“A magnificent education can be obtained solely through reading.”

For homeschooling families, the library can be one of the most valuable resources available. Mark Hegener, publisher of Home Education Magazine, has said for many years that all one needs to homeschool successfully is “love and a library card.” Libraries offer so much for families: Friendly, helpful staff members, reference materials, audiobook recordings, videos and DVDs, computers to use free, story hours, meeting spaces, and that never-ending supply of books!

To learn more about the wonderful resources and support for homeschooling available at your local public library, and for ideas about how you can become more involved in supporting homeschooling through your community library, check out these helpful articles and links to more information about libraries.

• Homeschool Resource Center in a Public Library, by Kathy Wentz

“For many years now I have held a vision of the library of the future. This library would be a public learning center. It would do more than lend out materials. It would be far more than a school. It would be similar to the private Homeschool Resource Centers that are cropping up in areas, but it would not require a paid membership to use. It would be a community-based learning Mecca!”

• Loving the Library, by Rebecca Rupp

“Of all possible homeschooling resources – after, of course, such pipe-dream unobtainables as unlimited time and money – next-best is a library card. Kids vary certainly, but there’s no doubt, as Neil Postman said, that a magnificent education can be obtained solely through reading; and even for the reading-resistant, the library has a lot to offer.”

• Books About Homeschooling and Libraries

Group discussion about books which describe and further the interaction between public libraries and homeschooling families and supporters. Also leads into introductions from listmembers interested in the working relationship between homeschoolers and librarians.

• How to Choose Books

Beginning of a group discussion about helping your children select books, includes this advice from librarian David Brostrom: “What I would recommend is to go to your public library’s reference/information desk where you can ask for the Librarian who helps with ‘Reader’s Advisory’ things. Make sure to let them/him/her know that you have a concern about explicit language, etc.”

• Public Libraries and Homeschool Families

Group discussion beginning with the question: ” I’m a children’s librarian with an interest in providing the best service possible for our homeschool families. What would you like to see your public library provide and/or what are some things that libraries have done that you have found especially interesting, helpful, exciting etc.?

• Presenting a Library Workshop

Group discussion beginning with the question: “What are you looking for in the way of help from your local library? What services do you use, what services would you like to see available? Does your library subscribe to any homeschooling magazines? Do they have a good assortment of books on homeschooling?”

• The Internet Public Library

The Internet Public Library (IPL) is a public service organization and learning/teaching environment founded at the University of Michigan School of Information and hosted by Drexel University’s College of Information Science & Technology. We will provide library services to Internet users. Activities include: finding, evaluating, selecting, organizing, describing, and creating information resources; and direct assistance to individuals.

• The Library of Congress

The Library of Congress is the nation’s oldest federal cultural institution and serves as the research arm of Congress. It is also the largest library in the world, with more than 130 million items on approximately 530 miles of bookshelves. The collections include more than 29 million books and other printed materials, 2.7 million recordings, 12 million photographs, 4.8 million maps, and 58 million manuscripts.

• Los Angeles Public Library

Online site of the Los Angeles public library.

• New York Public Library

Online site of the New York public library.

• The Online Books Page

Listing over 25,000 free books on the Web.

• Bartleby: Great Books Online

Books online to read free. The preeminent Internet publisher of literature, reference and verse providing students, researchers and the intellectually curious with unlimited access to books and information on the web, free of charge.

• The Harvard Classics

Books online. The most comprehensive and well-researched anthology of all time comprises both the 50-volume ’5-foot shelf of books and the the 20-volume Shelf of Fiction. Together they cover every major literary figure, philosopher, religion, folklore and historical subject through the twentieth century.

• Children’s Storybooks Online

Illustrated children’s stories for kids of all ages, available to read online free. Also riddle and maze books, coloring books, talking books, and more!

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This entry was posted on March 13, 2007 at 3:59 pm and is filed under Homeschooling. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.