Homeschool benefits and savings in Independence
An Independence Public Library Educator card lets homeschool educators borrow up to 50 items at a time from any Chemeketa Cooperative Regional Library Service (CCRLS) library and keep up to 25 unfilled holds. Bring a photo ID and your Willamette Education Service District (ESD) letter acknowledging your homeschool to the library at 175 Monmouth St. in Independence.
Who qualifies
Homeschool educator
The card is open to homeschool educators as well as educators working in the Central School District boundary. It is only for materials used to educate children and students.
Shows the Willamette ESD letter
Visit the library in person with a valid photo ID and a letter of acknowledgement of homeschooling from the Willamette Education Service District.
Accepts responsibility for items
You pay for any lost or damaged items checked out on the card.
What the card gives you
The limits come from Independence Public Library's policies page, which sets the Educator card limits and the loan periods for each type of item.
- Items out on the Educator card
- 50
- Unfilled holds
- 25
- Book loan period
- 21 days
- Renewals for books
- 3
- Video loan period
- 7 days
- Overdue fines on Independence items
- None
Items still out 21 days past due are billed at replacement cost plus a $5.00 processing charge, refundable except the $5.00 if you return the item in good condition within six months.
How to get the card
- Before you go
Find the ESD letter
Bring your Willamette ESD letter acknowledging that you homeschool and a valid photo ID.
- At the library
Ask for an Educator card
Independence Public Library is open Monday through Thursday, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., and closed Friday through Sunday.
- Each checkout
Return or renew
Books go out for 21 days and renew up to three times unless someone places a hold.
- By September 30
Renew the card
The Educator card expires on September 30 each year, so bring current proof to renew it for the new school year.
What it includes
Included
- Up to 50 items from any CCRLS library
- Up to 25 holds
- Materials for teaching your children
Not included
- Interlibrary loan
- Personal reading
- Lost or damaged item charges
Interlibrary loan requests go on your personal library card, because the Educator card is a separate card.
Who to contact about the card
Library staff issue Educator cards and answer questions about card types and borrowing.
library@ci.independence.or.us 503-838-1811 Library policies
Homeschool rules and statewide help in Oregon
You must notify your local Education Service District (ESD) within 10 days of withdrawing from school, or of the school year's start if not withdrawing. You must notify the ESD if you leave your school district or stop homeschooling. After a move to a new ESD, notify the new ESD within 10 days.
Oregon sets these rules:
- Subjects: Oregon does not require specific subjects or a particular curriculum.
- Testing: Use an approved standardized test by August 15 after grades 3, 5, 8, and 10, subject to the initial 18-month testing grace period and disability-plan alternatives. Interscholastic participants meet annual testing or district-adopted alternative academic-evidence requirements, which may include an approved portfolio or work sample.
- Records: Keep test results and submit them to the Education Service District when requested. Retaining the ESD notification acknowledgment is also recommended.
- Teachers: Oregon does not require a teaching certificate or degree to homeschool your own child.
Read the Oregon homeschooling guide See statewide programs in Oregon
Questions parents ask
- Can I use the Independence Educator card at other libraries?
- Yes. The card borrows from any CCRLS member library, up to 50 items at a time.
- Does the Independence Educator card replace my personal card?
- No. It is a separate card, and you keep using your personal card for interlibrary loans and your own reading.
- Are there late fines?
- No overdue fines are charged on items from Independence Public Library. Wi-Fi hotspots are the exception, at $1.00 a day up to $5.00.
- What if we do not live in Independence?
- You still qualify for the Educator card. For personal use, CCRLS-area residents outside another member library's taxing area get a free Basic card or a $60-per-household Full Service card.
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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