Homeschool benefits: Hannibal Free Public Library
Hannibal Free Public Library issues Teacher Cards to homeschoolers who teach within the City of Hannibal, and each card can borrow up to three Rotating Collections of up to 25 books, magazines, or audios for 28 days. You apply at the library with ID and proof of where you teach, and the card lasts one year.
Who qualifies
Teaches within Hannibal
Teacher Cards go to adult classroom teachers, homeschoolers, daycare providers, Sunday school teachers, and tutors who work or volunteer within the City of Hannibal.
Shows proof of where you teach
Applicants for specialized cards show proof of where they work or volunteer, along with acceptable identification.
Signs the application
You attest that your identity and address are true and agree to pay any fees on borrowed materials.
Borrows classroom materials
Teacher Card borrowing is limited to materials for classroom or similar use, so keep a Resident or Non-Resident card for personal borrowing.
What the card gives you
The limits come from the library's Patron Registration and Borrowing and Placing Holds policies, both amended June 20, 2023.
- Rotating Collections on a Teacher Card
- 3 at a time
- Items in each collection
- Up to 25
- Titles on one topic per collection
- 5
- Collection loan period
- 28 days + 28
- Regular items per person
- 75
- Non-Resident household card
- $60 a year
Collections need advance arrangements with staff, and you pick them up and bring your own bins to carry them.
How to get the card
- Before you go
Gather ID and proof
Bring acceptable identification and proof that you homeschool within the City of Hannibal.
- At the library
Apply for the Teacher Card
Fill out the application at 200 S. 5th Street. The Teacher Card is kept at the service desk.
- In advance
Arrange a Rotating Collection
Plan each collection with library staff, or assemble it yourself, before pickup.
- Within 28 days
Return or renew
Collections can be renewed for another 28 days if no one has placed a hold on the items.
- Each year
Renew the card
Teacher Cards expire after one year.
What it includes
Included
- Up to three Rotating Collections
- Books, magazines, and audios for teaching
- Holds on regular-loan materials
Not included
- DVDs in Rotating Collections
- Virtual Library resources on the Teacher Card
- Personal borrowing on the Teacher Card
Good to know
Homeschool parents in Hannibal can get the card
The library's policy names homeschoolers among those eligible for the Teacher Card, as long as you teach within the City of Hannibal and show proof of where you teach.
Use a separate card for personal reading
The Teacher Card covers materials for classroom or similar use. You can hold a Resident or Non-Resident card alongside it for personal borrowing.
Who to contact about the card
Library staff issue Teacher Cards and set up Rotating Collections.
ref@hannibal.lib.mo.us 573-221-0222 Contact page
Homeschool rules and statewide help in Missouri
No annual homeschool registration required. If withdrawing from public school, a written notice requesting removal from its rolls documents the change.
Missouri sets these rules:
- Subjects: For students under 16, offer at least 1,000 hours of instruction: 600 in reading, language arts, math, social studies, science, or related courses, including 400 at the regular homeschool location. The statutory hours and recordkeeping rules do not apply at age 16 or older.
- Testing: Missouri does not require standardized testing for homeschoolers.
- Records: For students under 16, keep a subject and activity record, a work-sample portfolio, and progress evaluations, or equivalent written or credible evidence.
- Teachers: No state teaching-license or degree requirement for a homeschool instructor.
Read the Missouri homeschooling guide See statewide programs in Missouri
Questions parents ask
- Are there late fines?
- Not on most items. The library stopped charging most overdue fines in May 2020, but fines still apply to interlibrary loan items, reference books, and equipment, and lost items are billed for replacement.
- We live outside Hannibal. What does a card cost?
- A Non-Resident card is $60 a year per household. The Teacher Card requires that you teach within the city, so ask staff whether your homeschool qualifies.
- Can the Teacher Card use e-books?
- No. Licensing restrictions keep Teacher Cards out of the library's Virtual Library resources.
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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