For Every Student, a Library: FESAL
Every child deserves library access
We want all Springfield School students to have access to library resources to support homework and learning. The current cost for those outside of city limits is $100 per household for a year of library service. Because this cost is prohibitive to some families that live in the Springfield School District but outside of the City of Springfield boundaries, we developed For Every Student a Library (FESAL) to provide library cards to families with no out-of-pocket cost to them.
FESAL is a program of Springfield Public Library with support from Northwest Community Credit Union and Springfield Public Schools District #19
Apply for a FESAL card
If your family
- lives inside the Springfield Public Schools district, but
- outside of the city's boundaries, and
- has children ages 0-18 (or still in high school) at home.
Apply for our For Every Student a Library (FESAL) program, and receive no-cost library cards for all members of your household.
Results
Each year, on average 300 households qualify for FESAL sponsored library cards at a cost of approximately $30,000 per year.
In fiscal year 2024 there are 533 students registered with FESAL with an additional 394 accounts registered to family members of those students, accounting for 6% of library active users . It is difficult to record the number but often staff at the library receive applications from students that already qualify for library cards without the aid of the program so the number of people the program reaches is higher.
In the last 6 years of the program the percentage of Springfield's total checkouts for these users has increased from 4% to 11%, indicating that library usage of these households is increasing.
*Circulation represents the total physical items checked out. The library is unable to track digital access by library card type.
FESAL users speak
"When we moved here we had been used to going to the library every other week or so, but when we found out how much a library card would cost we weren't sure if we could justify it. Then we heard about the grant for schoolchildren and were so excited! We signed up as soon as we could and our kids always look forward to our library days. Thank you so much for providing this joy to our family."
"Able to check books out during the summer months, when not in school. I didn't realize there were other things like museum passes. . ."
"We have never paid for an out of district library card since it’s pretty expensive. This has given us access to the public library."
"My son reads more cause he picks his own books."
"Helped me with research for school work."
"Made audiobooks accessible to my son, which pushed his interest in reading."
"We enjoy our weekly trips to the library. It’s helped us with our second graders reading fluency. They look forward to getting new books each week from the library"
Program history
2016-2019
- FESAL starts with a Library Services Technology Act (LSTA*) grant from the Oregon State Library
- Team Springfield gives additional funds in 2018.
2019-2021
FESAL continues with minimal funding:
- Team Springfield gives $10,000
- Springfield Public Library Foundation contributes $5,000
- The library continued the program through the pandemic with little or no funding for the program.
2022 - 2025
- Springfield Public Schools District pledged $10,000 a year for three years to support the program.
- Northwest Community Credit Union joined in with $15,000 for each school year, 2022-2025.
*LSTA is the program that disperses federal Institute of Museum and Library Services funds.
Springfield Public Library | 225 5th Street [Inside City Hall] | Springfield, OR 97477-4636 | (541) 726-3766
