Homeschool benefits: Fort Collins and Poudre Libraries
A Poudre River Public Library District Teacher Library Card lets homeschooling parents borrow up to 100 items, including 20 DVDs and 20 magazines, with six-week loans on books and up to 20 holds. You qualify if you live or work in the Poudre School District (PSD) area and bring proof of current homeschooling status from PSD's Student Outreach Department.
Who qualifies
Homeschools your child
The library names parents who homeschool as eligible, along with preschool, day care, and public, private, and charter school teachers.
Lives or works in PSD
The library district's legal service area is the same as Poudre School District's boundaries.
Shows homeschool proof
Bring proof of current homeschooling status, which PSD's Student Outreach Department provides.
Has no unpaid fees
The card must be clear of fees to renew each year.
What the card gives you
The limits come from Poudre Libraries' library card page, in the Teacher Card section.
- Items out at once
- 100
- DVDs and magazines
- 20 of each
- Holds
- 20
- Books, magazines, audio CDs, and Tales Kits
- 6 weeks
- Book Club Kits
- 12 weeks
- Renewals on most items
- Up to 3
The Teacher card is for classroom and professional support, not personal borrowing, and it cannot check out Lucky Day, Here and Now, or Gadgets & Things items.
How to get the card
- Before you go
Get proof from PSD
Ask PSD's Student Outreach Department for proof of current homeschooling status.
- At the library
Apply for the card
Show your homeschool proof to library staff and ask for a Teacher Library Card.
- Each checkout
Renew or return
Items renew automatically unless someone placed a hold or your account is blocked. You can also renew in My Account or by phone.
- By September 30
Renew the card
Teacher cards expire every September 30. Clear any fees, then renew for the new school year.
What it includes
Included
- Books, magazines, audio CDs, and Tales Kits
- DVDs
- Book Club Kits
- Interlibrary loan and Prospector items
Not included
- Lucky Day collection
- Here and Now collection
- Gadgets & Things
- Personal borrowing
Good to know
Use your regular card for personal books
The card is meant for teaching, and the library asks that it not be used for personal borrowing. Use your regular library card for that.
Who to contact about the card
Library staff answer questions about Teacher cards and renew items by phone.
970-221-6740 Teacher card details
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
- Where do we get free printing and databases if not on the Teacher card?
- On a regular All-Access card, which also allows 100 physical checkouts and 20 holds, free printing, public computers, and databases. You need a photo ID and proof of a Colorado address.
- Can I borrow a hotspot or Chromebook with the Teacher card?
- No. Gadgets & Things items are excluded from Teacher cards.
- We live outside Poudre School District. Can we get one?
- Not as a homeschool parent. You need to live or work inside the PSD area; outside it, only teachers with current preschool, private, charter, or public school credentials qualify.
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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