Teacher's Handbook

The Youth Services Department invites you to take advantage of the services we offer teachers in Glen Ellyn schools. The Library has materials and services available for teachers in participating schools, contact us at 630-469-0879 to see if your school is involved. Our goal is to create a positive experience every time your students use the Library. Positive experiences today will build the skills they need to become life-long learners. We look forward to working with you. — Youth Services Department

Library Cards

The Glen Ellyn Library works together with the local schools to make a school library card available. Each year the school principals provide a list of staff approved to check-out materials and agree to the terms for having a library card. Once we receive the staff list, materials may be checked out. Picture identification must be presented at time of check out.

• Schools are granted an extended check out time of 4 weeks. Items may be renewed for an additional 4 weeks as long as there are no holds on the items being renewed. Please e-mail the school liaison to renew your items before they are overdue.

• Schools are not assessed fines but they are liable for lost or damaged items. These privileges are only granted for items checked out on the school card.

The school liaison will be the contact person for any issues involving the school card.

If you prefer not to use the school card, remember that you can always use your personal library card, from most area suburbs, to check out Glen Ellyn materials on your own. For any items checked out on a personal card, fines will be issued for overdue materials and the user is responsible for any lost or damaged items.

Assignment Alerts help us assist your students as they search for material to fulfill an assignment. At times, during an assignment, the first students in to the library will check out all materials on a topic. If you request it, we will create a homework shelf of materials that stay in the library for the use of all your students. By restricting these materials to in-library use, the materials will be available so all students can complete the assignment. If it is possible to send a copy of the assignment, this will assist library staff when putting aside materials and helping the students.

To submit your assignment alert you may fill out our online form, print out the form and fax it to 630-469-1086, call Youth Services at 469-0879, or mail the form to Youth Services, Glen Ellyn Public Library, 400 Duane Street, Glen Ellyn, IL, 60137.

Assignment Alert Form for online submission

Assignment Alert Form - printable PDF

Classroom Collections

Library staff will be happy to pull materials for you and your students to use in your classroom. Requests for classroom collections can be placed in several ways, please see below. Please remember that the more time and information you give us in order to pull your materials the better the selection will be. We do not limit number of materials on a topic at this time but we request that teachers choosing their own materials consider the other patrons the library serves by not checking out all items on a particular topic. Requests are filled as time permits. Delivery of these materials to District 41 schools is currently possible through the use of the District van. All other schools are responsible for picking up their own materials.
If a collection is needed at the last moment, you are always welcome to select books yourself. In this instance, your name needs to be on the school card user list before you can check out any materials to a school and you must present picture identification at check-out.

To submit your classroom collection you may fill out our online form, print out the form and fax it to 630-469-1086, call Youth Services at 469-0879, or mail the form to Youth Services, Glen Ellyn Public Library, 400 Duane Street, Glen Ellyn, IL, 60137.

Classroom Collection form

Classroom Collection Form - printable PDF

Library Visits
Glen Ellyn classes are welcome to visit our library as the schedule allows. Classes could visit for story times, to do research, for a tour or for special programs on request and as scheduling allows. To enable the Youth Services staff to plan a tour or program that meets your students' needs, it is important to call and arrange your visit at least two weeks in advance. As an alternative, staff members are available to visit the schools and to participate in Literacy Fairs, Open Houses, Community Services Fairs or other events as duties allow. Call Youth Services at 630-469-0879 to arrange a visit.

Special Resources

The Parent / Teacher Collection provides materials that can help you in teaching. These include such items as book discussion ideas, classroom activity ideas, science activity ideas, bulletin board ideas, and party ideas.

Internet access is available for any Glen Ellyn card holder. Users under the age of 11 may use the limited access computers. Other options are available for 11-18 year olds with parental permission. The full Internet policy is listed on our website.

Informational Videocassettes can be checked out to supplement classroom studies.

Magazines of interest to children, teachers, and parents can be checked out for reports or pleasure.

Website enhancements
Explore the "Find magazine articles, encyclopedia entries and other information in online databases" section of the Library’s website. Students can access various databases from home twenty-four hours a day. Some sites may require a library card number.

General Reference Center (Magazine Index)
Search magazines, reference books, and newspapers for information on current events, popular culture, the arts and sciences, sports, health and business.

Computer Resources
The library computers have Microsoft Word, Excel, Publisher, PowerPoint, Access and Irfanview available for your use.