Kansas School Group Students

School groups interested in visiting the KU Libraries should see Visiting Students Grades K-12.  If you have scheduled a visit to the KU Libraries that will include an instruction session, the information on this page will in part help you prepare for that visit.

Library Workstation Access for Instruction Session

Each student will need a visitor login to use a library workstation to participate in the class and retrieve and save online items. To request logins for the students, send a complete list of student names (last name, first name, middle name or initial) to Christen Caton at ccaton@ku.edu no later than two weeks in advance of the scheduled instruction session.  The logins will be created and made available upon arrival for the visit. If an instruction session has been scheduled, this step is necessary even if your students will not be checking out library materials.

KU Library Borrower Permits for School Group Students

Each student who plans to check out circulating library materials will need to apply for and purchase a KU Library Borrower Permit for School Group Student. KU Library Borrower Permits for School Group Students are available at the reduced rate of $4.00 per student when the sponsoring teacher submits all completed application forms at the same time with payment two weeks prior to the campus visit. A notarized parental signature is required for each Borrower Permit regardless of the age of the applicant. Borrower Permits will be valid for the remainder of the current semester (December 15, May 15, or August 15 depending on when permit is issued), do not include a photograph, and may not be renewed. Students will need to present photo identification in order to use the permit.

Application Process

The application form, KU Library Borrower Permit Application and Parental Authorization Form for School Group Students, and the information sheet, KU Library Borrower Permits for School Group Students, may be requested by contacting Christen Caton at ccaton@ku.edu far enough in advance that you will be able to return the completed forms two weeks prior to the campus visit.

The following documentation is required for School Group Students to apply for a KU Library Borrower Permit:

  • Completion of the KU Library Borrower Permit Application and Parental Authorization Form for School Group Students for each student.
  • Parent or guardian authorization of the minor's application for borrowing privileges with a notarized signature for each student.
  • Submission of the application forms as a group by the teacher with payment of $4.00 per student.
  • The KU Library Borrower Permit for School Group Students is valid for the current semester and is non-renewable.

Submitting Completed Application Forms and Payment

The completed application forms with the notarized parent or guardian signatures along with payment should be submitted no less than two weeks in advance of the campus visit to Christen Caton, Watson Library Rm 350, University of Kansas Libraries, 1425 Jayhawk Blvd., Lawrence, KS 66045.

Information for Parents and Guardians

The KU Libraries' collections and services are developed for an adult audience. Please be aware that all facilities offer open access to a number of electronic resources as well as the Internet.  Use of these resources is not monitored by library staff. Parental authorization of the school group student's application for borrowing privileges with the University of Kansas Libraries carries with it the parent's or guardian's responsibility for any item borrowed by the student and for compliance with library policies and procedures.

Library Services for School Group Students

Upon presentation of the KU Library Borrower Permit for School Group Students, Kansas School Group Students may check out a limit of 20 long-term loan items for up to 6 weeks at a time and renew them up to 5 times online, but in no case past the end of the semester in which the borrower permit was issued.  Short-term loan items that check out for 2 weeks or less cannot be renewed online and must be returned to the library to be checked out again.

Off-campus access to KU Libraries' databases and e-journals, interlibrary loan, and document delivery are not included in the services available to Kansas School Group Students.

Scanning and Printing

Go to Scanning and Printing for Visitors to KU Libraries for information about scanning and printing in the KU Libraries.