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Chicago Turns All Public School IDs Into Library Cards To Boost Student Access
CHICAGO — All Chicago Public Schools students now have access to nearly everything the city’s libraries have to offer — including physical items like books as well as extensive digital resources.
The Chicago Public Library and CPS announced Tuesday the expansion of The 81 Club, a program that allows school identification cards to double as library cards. Named after the city’s 81 library locations, the program builds on a 2022 pilot and looks to remove any barriers to accessing the library system’s 6 million-item collection as well as its online databases and free academic support, according to the city.
“With this expansion, every student — no matter their ZIP code, school enrollment or their age, will have access to library cards and programs and resources that make their lives more enriched,” Mayor Brandon Johnson said at an event announcing the expansion Tuesday inside the Austin Branch of the Chicago Public Library, 5615 W. Race Ave.
The Chicago Public Library and CPS announced Tuesday the expansion of The 81 Club, a program that allows school identification cards to double as library cards. Named after the city’s 81 library locations, the program builds on a 2022 pilot and looks to remove any barriers to accessing the library system’s 6 million-item collection as well as its online databases and free academic support, according to the city.
“With this expansion, every student — no matter their ZIP code, school enrollment or their age, will have access to library cards and programs and resources that make their lives more enriched,” Mayor Brandon Johnson said at an event announcing the expansion Tuesday inside the Austin Branch of the Chicago Public Library, 5615 W. Race Ave.
The library access pilot program launched in 2022, leading to a 63 percent increase in library access among economically disadvantaged students and 81 percent among English language learners, according to local policy research institute Chapin Hall.
https://blockclubchicago.org/2026/04/08/chicago-turns-all-public-school-ids-into-library-cards-to-boost-student-access/
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Response to mucifer (Original post)
