Homeschool benefits and savings in Richland County
Mansfield/Richland County Public Library's Teacher Card lets Ohio homeschool parents borrow as many books as they need for nine weeks at a time, fine free, with replacement fees waived for up to two items each school year. Bring your library card and proof of homeschooling, such as your superintendent's recognition letter.
Who qualifies
Homeschools and lives in Ohio
Homeschool parents and guardians who reside in Ohio qualify for a Teacher Card, along with classroom, student, substitute, and preschool teachers and daycare providers.
Shows proof of homeschooling
The library gives a homeschooling recognition letter from your school superintendent as an example of proof.
Has a library card in good standing
You need a valid Mansfield/Richland County Public Library (M/RCPL) card in good standing. If you do not have one, bring two forms of ID, one showing your current address.
What the card gives you
The limits come from Mansfield/Richland County Public Library's Teacher Cards page.
- Books for 9 weeks
- No limit
- Music CDs for 9 weeks
- 15
- Audiobooks for 9 weeks
- 15
- Learning and sensory kits
- 9 weeks
- Overdue fines
- None
- Replacement fees waived per school year
- 2 items
The page lists informational and older DVDs and Blu-rays under a four-week checkout but also marks them 7-day, with no renewals, so ask the Children's Department which loan period applies.
How to get the card
- Before you go
Gather your papers
Bring your M/RCPL card, or two forms of ID with one showing your address, plus proof of homeschooling.
- At the library
Ask for a Teacher Card
Staff check your card status and homeschool proof and set up the Teacher Card.
- Each checkout
Return within nine weeks
Books, CDs, audiobooks, and kits go out for nine weeks. DVDs and Blu-rays on the card cannot be renewed.
- When it expires
Renew in person
Teacher Cards must be renewed in person at a library branch.
What it includes
Included
- Books, with no item limit
- Music CDs and audiobooks, up to 15 each
- Early literacy, discovery, social-emotional learning, and sensory kits
- Cultivating Minds kits that need no Borrower's Agreement
- Informational and older DVDs and Blu-rays
Not included
- 14-day books and audiobooks
- New DVDs and Blu-rays
- Video games, Wi-Fi hotspots, and Launchpads
- Magazines and Library of Things items
- SearchOhio and OhioLINK items
Good to know
Living or teaching anywhere in Ohio qualifies
The Teacher Card requires that you live or teach in Ohio and hold an M/RCPL card in good standing.
Up to two lost items a year are waived
The library waives the replacement fee for up to two items per school year on a Teacher Card. Items are also fine free, so late returns do not add daily fines.
Who to contact about the card
The Children's Department answers questions about Teacher Cards and what they can borrow.
Homeschool rules and statewide help in Ohio
You must notify the resident district superintendent within five calendar days after beginning home education, moving into a district, or withdrawing from school, and notify annually by August 30.
Ohio sets these rules:
- Subjects: Provide instruction in English language arts, mathematics, science, history, government, and social studies.
- Testing: Ohio's current home-education law does not require an annual standardized test or academic assessment filing.
- Records: Keep copies of each notice and the superintendent's acknowledgment; the state does not require a routine portfolio submission.
- Teachers: Ohio's current home-education statute does not impose the former diploma-or-supervision requirement.
Read the Ohio homeschooling guide See statewide programs in Ohio
Questions parents ask
- Can I borrow new movies or video games on it?
- No. New DVDs, new Blu-rays, video games, Roku devices, Wi-Fi hotspots, and items needing a Borrower Agreement cannot go out on a Teacher Card.
- Can I renew the card online?
- No. The library requires Teacher Card renewals in person at a branch.
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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