Students and staff in the Waterloo School District are set to enjoy a suite of benefits thanks to a newly announced partnership with Morrison-Talbott Library.

The partnership was briefly discussed by the Waterloo School Board and a representative of the library in July, with a recent press release from the library offering a further overview of the agreement.

As the release summarizes, all students and full-time staff – including those residing outside of the library district – will now have access to the Waterloo library’s services.

Morrison-Talbott Library Director Jamie Wratchford is quoted in the release voicing her enthusiasm for this relationship.

“It has been our desire for a very long time to see every child in the Waterloo School District have a library card,” Wratchford said. “We are excited to partner with the school district to share all of our resources with their students and staff.”

The release notes that many of the district’s students live in an underserved area when it comes to library services as they live outside of Waterloo city limits. Such students and staff are normally required to pay a fee to make use of the library’s services per Illinois law.

While Waterloo residents pay for their library access through a tax, Wratchford acknowledged the cost of a non-resident library card can often be a barrier for students when their parents either can’t afford or choose not to pay for it.

Through this new partnership between the district and Morrison-Talbott, students and staff living outside Waterloo will now be able to access a range of services.

“Educators will have access to the full array of the library’s physical and digital resources, including the ‘Library of Things,’ a growing collection of items such as telescopes, microscopes, large yard games, literacy kits and much more,” Wratchford said. “We are hopeful these exciting resources will enhance the classroom experience and benefit the children. We are really looking forward to working with the teachers to see how we can help them.”

The release notes that only students or staff will be able to use these library cards as they are non-extendable to other family members. Non-resident families can continue to purchase a library card to provide access to library resources for the entire family.

As the cards are not issued automatically, full-time staff will be required to provide a valid photo ID and proof of district employment at the library to apply for their card. Likewise, parents will also have to provide photo ID and proof of their child’s full-time school enrollment for their student’s card.

Waterloo School District Library Media Specialist Andrew Mayer noted this partnership will provide increased access to books and other reading materials for students which is proven to improve literacy skills.

The access to online databases and research tools, Mayer said, will also support student academic success.

He further commented on the benefit that equal access to library resources regardless of socioeconomic background will have for students throughout the district.

Additionally, Mayer remarked that this strengthened community partnership with the library helps to create a more collaborative and supportive learning environment for students.

For more information on the partnership – which will be re-evaluated annually – contact Morrison-Talbott Library at 618-939-6232 or mtl@waterloolibrary.org.