Teacher Card (print form)
Teachers who live or work within a school district served by the Lane Libraries are eligible for teacher cards. Districts include: Edgewood, Fairfield, Hamilton, New Miami, Ross, and Talawanda. Completed teacher card application forms and teacher card contracts can be returned to any Lane Libraries location (including the Bookmobile). Please read the application and contract closely with your school administrator, as the school assumes responsibility for the cost of lost or damaged items above a yearly $50.00 loss allowance.
Classroom Collections (online form)
The following materials are available for classroom collections (Teacher Card required):
- Books
- Large Print Books
- Music CDs
- Magazines
- Books on CD (audiobooks)
Library staff will select age-appropriate materials on a specific topic or of a specific type for use in your classroom or library. A collection can be comprised of several different formats or just one format. (Library staff reserves the option to limit certain materials, such as holiday or seasonal items based on demand.)
Please allow at least 2 weeks for a collection to be prepared. Library staff will attempt to fill your request with their available resources to best meet your needs. You can choose to either pick up your collection at any Lane Libraries location, or you may choose to pick it up at any Bookmobile stop (the Bookmobile makes once-monthly visits to many elementary schools, middle schools, and child care centers).
Assignment Alert/Reserve Shelf (online form)
Many students use the Lane Libraries to find resources for homework assignments and projects. Assignment Alerts ensure that the library will have on hand the materials being sought by your students, and will help librarians assist students in finding materials appropriate to the assignment. Try to give library staff at least one week’s notice in advance of the assignment to ensure that materials can be assembled in time.
Information available in book form on a given subject may be in limited quantity at the Lane Libraries. In order to ensure that all students have access to the material, we encourage you to request a Reserve Shelf. With your assistance, library staff will select materials to be put aside for in-library use only. The books will remain on the Reserve Shelf for up to two weeks.
K-12 Databases
The Lane Libraries offers a very useful selection of online databases for help with homework assignments or research projects. Most of these research databases can be accessed from home provided that you have an Internet connection and a library card. Good research starting points for younger patrons include Worldbook and TumbleBooks. Children in grades 6 and up might want to try Biography Reference Bank or Worldbook. For instruction on how to use any of these databases, please ask a Lane Libraries staff member.
Library Skills Instruction, Story Times, and Tours
Many of these services can be offered in the library or on-site at your school or classroom.
- Book Talks – Book talks can be a general presentation to get students excited about reading, or the presentation can be tailored to a specific topic. Staff members also welcome the opportunity to share the latest and greatest books that educators may want to use with students.
- Library Skills Instruction (for children) – Instructions for searching the Library’s catalog, understanding how libraries are organized, the parts of a book, or the difference between fiction and nonfiction are all examples of topics Lane Libraries staff can help your students understand. Library skills instruction can happen in a library or on-site at your school.
- Story Times – Young children aren’t the only ones who benefit from hearing a good story! Our librarians have a good repertoire of stories for all ages. Storytelling can create an excitement for books and reading. Hearing stories can also establish the pattern for recognizing character, plot, setting and theme.
- Tours – Tour your local Lane Library or invite the Bookmobile to come to your school for a special visit. The students can select materials for leisure reading or for an assignment. Tours can coincide with library skills instruction as well.
- Faculty In-Service – The public library offers a wealth of resources if you know where to look. Library staff will be happy to provide brief introduction or training at your faculty meetings. Topics might include how to use Lane Libraries’ research databases, an introduction into the services we offer, or interactive storytelling. We can tailor a workshop to fit your time and attendance requirements.
- Special Presentations – Library staff will be happy to work with you in planning a special presentation or activity in conjunction with any special event, such as Right to Read Week, Banned Books Week or Poetry Month. Consider inviting an enthusiastic librarian to your school for career day to speak with your students about the skills, challenges, and rewards of a career in the public library.