For Teachers

Teacher Borrowing Privileges

Every K-12 teacher at a school within the city limits of Elmhurst is entitled to teacher borrowing privileges. The highest-ranking administrator (i.e. superintendent, principal, director, home educator) must sign an Agreement of Service* with the Library each school year.

With Your Teacher Card You Can:

  • Check out up to 200 physical items at a time, including books, movies, music, and items from our regular and special collections
  • Use the Makery
  • Reserve Meeting Rooms for school-related classes and clubs
  • Take items from the book sale room, free of charge, with your teacher ID

Request Materials

Place requests and check-out materials for your students with the help of Library staff! Materials have a six (6) week loan period with an automatic three (3) week renewal. Submit requests to TeacherRequests@elmlib.org. When requesting materials, please indicate:

  • Teacher name
  • School
  • Grade
  • Titles and/or subjects needed
  • Number of items



Also, please let us know if you prefer to pick up your materials at the Drive-up or in the Lobby. For District 205 schools, you can opt to have materials (except kits) delivered on the District 205 van according to its delivery schedule. If you choose to pick up your materials in person, please bring your school I.D. Please allow two (2) business days for material requests. We will notify you when materials are ready.

Request Visits

Have us visit your school or classroom or plan a visit to EPL! We offer a variety of programs, both in-person and virtual (live

or pre-recorded).

Visit Guidelines

  • Times will vary; classroom visits tend to be 25-35 minutes per group, depending on the age and number of students and the type of visit, while visits to EPL are approximately one (1) hour
  • All visits are scheduled on a first-come, first-serve basis
  • Requests must be received at least four (4) weeks in advance
  • Please allow two (2) business days for initial follow-up on visit requests

Visits

Have us visit your school or classroom, or plan a visit to EPL! We offer a variety of programs, both in-person and virtual (live or pre-recorded):

Special Events Visits

  • Back to school events
  • Curriculum nights
  • Outreach events

Lunchtime Visits

Schedule a time for Elmhurst Public Library to visit your school during lunchtime hours for a fun and creative on-site program.

Club Visits

Schedule a time for the Teen Engagement Librarian to meet with your after-school club.

Reading Program Promotions

Request a visit to learn more about the reading programs at EPL including Summer and Winter Reading Programs, Reading Adventures, or Challenges on Beanstack.

Teen Volunteer Program

Students in grades 9-12 can ear volunteer credit hours by assisting with a variety of tasks designated by the Teen Engagement Librarian. Email Eplteen@elmlib.org for more information.

Unincorporated District 205 Students with Income Eligibility

District 205 students who live in unincorporated Elmhurst or in surrounding unincorporated areas who participate in the Federal Free or Reduced-Price School Meal Program may apply for an EPL card free of charge. Learn more about how to get a card.

Contact Us

For general inquiries, please contact us at TeacherRequests@elmlib.org

Angela Caringella
Middle School Coordinator

(Grades 6-8)
Angela.Caringella@elmlib.org

Libby Mercado
Teen Librarian

(Grades 9-12)
Libby.Mercado@elmlib.org