Homeschool benefits and savings in Hercules
The Hercules Library reserves its Homeschool Resource Center room for homeschool families from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Tuesday through Friday, at no charge: sign in at the front desk to use it. Contra Costa County Library also issues homeschooling educators a separate Institution Card with long checkouts when you show a homeschooling affidavit.
Hercules Library homeschool resource center
Who qualifies
Is a homeschooling family
The room is reserved for homeschool families during the posted hours. The library page lists no other proof for the room beyond signing in.
Signs in at the front desk
Check in with staff at the Hercules Library front desk each time you want to use the room.
Shows proof for an Institution Card
For the separate Institution Card, bring a photo ID, home address verification, proof of California residency, and a homeschooling affidavit or a document showing your homeschool's affiliation with an educational institution.
What the library gives you
The room hours come from the Hercules Library page, and the card terms come from Contra Costa County Library's Teachers and Educators page.
- Homeschool Resource Center room
- Tue-Fri, 10 a.m.-2 p.m.
- Room cost
- Free
- Institution Card checkout
- 9 weeks, no renewals
- Institution Card length
- 1 year, re-verify to renew
- Institution Cards per person
- 1, plus your personal card
The Teachers and Educators page also describes a 6-week loan period for classroom use, so ask staff which applies when you get the card.
How to use the room
- Tuesday to Friday
Visit during homeschool hours
Come to the Hercules Library at 109 Civic Drive between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m., when the room is reserved for homeschool families.
- Each visit
Sign in at the front desk
Library staff ask homeschool families to sign in before using the room.
- Any branch
Ask for an Institution Card
Bring your ID, address verification, a printed signed form, and your homeschooling affidavit to any Contra Costa County Library location.
- Each year
Re-verify the card
The Institution Card expires after one year and does not renew automatically, so bring current documents to keep it.
What it includes
Included
- A reserved room for homeschool families
- Long-term checkouts on an Institution Card
- OverDrive and Libby e-books on the Institution Card
- Library databases, as vendors allow
Not included
- Room use outside 10 a.m.-2 p.m., Tuesday through Friday
- Renewals on Institution Card items
- Computers and printing on the Institution Card
Who to contact about the room
Hercules Library staff run the Homeschool Resource Center sign-in and can answer questions about the room and library cards.
510-245-2420 About Hercules Library
Contra Costa County Library homeschool institution card
Who qualifies
Teaches as a homeschooling educator
Homeschooling educators are eligible, along with school staff and community service organization volunteers. Show a homeschooling affidavit or documentation of homeschool affiliation with an educational institution.
Lives in California
The Institution Card requires California residency.
Brings ID and address proof
Bring a photo ID, proof of your home and work addresses, and the printed Institution Card form with your signature.
Uses it for teaching
The account is for materials you use with your students, separate from your family's personal borrowing.
What the card gives you
The terms come from Contra Costa County Library's Teachers and Educators page and its account policies.
- Standard loan period
- 9 weeks
- Lucky Day items and some kits
- Shorter loans
- Renewals
- None
- Libby and OverDrive e-materials
- Included
- Account length
- 1 year
- Lost book, CD, or DVD
- Price or $25, plus $10
Because Institution items cannot be renewed, the library starts them on a long loan so holds from other patrons do not cut your use short.
How to get the card
- Before you go
Gather your documents
Print and sign the Institution Card form, and bring a photo ID, proof of address, and your homeschooling affidavit or affiliation document.
- At any branch
Open the account
Any Contra Costa County Library location can set up the Institution account next to your personal card.
- Each checkout
Return on time
Borrowing stops when an account owes $10 or more or has an item 30 or more days overdue.
- After one year
Re-verify in person
The Institution Card does not renew automatically. Bring current proof of homeschooling to keep it.
What it includes
Included
- Books and media for teaching
- Libby and OverDrive e-materials
- Databases, where vendors allow
Not included
- Renewals
- Computers and printing
- Various kits
- LINK+ and Discover & Go
- Kanopy and Hoopla
Good to know
You keep your regular card
Each eligible person can hold one personal account and one Institution account, and your personal card is still the one to use for LINK+, Kanopy, Hoopla, and Discover & Go.
Who to contact about the card
Library staff answer account questions by phone and through the online contact form.
Homeschool rules and statewide help in California
For the home-based private-school pathway, file the Private School Affidavit during the October 1–15 annual filing period. New schools may use the online filing system during its separate August 1–June 30 opening window. Other legal pathways have their own rules.
California sets these rules:
- Subjects: The private-school pathway must provide instruction in English in the branches of study required for public schools; the parent chooses the materials and course sequence.
- Testing: California does not impose a statewide standardized-testing requirement on private-school students.
- Records: Private schools must keep the records required by California law, including attendance and faculty information.
- Teachers: Private-school instructors must be capable of teaching; California does not issue a separate homeschool-parent credential.
Read the California homeschooling guide See statewide programs in California
Questions parents ask
- Do we need to live in Hercules to use the room?
- Not according to the library page, which sets no residency rule for the room and asks only that homeschool families sign in at the front desk. Call the library to confirm before driving over.
- Do we need a reservation for the Hercules Homeschool Resource Center?
- No. The room is held for homeschool families during the posted hours, and you sign in when you arrive.
- Does Contra Costa County Library charge overdue fines?
- No daily fines. At 30 days overdue an item is set to lost, you are billed, and the account is blocked until it is settled.
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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