Hutchinson Public Library needs to do this

I think a partnership with USD308 and USD313 at minimum such as the one described in this article would be fantastic! Making student IDs a substitute for library cards? Why not? Our goal as a library is not to be a substitute for schools, but a resource to draw upon. Specifically, we want to be a resource for the individual student.

Sometimes, a barrier for kids is not getting to the library, but having their own cards. "But that's subverting parental rights!" you say. This could be true. But notifications could be sent, benefits of the idea could be shouted from the roof tops so that parents are aware of what's going on. And no other effort would have to be made on the part of the parents.

And what would be going on is reading. My goal would be that HPL could be the place where a student gets connected with her or his passion. That passion might be something that leads to a career or that feeds a life-long hobby. It might simply an escape from the day-to-day "work" of studying and school that can sometimes (I can attest personally to this) takes the joy out of reading.