please note that a teacher card cannot be used to circumvent residency. The teacher must have a pre-existing valid public library card in the SWAN patron database (either a SWAN library or a reciprocal borrower). Here are reasons to provide these cards, including:

  • Cards to access online subscription databases used by local students at the local public library
  • Acquiring supplemental material through the local public library
  • Acquiring material via ILL or as a reciprocal borrower
  • Promoting library value and use in the classroom

Teacher card settings and limits

Teacher cards will automatically expire on August 15th of the next school year. For example, a teacher card created on July 26th, 2021 will expire on August 15th, 2022. The expiration date will automatically be assigned when using the TEACHER user profile. 

  • Checkout Limit = 200
  • Hold Limit = 50
  • Bill Threshold = $10
  • Expiration Date - will be set to expire on August 15, 20xx (will be set each June for the next August to accommodate teachers renewing their cards for the next school year at the end of the current year)
  • The card can be used at any SWAN library
  • The circulation rule follows your library's default circulation rule, unless an additional rule is requested for the TEACHER profile at your library

Creating a teacher card

Use the User Registration Wizard to create a teacher account and enter the User ID.

1. Select the Profile name: TEACHER

2. Enter the patron's first name
3. Enter the patron's last name
4. Make sure the Library has your agency code
5. Make sure the Profile name is set to TEACHER

6. Check that the Privilege expires is set to August 15th of the upcoming year. This is automatically populated.

In the Demographics tab, you can select a Type of TEACHER. This is strictly for statistical reports and does not have to be used.

7. Address 1 should have the patron's school information, including the patron's school email address. 

8. Address 2 should be the patron's home address, email, and phone number. Address 2 should also be selected as the Primary Address at the top of the Address tab, if the teacher would like to be contacted through their personal contact information for notices. If they prefer to receive notices related to their teacher card activity at their school, make Address 1 primary.


9. Check Duplicate User 

The legality of teacher cards based around non-residency or requiring an intergovernmental agreement between the public library and the local school is a somewhat new topic. The Illinois Library Association has some guidelines on their website but they also have some of the details behind their member’s only section. Some public libraries decided to no longer offer teacher cards based on the ILA recommendation. RAILS has created some guidance around this topic of agreements between public libraries and schools, so it is important to consult with the material they have provided (they have template agreements for download).

SWAN is not able to provide legal advice in this area as we rely on our public library local leadership to have decided on how to manage the issuing of teacher cards. SWAN typically honors requests to configure the ILS for the library around various card types. SWAN does not require a public library using teacher cards to show they have an IGA with the school. 

NOTE: Teacher cards should not be issued without a pre-existing valid public library card in the SWAN patron database. This existing public library card can be from any SWAN library, or a reciprocal borrowing card from an Illinois library not in the SWAN membership. 

If a library has a formal IGA in place in compliance with state guidelines, this requirement may be superseded by local arrangements.

Student Online Protection Act-Student Cards

Student cards are created to support students within a public library's school district service area. Student card information is shared by the educational institution directly with the public library, when full parental authorization for a standard public library card is not received.

SWAN libraries must adhere to legal requirements, including SOPPA (Student Online Personal Protection Act), when creating student cards.

If a public library has a signed parental/guardian authorization form with student information provided by the adult on the application, the card created will be a regular library card issued by the library. In this case, the agreement is between the public library and the parent/guardian. 

Effective July 1, 2021, the school district will be required by the Student Online Personal Protection Act (SOPPA) to provide additional guarantees that student data is protected when collected by educational technology companies, and that data is used for beneficial purposes only (105 ILCS 85).

SOPPA applies to all Illinois school districts, the Illinois State Board of Education, and operators of online services and applications. It is the responsibility of the school district sharing information with an outside organization, including SWAN and any SWAN library member, to enter into a written agreement with the service provider collecting that information. 

Working with our SWAN library member, Bensenville School District #2, SWAN has entered into an IL-NDPA (Illinois - National Data Privacy Agreement) with Bensenville School District #2. This agreement is a master agreement with BSD#2 which other school districts may "piggyback" on this original agreement. This means that the paperwork is on record and filed with the National Registry of Privacy Agreements. Any school/school district providing information to a SWAN library must also have an agreement in place. This requires minimal coordination since the IL-NDPA between Bensenville School District #2 and SWAN is already in place. All SWAN member libraries are listed in this agreement as trusted partners with access to the information contained in our shared patron database.

