For Teachers

Teacher Borrowing Privileges

Schools, preschools, and daycare centers that are not home-based and are within the city limits of Elmhurst are 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.

Homework Shelf

If you have a class assignment or required reading lists, let us know! We can pull materials to temporarily house on our Homework Shelf in the Kids’ Library for your students to easily find and check out. We also keep copies of required reading lists at the Kids’ Desk for easy reference when your students come to visit us for assistance.

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

  • Preschool and Daycare Visits

    Storytime

    We’ll bring storytime to you! Teachers can request themed storytimes tailored to classroom topics, seasonal celebrations, or newly published picture books.


    STEM Activities

    Library staff will bring our STEM kits or a simple experiment just right for your classroom.


    Family Events

    The Library can be at your next event! We can be present with an information table or share stories for a crowd.


    Other Activities

    Want to pretend with puppets or throw a dance party? We’ll brainstorm together to create a special activity to fit your ideas.

  • Elementary School Visits

     Award Nominee Programs

    Grades K-5. Based on the current year’s Monarch, Bluestem, and Caudill nominees, we can tailor storytimes, book talks, and interactive lessons for classrooms or school library time.


    Book Talks

    Grades 2-5. Want to offer new book recommendations to your students? We can come in to share new and popular book titles offered at the Library.


    Club Visits

    Grades K-5. Schedule a time for Elmhurst Public Library to meet with your after-school club.


    Creative Storytelling

    Grades 2-5. We will tailor an interactive lesson on creative storytelling for your students.


    Database Tutorials

    Grades K-5. Elmhurst Public Library offers a variety of databases for students to access at home with their EPL card, or in the building on a public computer without a library card. In your classroom or school library, we can offer an informative session on what databases are available and how to use them.


    Field Trips

    Grades K-5. Take a behind-the-scenes tour, and enjoy a library scavenger hunt! Field trips are a great way for your students to familiarize themselves with all the Library has to offer.


    Reading Program Promotions

    Grades K-5. We love to encourage your students’ participation in our Winter and Summer Reading Programs here at EPL. We plan for these visits and promotions in December (Winter) and April/May (Summer).


    Shadowing

    Grades K-5. Allow us to visit your school library for a day, shadowing and assisting with activities during library time, or presenting a special program, lesson, or storytime.


    Special Events

    Grades K-5. The Library can be at your next school event! We can be present at curriculum nights, family reading nights, PTA events, back-to-school events, and more with an information table, activities, or stories to share with a crowd.


    STEM Playground

    Grades 2-5. Let us set up a STEM playground, featuring classroom sets from our teacher technology collection. We can provide a mix of games and self-directed options for your students to play, explore, and learn.


    Storytimes

    Grades K-2. Have us visit as a mystery reader or provide a themed storytime in your classroom or during school library time.

  • Middle School Visits

    Themed Book Talks

    Teachers may request a visit for a discussion about a book or a book tasting for students to explore new titles.


    STREAM / Teacher Kits

    Teachers may request a demonstration from the Library on how to use STREAM kit or teacher kit materials. Please view Special Collections for a complete list of kits that are available.


    Database Tutorials

    Elmhurst Public Library offers a variety of databases for patrons to access at home with their EPL card, or in the building on a public computer without a library card. This visit is an informative visit to teach students how to use the databases.


    Lunchtime Visits

    Schedule a time for Elmhurst Public Library to visit your school during lunchtime hours. These visits can be for sharing Library information, showing students STREAM and teacher kits, button making, sticker making, and more.


    Club Visits

    Schedule a time for Elmhurst Public Library to meet with your after-school club.


    Teacher Visits

    To help prepare teachers before and throughout the school year, Elmhurst Public Library offers a few different opportunities just for teachers. Elmhurst Public Library can assist with learning Makery equipment, signing teachers up for teacher cards, learning about teacher requests, and more.

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

Katie Stringwell
Early Childhood Services Librarian
Katie.Stringwell@elmlib.org

Heather Forster Jensen
School Services Coordinator (Grades K-5)
Heather.ForsterJensen@elmlib.org

Angela Caringella
Middle School Coordinator

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