the ideal library

[slinden]

i know that libraries can be a great resource for homeschoolers. i am not yet a homeschooling mama in any traditional sense (my LO is not yet one year old), but when it is time to begin his "formal" education, i do hope that my husband and i are in the position to do so. as a librarian (and a library school student), my viewpoint slants towards libraries, books, information resources, etc, quite often. i'm wondering how libraries could better serve their homeschooling populations. i called my local library and they don't have any special HS section, just various materials scattered throughout the library and interlibrary loan capabilities. no textbooks.

for those of you who use the library often, how would you imagine a library that really suited your needs as a homeschooling family? does anyone have a really great library they could tell me about? what kind of materials do you like to use? do you frequently use dictionaries/encyclopedias/the reference section? do any of you not use the library much?

[kewb]

I love our library. One of the things that makes my love our library is our children's librarian. She is the best. If we tell her what we are working on she comes up with tons of recommendations for us. We are able to request books and movies from other libraries which is also very helpful. They also have an excellent selection of encyclopedias and atlas'.

They don't really have a homeschooling section but I view the whole library as a homeschooling resource.

[limette]

I can't think of anything that would be homeschooling specific but the thing I love about our libraries is that they are all connected via an online site where I can search the titles and place them on hold. They will deliver the books to the library of my choice and then email me when they are ready to be picked up.

It's awesome, if only they had a more updated selection of books it would be perfect.

[skueppers]

Features I find useful include:

* On-line access to view what I have checked out and renew materials.
* On-line access to request them from other libraries.
* E-mail reminders to renew or return items.
* A good children's librarian/good librarians generally.
* An extensive selection of library programs for elementary-school and middle-school kids.

It would really improve my life if the library carried more commonly-used homeschooling books and books that are used by homeschooling programs like Sonlight, Five in a Row, etc.

I find it irritating that our library system doesn't have any early readers designed to be used with a phonics-based reading curriculum.

[honey-lilac]

Originally Posted by limette

I can't think of anything that would be homeschooling specific but the thing I love about our libraries is that they are all connected via an online site where I can search the titles and place them on hold. They will deliver the books to the library of my choice and then email me when they are ready to be picked up.

Word for word. This is the only way I get to use the library (or read at all, as I can't afford to purchase all the books I read) and I can't stash my two toddlers long enough to browse through book selections, never mind actually search for a title. Plus we have a tiny branch library by our house but the main city libraries are far away - but they deliver if you request it online. It's terrific!