Chicago Public Schools and the Chicago Public Library entered into an intergovernmental agreement in 2022 to establish the 81 Club, a citywide partnership that provides universal access to library resources for Chicago's 319,000 students and 23,000 teachers. A reference to the 81 branches of the Chicago Public Library, the 81 Club makes equity of access more than a buzzword or a philosophy, and instead brings digital resources, ebooks and library services into classrooms, school libraries, and students' homes. Students who are undocumented, have insecure housing, or other circumstances that limit their ability to secure a library card can now access the same resources as their peers, and our organizations continue to iterate on the 81 Club program to ensure that all Chicago students become lifelong library users. Join our session to learn more about lessons learned, improvements to the program, our accomplishments and goals, and for a toolkit to ensure equity of access to public library resources for all students in your city or community.
