Homeschool benefits: Arapahoe Libraries
An Arapahoe Libraries card lets your family borrow 100 items at a time, with no overdue fines, plus free live online tutoring through HelpNow and an Educator Collection for teaching at home. Any Colorado resident with a photo ID and proof of address can get a card, and homeschool parents can request a homeschool consultation or librarian-picked materials through the educator and parent support form.
Who qualifies
Lives in Colorado
Arapahoe Libraries issues cards to any Colorado resident with a photo ID and proof of address, at a library location or through the online eCard signup.
Children can have their own card
A minor can start a temporary card online and convert it to a full-service card at a location. Parents are responsible for what a child borrows.
Homeschool parents use the support form
The educator and parent support form lists a homeschool consultation, parent workshops, book talks, and group student cards for preschool through grade 12.
Owes $10 or less
Unpaid fees over $10 block new checkouts.
What the card gives you
The limits come from Arapahoe Libraries' borrowing page and its educator and parent support page.
- Items checked out per card
- 100
- Holds per card
- 100
- Book loan
- 21 days, 3 renewals
- STEAM and Brain Box kits
- 21 days, 3 renewals
- Mobile hotspot
- 7 days, 3 renewals
- Overdue fines
- None
The support page still mentions take-home Chromebooks, but the borrowing page says that program has been retired, so do not plan on borrowing a laptop.
How to get the card and support
- Before you go
Get a card
Sign up online for an eCard or bring a photo ID and proof of address to any Arapahoe Libraries location.
- Three weeks ahead
Request a consultation or visit
Use the educator and parent support form for a homeschool consultation or parent workshop, at least three weeks before you need it.
- Two weeks ahead
Ask for materials
A librarian can pick materials on your topic and place them on hold for you to pick up within seven days.
- Each checkout
Return or auto-renew
Items renew automatically unless someone else is waiting. An item 40 days overdue is billed as lost until you return it.
What it includes
Included
- Books, movies, and audiobooks
- STEAM, Brain Box, and Storytime To Go kits
- Mobile hotspots
- HelpNow live online tutoring
- Homeschool consultations
Not included
- Take-home Chromebooks
- Overdue fines
Good to know
There is no homeschool card
Homeschool families use a regular full-service card, which already allows 100 checkouts and 100 holds, and can request a homeschool consultation through the educator support form.
Who to contact about the card
Arapahoe Libraries answers card, borrowing, and educator support questions by phone at 303-LIBRARY or through its contact form.
303-542-7279 Educator and parent support
Homeschool rules and statewide help in Colorado
Give written notice to a Colorado school district 14 days before starting and each year the program continues. Notice is not required before age 6; instruction need not begin until age 7 or continue after age 16.
Colorado sets these rules:
- Subjects: Provide at least 172 days of instruction averaging four instructional contact hours daily, covering reading, writing, speaking, mathematics, history, civics, literature, science, and regular instruction in the U.S. Constitution.
- Testing: Academic evaluation in grades 3, 5, 7, 9, and 11: standardized test or evaluation by a qualified person.
- Records: Permanently keep attendance, test or evaluation results, and required immunization records; produce them on 14 days’ written notice when the superintendent has probable cause to believe the program is noncompliant.
- Teachers: Instruction is provided by a parent or legal guardian, or an adult relative designated by the parent; no teaching license is required.
Read the Colorado homeschooling guide See statewide programs in Colorado
Questions parents ask
- Do we have to live in Arapahoe County to get an Arapahoe Libraries card?
- No. Visitors from outside Colorado can get a temporary card.
- What happens if we return books late?
- There are no overdue fines. After 40 days an item is billed at its replacement cost, and the charge is removed when you return it.
- Can my child get a card without me there?
- Yes, a temporary one. A minor can apply online for a temporary card that allows 10 items and 10 holds, then convert it at a location; the library mails a notice to parents who were not present.
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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