I think it’s pretty fair to say that most homeschoolers love the library. I really don’t know any homeschoolers who don’t love the library, but I didn’t want to overstate myself. I mean, really… what is there not to love about our local libraries?
As soon as my kids are old enough to sign their names, I let them get a library card. It’s always a big deal when they get to walk up to the checkout desk and hand the librarian their card to be scanned. Along with a library card, they get their very own library bag, as well.
5 Reasons Our Homeschool Family Loves Our Local Library
- I love having the ability to reserve books online as I plan my units. As our texts begin to arrive over the summer, I like to flip to the recommended reading lists in the back. I pull up our library’s website, and mark the ones that our library has. As we approach the start of a new unit, I can pull out that reading list and reserve all the books I need from the comfort of home. This saves me hours throughout the school year since I don’t have to browse the shelves myself.
- Location. Location. Location. I know not everyone is this lucky, but our library is across the street from my husband’s office. That means he can drop books off for me or pick up our holds if it’s not our library day.
- When my kids were younger, I really looked forward to our weekly storytime days. We had the most awesome children’s librarian – Ms. Karen – and she made it so fun for all of the kids. Emma is a crafter, and she loved the crafts after each story. Now that she is a tween, Emma looks forward to storytime and craft days at the library even more. Now, she gets to volunteer as a helper! She’s earning volunteer hours, and she’s working with kids in one of her most favorite places in the world.
- Through our local library, we have access to a wide variety of movies, ebooks, music, and audiobooks online. Right now, as part of our history studies, Emma and I are listening to The Golden Goblet
as an audiobook streaming through my phone. I really like this option, because I don’t have to keep track of CD’s or DVD’s. It’s through a program called Hoopla Digital. You ought to see if your library is a part of this system. - Computers. The kids loved playing on the library computers when they were younger. Our library computers were full of fun (and usually educational) kids’ games that we didn’t have at home.
What do you love most about your local library?
[…] there is no substitute for a good book and lots of reading. With this in mind, don’t hesitate to visit your local library. Your kids can learn a lot from the books they can borrow. Plus, you can easily take advantage of […]