Homeschool benefits: Unicoi County Public Library
Unicoi County Public Library's Homeschool Headquarters gives homeschool families free curriculum to browse, programs on the first and third Wednesday of most months, and higher limits: 40 items on a homeschool family card instead of 20. Cards are free for Unicoi County residents and anyone within 20 miles.
Who qualifies
Lives within 20 miles
All Unicoi County residents and anyone living within a 20-mile radius can get a free card.
Brings photo ID with address
Bring a valid photo ID with your current address. If it is out of date, add a utility bill or lease.
Children 5 and older
Children can get their own card from age 5, with a guardian responsible for it. A homeschool minor's card holds up to 15 items, and those items count toward the family limit of 40.
What the card gives you
The limits come from the library's circulation policy, which sets separate homeschool limits next to the standard ones.
- Items on a homeschool adult or family card
- 40
- Items on a standard adult or family card
- 20
- Items on a homeschool minor's card
- 15
- Holds on a homeschool card
- 20
- Homeschool Headquarters loan
- 14 days
- Main collection loan
- 28 days
The family limit of 40 includes what your children check out on their own cards, and late books cost 25 cents a day up to $10 an item.
How to get the card
- Before you go
Start the application
Begin the online borrower registration, or plan to fill out a short form at 201 Nolichucky Ave., Erwin.
- At the library
Ask for homeschool limits
Show your photo ID and tell staff you homeschool so your card carries the homeschool limits.
- First and third Wednesdays
Attend programs
Homeschool programs cover STEM, art, and reading. Times vary, so check the Homeschool Headquarters Facebook page.
- Within 14 days
Return or renew
Return Homeschool Headquarters materials or renew them on or before the due date. Renewals are allowed up to two times when no one has a hold.
What it includes
Included
- Homeschool Headquarters books and curricula
- Free curriculum to browse and take
- STEM, art, and reading programs
- Globe, telescope, and microscope from the Library of Things
- Yearly curriculum swap and supply giveaways
Not included
- More than 40 items per homeschool family
- More than 5 DVDs per family
- Audio and video on teen cards
Who to contact about Homeschool Headquarters
Library staff issue cards and answer questions about Homeschool Headquarters, Monday through Friday 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. and Saturday 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Homeschool rules and statewide help in Tennessee
For independent homeschools, file a notice with the local education agency before each school year. A first-time filing may be made at any time during the school year; there is no fixed August 1 deadline.
Tennessee sets these rules:
- Subjects: Independent homeschool parents select and identify their curriculum and provide at least four hours of instruction per day for 180 days each year. Church-related schools set their own program requirements.
- Testing: Testing in grades 5, 7, and 9 for registered independent homeschools.
- Records: Independent homeschool parents keep attendance records, permit inspection, and submit them at year end. Maintain grades, transcripts, student records, and copies of final diplomas; provide required test results to the recipients specified in the current testing rule.
- Teachers: An independent homeschool parent-teacher needs a high-school diploma or equivalent. Church-related umbrella schools set their own enrollment and parent requirements.
Tennessee also has an education savings account that home-educated students can use.
- The Individualized Education Account pays a student with a qualifying disability and an active IEP the state and special-education funding for their district, including an independently homeschooled student. Most students must have spent the prior year in a Tennessee public school, and 2026-27 applications are closed.
Read the Tennessee homeschooling guide See statewide programs in Tennessee
Questions parents ask
- How do we borrow the Unicoi library's telescope or microscope?
- Ask the library. They are part of the Library of Things, which the library suggests for astronomy, biology, and geography lessons, but its lending rules are not posted, so call about the loan period and any age rule.
- When is the next Homeschool Headquarters curriculum swap?
- The library does not post the date. It holds a curriculum swap once a year and supply giveaways from time to time, so watch the Homeschool Headquarters Facebook page or call.
- Can my child have their own card?
- Yes, from age 5, with a guardian responsible for the account.
- What happens if we return books late?
- You pay 25 cents a day, up to $10 an item, for books and audiobooks. Homeschool Headquarters materials are due in 14 days.
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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