CPS students can now access books, tutoring, other library services with just a student ID

Chicago Public Schools students can now access books, tutors and other resources at city libraries with just their student ID number.

It's the latest effort by CPS and the Chicago Public Library to expand access to library materials through The 81 Club, an initiative that makes it easier for students to get books and other resources at all 81 public library branches.

All CPS students are automatically enrolled in the 81 Club, which launched in 2022, and they can now use their ID to check out library materials in person or online “with no application, paperwork or additional steps,” according to CPS and CPL. Students previously had to pick up 81 Club cards in person at a library. Still, some students may want to apply for a traditional library card, as that allows them to check out more than five physical items at a time.

Officials with the two agencies said this expansion is meant to help young people take advantage of what the library system has to offer, even if they lack stable housing or legal immigration status in the U.S. — barriers that could make it hard to get to the library in person or provide additional paperwork.

“We all know too well that talent is equally distributed across this large city in every single neighborhood, but opportunity access is not,” Michael Fassnacht, board chair of the Chicago Public Library Foundation, said during a Tuesday news conference at the Austin Branch Library.

Through the program, students have access to the library’s online databases and digital media and can request one-on-one tutoring services online or in person, among other services.

Last year, nearly 3,000 students from 390 different CPS schools activated their 81 Club accounts, according to the Chicago Library Foundation, though that represents a small share of the district’s 316,000 students. It was not immediately clear how many CPS students are using the program now.

Damarious Jefferson, a senior at Austin College and Career Academy, said he used the program to further his interest in finance, which he wants to study after high school at Northern Illinois University.

“It helped me with projects, studying, even just reading a book sometimes,” Jefferson said, adding that he enjoyed it so much he encouraged his friends to use it, too. “I told them it's free to anyone and you should use this for studying, research or even your own work.”

Teachers can also take part in the program. It grants them access to research databases, instructional tools, as well as eBooks and audiobooks that they can use in the classroom.