Submit a support ticket if your library is receiving student data directly from schools/school districts so that we can assist in meeting legal requirements.

Websites, online services, and mobile apps that are designed, marketed, and used for K-12 school purposes must comply with SOPPA regardless of whether they have a contract with a school or district. 

SWAN is SOPPA compliant based on the following:

  • Not using collected data to provide targeted ads;
  • Not profiling students except in furtherance of school purposes;
  • Not selling or renting student information;
  • Not disclosing information unless required to by law or as part of the maintenance and development of services;
  • Using sound security practices;
  • Deleting student data when requested by the school or district;
  • Publicly disclosing information about its use, terms of service, agreement, and privacy policy;
  • Entered into a written agreement with the school district.

The Illinois Student Privacy Alliance is for Illinois school districts to ensure their compliance with SOPPA. SWAN undertook steps to comply with the Alliance, which can then be used by other school districts.

  1. Join the Illinois Student Privacy Alliance
  2. Review the Standard Student Data Privacy Agreement (DPA) between SWAN and Bensenville School District
  3. School districts can use the Exhibit E of the DPA to enter into the same protections.
  4. After Exhibit E is approved by the school, they can upload the signed agreement under their institution to the Illinois Student Privacy Alliance.

There is no need for SWAN and the school district to enter into an individual DPA since that step has been completed. 

School Partnerships

An intergovernmental Agreement (IGA) allows public libraries to provide services to schools within their service area, including but not limited to, individual teacher cards and student access to resources. Libraries may not have IGAs in place, but still work in partnership with local schools supporting student and teacher cards. SWAN libraries adhere to policy and legal requirements when working with school populations.

A teacher card is an individual card for a teacher who provides instruction at a school district or school library within a SWAN library's service area. Public libraries may create teacher cards for patrons existing within the SWAN patron database for the sole purpose of circulating material for educational support. In other words, if the public library so chooses, they may create teacher cards for patrons who teach within their service area. This teacher card may be in addition to their regular patron library card at the same library, within SWAN, or outside SWAN and will be designed for school use only.

A student card is issued to a student upon the request of and based on information provided by, a school/school district within the library's service area. Parent/guardians of these students have not expressly authorized/signed for creation of a public library card in the child's name as a direct agreement between the parent/guardian and the public library.

An intergovernmental agreement is an agreement that is made between two or more governments in cooperation to solve problems of mutual concern. When setting up agreements with local schools/school districts an intergovernmental agreement (IGA) is recommended to outline the mutual services and benefits afforded to partners in the agreement.  

Resources for your investigation of intergovernmental agreements 

Contact help@swanlibraries.net if batch loading for student records is needed, or if teacher cards need to have specific loan rules, based on your Intergovernmental Agreement (IGA). 

Intergovernmental agreement template

Customize the Word document to reflect your library and local school and/or school district, including dates and agreement term period. Legal counsel should review the document before it is approved and signed by the entities. 

Libraries working with schools/school districts should provide wording that acknowledges disclosure of personal information and parental responsibility when authorizing the public library to create a full patron card for the child.  If the library provides card registration approval forms within school packets, the library's patron registration form, should be included. In addition, the following language allows the school to share student information with the public library for purposes of creating a library card. 

Allow my student's registration information to be shared with the [public library name] for the [yy/yy] school year. The library will use this information to create a [public library name] library card for my student(s). This information is used to provide access to information and services provided by the library.

Terminology and distinction in card type:

  • Library Card - created for a minor using the library's general patron profiles. This library cardholder is often referred to as a juvenile cardholder. Some libraries distinguish between adult and juvenile cards.
  • Student Card - created for a student without parent/guardian authorization. This student card is created to provide classroom support services and will use a special STUDENT profile. Limited demographic information is entered into the SWAN patron database. 

See the documentation on Student Cards for additional information on laws, including SOPPA (Student Online Personal Protection Act) and support for students.