In 2022 during a conceptual bid to improve library access, Chicago Public Schools thought they’d see whether teens would be more likely to use the library if their school ID doubled as a library card.
It turns out when you remove membership requirements, attendance and use at all 81 locations of the Chicago Public Library (CPL) goes up.
As a result, CPS has expanded the original initiative, called the 81 Club, indefinitely, until every school ID could be used as a library card, and thereby ensuring any school ID holder in the city can access more than 6 million books and pieces of research simply by providing that ID number.
CPL officials in turn said the program was aimed at improving access to educational resources for students that have the greatest barriers to educational attainment.
The 2022 pilot program saw library access increased by 63% among economically disadvantaged students.
“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 program expansion also comes with a new digital access system called Sora that will allow educators to retrieve research data, eBooks, audiobooks, and classroom learning materials.
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