Homeschool benefits and savings in Franklin County
A free Franklin County Public Library (FCPL) Teacher Card lets a homeschool parent borrow up to 50 books at a time for eight weeks, with no overdue fines. Homeschooling parents teaching in the library's service area qualify by bringing a copy of their Notice of Intent (NOI), and each school year the card also earns a voucher for five free items from the Friends of the Library Book Sale.
Who qualifies
Homeschools in the service area
Homeschooling educators teaching in FCPL's service area are eligible. Show a copy of your Notice of Intent at the desk.
Has a personal card
You need a personal library account in good standing first. Any permanent Virginia resident can apply for one with a photo ID, and the first card is free.
Applies in person
Bring your documents to a library branch: Rocky Mount or Westlake.
What the card gives you
The limits come from the Teacher Cards section of FCPL's policy manual, compared with the regular loan period for books.
- Books out on the Teacher Card
- 50
- Teacher Card loan period
- 8 weeks
- Regular loan period for most books
- 28 days
- Overdue fines on Teacher Card items
- None
- Free book sale items each school year
- 5
- Card cost
- Free
Teacher Card items cannot be renewed, and lost or damaged items are still billed at replacement cost.
How to get the card
- Before you go
Get a personal card
Register for a personal FCPL card with a photo ID, such as a Virginia driver's license or passport, if you do not have one.
- At the branch
Show your NOI
Bring a copy of your Notice of Intent to the Rocky Mount or Westlake branch and ask for a Teacher Card.
- Each checkout
Return within 8 weeks
Teacher Card items circulate for eight weeks and cannot be renewed. The library asks you to take no more than five books on one subject if that would leave little for other patrons.
- By August 1 each year
Renew the card
Cards expire every August 1. Show a current Notice of Intent again, with both your Teacher Card and personal card in good standing.
What it includes
Included
- Books for teaching
- FCPL's 24/7 digital collections and databases
Not included
- DVDs
- Kits and Playaway Launchpads
- Interlibrary loan
- 14-day items such as new books
- Renewals
Items the Teacher Card cannot borrow, such as DVDs and new books, can go on your personal card.
Good to know
Late items are declared lost after 42 days
Late Teacher Card items do not earn fines. Under the general borrowing rules, an item 42 days overdue is declared lost, and lost or damaged items are billed at replacement cost before you can borrow more.
Who to contact about the card
The main library in Rocky Mount issues Teacher Cards and answers questions about accounts and borrowing.
540-483-3098 Library policy manual
Homeschool rules and statewide help in Virginia
You must file the annual notice of intent by August 15. If you move into a Virginia division or begin after the school year starts, notify the division as soon as practicable and complete the filing within 30 days of the notice.
Virginia sets these rules:
- Subjects: Provide a curriculum and include a list of the coming year’s subjects with the annual notice. The home-instruction statute does not require the public-school curriculum.
- Testing: Submit evidence of progress by August 1 after the school year. Children under six on September 30 of that school year are exempt from this assessment requirement.
- Records: Submit the annual notice, subject list, proof of a qualifying route, and required evidence of progress. Keep copies; no routine portfolio or attendance-log filing is required.
- Teachers: Qualify through a high-school diploma, Board-prescribed teaching qualifications, providing a curriculum or program of study, or evidence that you can provide an adequate education.
Read the Virginia homeschooling guide See statewide programs in Virginia
Questions parents ask
- How does the FCPL book sale voucher work?
- Each school year the card holder receives one voucher for five free school-related materials from the Friends of the Library Book Sale.
- Can I borrow DVDs for lessons on the Teacher Card?
- No. DVDs, kits, Playaway Launchpads, interlibrary loans, and 14-day items go on your personal card instead.
- Why keep a separate card for homeschool books?
- It keeps your family's personal borrowing apart from teaching materials, and personal card items are subject to the regular fines while Teacher Card items are not.
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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