Homeschool benefits and savings in Radford
Radford Public Library gives homeschool parents a free Teacher account that borrows up to 50 items for six weeks, with no late fines. Show documentation from the State of Virginia that confirms your status as a homeschool teacher and sign the card agreement at the library.
Who qualifies
Homeschools your children
Adult teachers and parents who homeschool their children can get a Teacher account.
Shows Virginia documentation
Bring documentation from the State of Virginia that verifies your status as a teacher. The library asks for it again when the account renews.
Signs the agreement
Download the Adult Teacher and Homeschooler Parent Library Card agreement from the library's website or sign one at the desk. Adults 18 and older also show a photo ID.
What the card gives you
The limits come from the library's Adult Teacher and Homeschooler Parent Library Card agreement, which the card page links to.
- Items out at once
- 50
- Loan period for books
- 6 weeks
- Items per category
- 10
- DVDs and CDs
- 4 each, 2 weeks
- New books
- 2 weeks
- Late fines
- None
If another patron places a hold, you may be asked to return an item within three days, though you always get at least two weeks with it first.
How to get the card
- Before you go
Gather your papers
Bring a photo ID and the Virginia documentation that shows you homeschool your children.
- At the library
Sign the agreement
Ask for a Teacher account at 30 West Main Street and sign the card agreement.
- Each checkout
Return within six weeks
Teacher account items cannot be renewed, except new books that are not on hold.
- Every 3 years
Renew with documentation
The account expires after three years or when you stop homeschooling. Bring current documentation to renew.
What it includes
Included
- Books and media for teaching
- Six-week loans
- No late fines
Not included
- Renewals on most items
- Personal, non-teaching borrowing
- Loss and damage fees, which still apply
The library encourages you to keep a regular account for personal items and use the Teacher account only for teaching.
Good to know
No late fines, but long-overdue items are billed
The library charges no late fines. An item more than three months overdue restricts the account, and after six months it is marked lost and billed at replacement cost, with a $10 fee if it comes back after that.
Who to contact about the card
Radford Public Library staff set up Teacher accounts and answer questions about borrowing.
elizabeth.sensabaugh@radfordva.gov 540-731-3621 Contact us
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
- Can I use the Radford Teacher account at other New River libraries?
- No. A Radford Public Library card works only in Radford. An NRPLCoop card works at New River Public Library Cooperative libraries, but you register it at each library and return items where you borrowed them.
- Do I need to live in Radford?
- Not that the library says. It says everyone is entitled to a free library card and lists no residency rule for the Teacher account, so ask if you homeschool outside the city.
- When is the library open?
- Monday through Thursday 9:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m., Friday noon to 5:00 p.m., and Saturday 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. It is closed Sunday.
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.
Find benefits for your ZIP code