Homeschool benefits and savings in Municipality of Anchorage
An Anchorage Public Library card lets you check out up to 50 items at a time, including hands-on STEM kits and Library in a Box kits, with no overdue fines on library materials. Anchorage residents get one by registering online and bringing photo ID and proof of residency to any branch.
Who qualifies
Lives in Anchorage
The card is for residents of the Municipality of Anchorage. Bring photo ID and proof of residency to any branch to verify the account.
Has a parent present
A child can get a limited card alone, with 3 items and online resources. For full privileges, a parent or guardian brings ID and authorizes the full checkout limit; the child does not need to come.
Keeps fees under $25
An account with $25 in partner-library late fines or replacement and damage fees is blocked until items are returned or fees are paid.
What the card gives you
The limits come from Anchorage Public Library's borrowing limits for Anchorage residents and its STEM kit page.
- Physical items out at once
- 50
- Holds at a time
- 10
- STEM kits per household
- 2, for 3 weeks
- Library in a Box kits per card
- 2, for 6 weeks
- Hoopla digital checkouts
- 4 a month
- Libby ebooks and audiobooks out
- 7
STEM kits and Library in a Box kits must be returned to a desk inside a library, not the automated return, and Library in a Box kits cannot be renewed.
How to get the card
- Before you go
Register online
Fill out the library card registration form on the Anchorage Public Library site.
- At the branch
Verify your account
Bring photo ID and proof of residency to the front desk at any branch to get the card. Add full privileges for your child at the same visit.
- Each checkout
Return or renew on time
Books are due in 21 days and most items can be renewed twice. There are no overdue fines on library items, but every item still has a due date.
- Every three years
Renew the card
Renew in person or by calling 907-343-2975, option 4.
What it includes
Included
- Books, DVDs, and audiobooks
- STEM kits with robots, circuits, and microscopes
- Library in a Box theme kits
- Hoopla and Libby digital titles
- Internet computers
Not included
- Late fines on partner-library and interlibrary loan items
- Renewals on magazines and Library in a Box kits
- More than 3 items on an unverified or ASD student card
STEM kits are built to match Anchorage School District science standards and include a hands-on item, books, and a discovery sheet.
Good to know
There is no homeschool card
The library lists no homeschool or educator card, so homeschool families use a regular Anchorage resident card, which already allows 50 items at a time.
ASD student cards allow only three items
ASD student cards are limited to three items. To borrow more, come in with your child's guardian and open a traditional public library account; a student can hold both.
Two STEM kits per household
You can borrow two kits per household for three weeks, with renewals when demand allows. Pick them up at the Loussac Library Youth Services desk or put them on hold for any branch.
Who to contact about the card
The library's account line answers questions about cards, PINs, and renewals.
Homeschool rules and statewide help in Alaska
You do not have to file a homeschool notice.
Alaska sets these rules:
- Subjects: Alaska does not require specific subjects or a particular curriculum.
- Testing: Alaska does not require standardized testing for homeschoolers.
- Records: Alaska does not require homeschool records.
- Teachers: Alaska does not require a teaching certificate or degree to homeschool your own child.
Read the Alaska homeschooling guide See statewide programs in Alaska
Questions parents ask
- What if we return something late?
- Nothing, for library-owned items. Anchorage Public Library has no overdue fines on its own materials, but items from partner libraries and interlibrary loan can still carry late fines.
- What happens if we lose the card?
- Bring photo ID to any branch and staff will cancel it and issue a replacement free of charge.
Turn support into your child’s next lesson
Books and library resources give your child something to explore. We turn their interests into coursework, so library discoveries can lead to deeper study at home.
$149/month per child after the trial.
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