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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.