Homeschool benefits: New York City Public Library
A free New York Public Library Educator Card lets you borrow up to 100 items at once and keep books and audiobooks for 60 days, double the 50 items on a personal card. Homeschooling parents in New York City qualify by bringing proof of certification and ID to any New York Public Library (NYPL) branch in the Bronx, Manhattan, or Staten Island.
Who qualifies
Homeschools in New York City
The Educator Card is for educators in New York City, and NYPL names homeschooling parents among the people who can apply.
Shows proof of certification
Homeschooling parents bring proof of certification instead of proof of employment, plus a photo ID. Ask the branch which homeschool document it accepts before you go.
Applies in person
Fill out the paper Educator Card application and take it to your nearest NYPL location. The form asks for your job title, grade levels taught, and the name and address of your educational institution.
What the card gives you
The limits come from NYPL's Educator Card page and its borrowing rules, which list the personal card alongside the Educator Card.
- Items out on the Educator Card
- 100
- DVDs within that limit
- 10
- Book and audiobook loan
- 60 days
- Items out on a personal card
- 50
- Book loan on a personal card
- 3 weeks
- Card cost
- Free
Items borrowed for 60 days cannot be renewed, and anything 30 days overdue is marked lost and billed at replacement cost.
How to get the card
- Before you go
Print the application
Download the Educator Card application, fill it in, and gather your homeschool proof of certification and a photo ID.
- At the branch
Get the card
Any NYPL location can issue it. You can link it to your personal card so staff can move between the two records.
- Each checkout
Return within 60 days
There are no late fines, but items 30 days past due are billed as lost, and $100 in replacement fees stops physical checkouts.
- Each fall
Renew in person
The card runs through June 30 of the school year. Bring the same documents to a branch to renew it for the next year.
What it includes
Included
- Books and audiobooks for 60 days
- Up to 10 DVDs
- E-books, databases, and other online resources
Not included
- Renewals on 60-day loans
- MyLibraryNYC Teacher Sets, which go to participating schools
- Returns at the Schomburg Center or the Schwarzman Building
Good to know
Homeschooling parents in New York City can apply
NYPL lists homeschooling parents in New York City among the educators who can apply for an Educator Card. You bring proof of certification and ID in place of the proof of employment a school teacher shows.
Who to contact about the card
Branch staff issue and renew Educator Cards and can tell you which homeschool documents they accept.
Homeschool rules and statewide help in New York
Send a letter of intent by July 1 each year, or within 14 days of a midyear start. You must submit the IHIP within four weeks after receiving district forms or by August 15, whichever is later.
New York sets these rules:
- Subjects: Teach the subjects required for each grade band by Part 100.10, including patriotism and citizenship. Provide the equivalent of 180 days: 900 hours annually in grades 1–6 and 990 hours in grades 7–12.
- Testing: Annual assessment: grades 1–3, test or written narrative; grades 4–8, standardized test at least every other year, with a written narrative permitted in alternate years; grades 9–12, standardized test annually. A score above the 33rd percentile or one year of growth meets the progress standard.
- Records: Keep attendance records and make them available to the district on request. Submit an annual IHIP, quarterly reports, and the annual assessment.
- Teachers: New York requires the instructor to be competent; it does not require a teaching certificate.
Read the New York homeschooling guide See statewide programs in New York
Questions parents ask
- Do I lose my personal library card if I get an Educator Card?
- No. NYPL lets educators hold two cards, one for personal use and one for teaching. The application lets you link the two records.
- Are there late fines?
- No. NYPL does not charge overdue fines, but after 30 days overdue an item is marked lost and you are charged a replacement fee.
- Can I renew a 60-day loan?
- No. Items you borrow for the 60-day educator loan period cannot be renewed, so plan to return them and check them out again.
- We live in Brooklyn or Queens. Can we apply?
- Possibly; ask first. NYPL describes the card for New York City educators, but you apply at a branch in the Bronx, Manhattan, or Staten Island, so ask whether it issues the card to a homeschooling parent outside those three boroughs.
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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