Library offers special educator card for teachers

A 2013 report by the National School Supply and Equipment Association found that, nationwide, teachers spent $1.6 billion of their own money on school supplies for their students. Not much has changed since then, and the teachers in Cleveland Heights–University Heights no doubt are part of this national trend.

However, teachers in the community don’t have to buy books, DVDs, CDs, and audiobooks from the Cleveland Heights-University Heights Public library. And in October, Heights Libraries made it even easier for teachers to use library materials to enhance their lessons plans by creating the Educator Card.

“With the Educator Card, teachers can check out most juvenile materials for twice as long as they could with a personal library card–that’s six weeks for books, audiobooks, and music CDs, and two weeks for Blu-Rays and DVDs,” says Youth Services Manager Sam Lapides. “It also allows teachers to keep their teaching materials separate from their personal.”

The card also gives teachers access to the new Educator Collection program. The Educator Collection program enables busy teachers to call the library or fill out an online form requesting up to 25 books on a topic of their choice. The collection will then be held for them at any branch.

“We have enormous respect for educators and want to help them succeed in the classroom, or at home, by making it easier for them to access supplemental materials,” say Lapides. “This program lets teachers draw upon the wide variety of materials owned by Heights Libraries at all reading levels. We hope these materials will help teachers enrich their students learning.”

The new Educator Card is available to anyone who teaches at public schools, private schools, and preschools, or who homeschools their children.

Teachers must apply in person at a Heights Libraries branch, and present a photo ID, proof of current address, and proof of educator status such as a school employee ID badge, pay stub from school employer, or a homeschool certification letter from the appropriate authority, such as the CHUH Board of Education or the Ohio Department of Education.

Educators and homeschooling parents can find more information here.