Homeschool benefits and savings in the Dubuque County Library District
Dubuque County Library District gives teachers, including homeschool teachers, a separate Teacher card with alternate lending limits and longer loan periods for curriculum materials. You qualify if you teach within the district's service area or one of its contracting cities, and you can keep a personal card too.
Who qualifies
Teaches in the service area
Teachers in any capacity, including homeschool teachers, in the district's service area or contracting cities can get a Teacher card.
Lives in a covered town
Member cities are Asbury, Epworth, Farley, Holy Cross, and Peosta; contracting cities are Balltown, Centralia, Durango, Luxemburg, and Rickardsville; unincorporated Dubuque County is covered too.
Shows ID and address
Bring a driver's license, state or federal ID, passport, or similar ID, plus proof of address.
Uses it for curriculum only
The Teacher card is for education checkouts and cannot be used for personal borrowing.
What the card gives you
These terms come from Dubuque County Library District's library card and circulation policies, last revised April 21, 2026.
- Teacher card lending limits
- Extended for print
- Standard book and audiobook loan
- 3 weeks, 2 renewals
- Games, puzzles, DVDs
- 1 week
- Late fines
- None
- Borrowing paused
- At 7 days overdue
- Item treated as lost
- At 30 days overdue
The policy does not publish the Teacher card's item limit or loan length, so ask at the desk how many items and how many weeks you get.
How to get the card
- Before you go
Bring ID and proof of address
The library checks identification and address when it issues any card.
- At a branch
Ask for a Teacher card
Request a Teacher account for homeschool checkouts, alongside a standard Adult card for personal use if you want one.
- Each checkout
Return or renew on time
There are no late fines, but an item 7 or more days overdue can pause borrowing, and at 30 days it may be billed as lost.
- When it expires
Renew the card
Cards expire on a regular schedule, and staff renew them on request after checking your contact information.
What it includes
Included
- Print materials for group and curriculum use
- No overdue fines
Not included
- Personal checkouts
- Teachers outside the service area and contracting cities
Interlibrary loan is offered to Adult, Juvenile, and Open Access cardholders, so request those items on your personal card.
Good to know
You keep your personal card
You can hold a standard Adult or Open Access Adult card for personal checkouts plus a Teacher account for curriculum checkouts.
Ask staff about the card's limits
The library does not publish how many items the card holds. The policy says the card has alternate lending limits and loan periods, so ask staff when you set it up.
Who to contact about the card
The library district's main office in Asbury answers questions about Teacher cards and borrowing limits.
Homeschool rules and statewide help in Iowa
You do not have to file a homeschool notice for independent private instruction.
Iowa sets these rules:
- Subjects: IPI must cover mathematics, reading and language arts, science, and social studies at all grade levels. CPI must provide at least 148 days of instruction annually, with attendance on at least 37 days each school quarter; its other rules depend on the option.
- Testing: No standardized testing required for independent option.
- Records: IPI must provide specified instructor, location, authority, and student information on written request; CPI reporting and record rules depend on the option.
- Teachers: Iowa does not require a teaching certificate or degree to homeschool your own child.
Read the Iowa homeschooling guide See statewide programs in Iowa
Questions parents ask
- What happens if a book comes back late?
- The library charges no late fines. Borrowing can be paused at 7 days overdue, and an item 30 days overdue may be charged as lost, with a refund if you return it within 60 days of paying.
- We live in Iowa but outside these towns. Can we borrow?
- Yes, on a limited-service card if your town is in the State Library Open Access program. The Teacher card itself is only for the service area and contracting cities.
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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