Chicago Public Schools students can now turn their school ID numbers into full-fledged library access, using them to check out books, request one-on-one tutoring and tap into library databases and digital collections at any Chicago Public Library branch or online. The shift scraps the old requirement that kids pick up a separate 81 Club card in person and instead makes access automatic for CPS students. Officials say the expansion is designed to reach young people who deal with housing instability or lack immigration documentation that can make a traditional card hard to get.
The change broadens The 81 Club, a CPS-CPL partnership meant to put a student’s library account directly on their school ID, and lets students check out materials in person or online “with no application, paperwork or additional steps,” as reported by WBEZ. CPS and the library say every district student is now automatically enrolled in the program, while families who want higher borrowing limits can still apply for a standard Chicago Public Library card.
How the 81 Club Works
CPS student IDs now double as library card numbers across CPL’s 81 branches, allowing students to log into the catalog, use the Sora reading app through their school’s hub and dig into the library’s online databases, according to Chicago Public Library. The student card is more limited than a full CPL card, with a cap of five physical items checked out at a time and no access to some services such as museum passes, hotspots and Chromebooks. Those specific limits are outlined in the library’s FAQ. Teachers can participate as well and tap into research databases and educational ebooks to use in their classrooms.
Officials Pitch Access, Not Paperwork
At a news conference at the Austin Branch, Michael Fassnacht, board chair of the Chicago Public Library Foundation, put it bluntly: “we all know too well that talent is equally distributed across this large city in every single neighborhood, but opportunity access is not,” as reported by WBEZ. City and library leaders cast the change as a way to reach students who might otherwise be shut out of library services because of frequent moves or immigration-related documentation hurdles.
Teachers, Tutoring And Uptake
Teachers can request accounts that unlock research databases, instructional tools, eBooks and audiobooks for classroom use, while students can request one-on-one tutoring online or in person through CPL programs. The Chicago Public Library Foundation’s impact report notes that almost 3,000 students activated 81 Club accounts in 2025 across 390 different CPS schools, and that donor-funded programs, including “Teacher in the Library,” supported more than 33,000 individualized tutoring sessions and other supports last year, according to the Chicago Public Library Foundation.
What Families Should Know
If your child attends CPS, you can try using their student ID as the library card number on the CPL catalog or through the Sora app on the school’s portal. Students who want more borrowing privileges should ask for a standard Chicago Public Library card at any branch. Library and district officials say the policy change is meant to strip away administrative barriers and connect students more easily to homework help, summer reading and research materials across the city.
