FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WOWO) — The Allen County Public Library (ACPL) is excited to announce a new partnership with Fort Wayne Community Schools (FWCS) that will provide students with free access to the library’s vast array of educational resources through ACPL Student Library Cards. The pilot program will begin at Towles Intermediate School and is designed to enhance students’ access to educational materials that complement the high-quality learning already taking place within the FWCS system.
With their Student Library Card, students can borrow books at ACPL locations across the county, access online tutoring, participate in skill-building courses, take advantage of language-learning resources, and prepare for standardized tests—all free of charge. The ACPL’s offerings aim to further enrich students’ access to academic success resources.
“ACPL is committed to providing all Allen County residents with free, high-quality educational resources,” said Jacki Fulwood, ACPL Youth Services Manager. “We’re thrilled to collaborate with FWCS to ensure that students have the tools they need to succeed, whether that’s through reading materials, digital resources such as tutor.com, or other academic support.”
Under this new arrangement, FWCS will communicate with families about the Student Library Card opportunity. After communicating with parents and guardians, FWCS will share with ACPL the information needed to update existing library accounts or issue new library cards to each student. Students will be able to use their new ACPL cards or show their student ID at ACPL locations when borrowing materials.
“The goal of this partnership is to make it easier for students to engage with the library’s resources,” said Michelle Houser, FWCS Media Services Manager. “By facilitating access to library cards, we are empowering students to become independent learners with resources that extend beyond school walls.”
Materials provided by the ACPL are not furnished by the school district, and not all ACPL materials will be accessible on school networks or school-issued devices. The ACPL is fully fine-free, so no fines will be charged for overdue materials.
According to Fulwood, the partnership offers the perfect opportunity for FWCS students to take advantage of high-quality, often expensive, tutoring, test prep, and learning resources at no cost: “As our K-12 partners are being asked to do more with less, this is one more way the library can step up to support our community. There’s a magic that happens when schools, libraries, and families work together and I am excited to see Allen County rally to support its youth.”
The pilot program will be launched at Towles Intermediate School, with plans to expand to additional schools in the future. This partnership underscores the commitment of both FWCS and ACPL to provide innovative, accessible learning opportunities for all students.
The initiative is in line with the library’s 2024-28 strategic plan “Windows to Lifelong Learning and Discovery” which included a strategic goal of “participating in strategic community partnerships focused on digital equity and access”, “increasing access to technology devices and e-resources though the library’s collection and services”, “increasing the number of cardholders to 75% of the county population”, and “exploring the expansion of the Student Success Library Card program to schools throughout Allen County”. This information can be found at acpl.info/strategic-plan.
