CPS teacher librarians support teaching and learning in every subject area and at every grade level by providing innovative instruction and curating print and digital resources in order to provide flexible and equitable access to physical and virtual collections and resources that support the curriculum and meet the diverse needs of all learners. Librarians are vital stakeholders who ensure that students are empowered to be enthusiastic readers, skillful researchers, critical thinkers, powerful communicators, effective collaborators, and ethical content creators.
CPS teacher librarians are leading the charge to develop and curate teaching and learning materials to support the digital curriculum system. CPS Libraries are focused on information literacy skills, not just the tools. Great content can be elevated and enhanced by tools and resources, creating an engaging learning experience. We are a resource for teachers, administrators, and parents to better understand and teach skills related to information and digital literacy.
OUR MISSION Navigating, curating, creating, to design more robust and effective instructional experiences.
The Dorsey Chambers Memorial Fund for New Librarians
Dorsey Chambers served the Chicago Public Schools for 35 years as an extraordinary teacher and library leader for the district. Her dedication to and passion for education and equity left an indelible mark on her students and colleagues. She was a fierce advocate for increasing students’ access to books and ardent in her efforts to support new librarians and schools in historically underfunded areas.
As CPS works to increase student access to credentialed librarians throughout the district, the Dorsey Chambers Memorial Fund for New Librarians will provide aid to new librarians who often enter libraries with limited resources. Each year, this fund will award a collection of books to a school library that is staffed with a newly certified librarian and has received limited local investment. Students will have access to new books and entire school communities will benefit from an infusion of new materials.
Your gift to the Dorsey Chambers Memorial Fund for New Librarians will ensure that Dorsey’s legacy of access and equity continues to impact CPS students.
CPS Libraries
In partnership with librarians, the Libraries Team equitably provides culturally relevant training, resources, networking opportunities, and develops pipelines to grow libraries and librarianship within Chicago Public schools. The CPS Libraries resources includes:
- School Library Catalogs
- Library Databases
- Explore! Websites
- eBook Libraries
- Research Resources
Soar Virtual Library
The CPS SOAR Virtual Library provides a wealth of digital resources to support teaching and learning. These resources are available to all CPS students from home and school. The virtual library includes:
- SOAR library catalogs of the print and digital collections of almost 400 CPS schools
- CPS Virtual Elementary and High School Libraries of 16,000 eBooks and eAudiobooks
- Online databases with digital collections of reference, journal, magazine, and newspaper articles; video and audio clips; primary source documents; graphs, maps, and charts; and more
- CPS Professional Virtual Library