Jump to content

Menu

Local library wants to provide more for hsers...what would you ask for?


Recommended Posts

Hi! I recently met a new member of my congregation who is the youth services manager for a local library. She said that the library is very interested in providing more classes, clubs, etc. for the homeschool community, but they weren't sure what exactly we're looking for.

 

I know that you're not (all) in my local community but I was curious what the Hive thinks I should ask the library to provide.

 

They also want to form a group of library staff and homeschoolers to discuss how they can tailor their offerings to the local hs community. :D

 

I think this is a really great opportunity for us, and I don't want to squander it! Please chime in with what you would want, or suggest, if in my situation. Thanks!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Ours has a storytime and related craft leveled for school age children in various age groups, and it's great, but it's 7:30 at night!!! I would love it if that was offered during the day. Also, craft and sciencey activities during the day, like they offer in summer, would be fantastic during the school year.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hi! I recently met a new member of my congregation who is the youth services manager for a local library. She said that the library is very interested in providing more classes, clubs, etc. for the homeschool community, but they weren't sure what exactly we're looking for.

 

I know that you're not (all) in my local community but I was curious what the Hive thinks I should ask the library to provide.

 

They also want to form a group of library staff and homeschoolers to discuss how they can tailor their offerings to the local hs community. :D

 

I think this is a really great opportunity for us, and I don't want to squander it! Please chime in with what you would want, or suggest, if in my situation. Thanks!

 

Book Clubs- obviously, but with more of a classic bent. I'm tired of catering to the popular.

 

Public Speaking club

Reader's Theater

 

Also something designed especially to appeal to boys.

 

You are very fortunate that your library is so willing to do this!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Book club

Lego club

Craft time

Writers' workshop--they could all meet once a month at the same day/time

 

Every book mentioned in SOTW Activity Guides! :lol:

DVDs--nice new Shakespeares, science documentaries, history shows, etc.

A nice collection of homeschooling reference books

A lendable microscope! Dissecting kit! (OK, I'm getting into Cloudcuckooland here...)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Ours has a homeschool book club, though we aren't doing it this semester because it's on our super-busy day.

 

If your library doesn't already offer museum passes, that would be my #1 request. Ours has a cool program called "Discover & Go" where you can print the pass out directly from the library's website without the need to pick up & return a physical pass.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Ours has a storytime and related craft leveled for school age children in various age groups, and it's great, but it's 7:30 at night!!! I would love it if that was offered during the day. Also, craft and sciencey activities during the day, like they offer in summer, would be fantastic during the school year.

 

THIS!

 

My boys aged out of 'storytime' at age 5, because our library only offers that for up to kindergarten age. But they LOVED storytime, and they miss it. :tongue_smilie: They enjoy the reading aloud, the crafts, the being with other children.

 

So if I could get my library to offer a weekly story time for elementary aged homeschool children during the day, we'd be ALL over that.

 

In fact, you've inspired me to put that in the request box. Again. :D

 

ETA: The hands on science experiments would be AWESOME too. My kids would thoughly enjoy that. And there's no reason they couldn't do a large age span, say first through fifth/sixth grade or something. That'd be enjoyable for the kids, I'd think. Again, offering it on a regular (either weekly or bi-weekly) basis and during the day would be key for me. I'd rather they had those programs during the day instead of evenings/weekends. You know, for us homeschoolers. :P

Edited by bethanyniez
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Funny you should post this. Our library just had a forum for homeschoolers to show what they do offer and asked what we wanted. Our library informed us that every service they offer to school teachers are available to us as well. So, we get double checkout period that teachers' get. They offer teacher requests for classroom use - books on a particular unit - we give them a week's notice and they pull age appropriate materials for us to check out. They will be sponsoring book clubs during daytime hours for homeschoolers as well as a curriculum night for parents and a homeschoolers' showcase where students can display their work, whether it be science experiments or history displays or something. We are working on them getting homeschooling reference books to put in a special collection. They are also looking at reclassifying the Great Courses DVDs as books so that they have a longer loan period (currently only a week.)

 

Our big dream is a homeschooling center similar to the Homeschool Resource Center in the Johnsburg IL Library. We are looking to get a committee together to help make plans and we will seek a grant to make this happen. I could not believe how receptive our librarians are to this.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1. better collection of academic and older books: primary sources, Teaching Company courses, classic literature, poetry, audiobooks, classic movies. One of our nearby libraries is really lacking in that kind of thing.

 

2. Generous teacher cards with lower fines and longer borrowing periods.

 

3. Sufficient web resources-catalog computers at the library, web-based renewal from home, downloadable books.

 

4. One course I would really like to see though is a course on how to do research for a high school level and college level paper, how to write citations, covering the various methods, conducting web research, etc.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The very small library which hosts the local homeschool group has 'kits' in plastic bags on one set of shelves. Basically its educational material of any kind. It may be a book with accompanying lab kit. It may be a historical costume. It maybe be a book with a cheap microscope, magnifying glasses, slides. It may be a bug catching kit.

 

The large main library used to have all primary educational materials on one big shelf but we lost that in the rebuild. :confused:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I think the number one thing every library should provide to homeschoolers is borrowing privileges equal to whatever educators get - at our library this is extended check out times, but other libraries may have other things.

 

Also, more books about homeschooling and that homeschoolers commonly use as part of their curricula.

 

If they don't have it already, you might ask for a copy of public school materials to be kept for borrowing. Some libraries do this anyway.

 

We don't need the museum passes so that wouldn't make sense here (free museums!), but that's a good thought too. Programming here is also not really needed (there's already plenty in the community at large), but that's a good thought. Also, the rooms at our library are already free to rent, but that might be something to ask for - that homeschool groups be able to reserve them for free or reduced fees.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1. Low-cost test proctoring service.

2. Longer checkout times/higher limit on # of books checked out.

3. Homeschool curricula available for checkout, with accompanying teacher manuals and DVD instruction. (Latin for Children, Life of Fred, AoPS would be would be awesome!)

4. I would love to see low cost art classes too.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1. The ability to place holds for certain weeks 4-12 months in advance. (yes, it does exist in some libraries) I use TOG, and rely heavily on the library, so I am having to place holds every other week. It would be nice to get all the holds done in batches.

 

2. Generous teacher cards with lower fines and longer borrowing periods.

 

3. NO LIMIT on books per subject/series. This is one that drives me nuts, Thankfully my library doesn't enforce it if it is a hold situation, or I wouldn't be able to use TOG very well. (3 reading levels on the same topic each week means I would always be in trouble)

 

4. I would LOVE to see microscopes/instruments/teacher tools available for checkout, with a security deposit would be just fine.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Boy, that's a hard one because the first thing my local library would have to do is actually, gasp, have books! Sigh...okay they have books, if you count Michigan Ghost Chillers and Junie B as "classical children's literature" or science books with a most recent copyright of 1991 in the adult section and 1989 in the children's wing.

 

So, assuming a library in which one could actually find a book of poetry, or a collection of Shakespeare's plays, or a biology book that had even a cursory explanation of remedial genetics, or .....then I'd have to say:

 

An A.C.T./S.A.T. study group with practice exams and feedback or at least assistance in getting going on prep work.

 

Literary discussion groups with a classical literature emphasis.

 

Foreign language club. While I know that many libraries might not be able to come up with a leader who is fluent in the language, having the students get together to practice conversation would be a place to start.

 

Math Discovery club - I feel a Pi Day celebration coming on! (I've got a great one planned for 2013 and can't get a single school or homeschool group interested. They all seem to think I'm unbalanced because I like math and science.)

 

Exploring the microscopic world - Fun and learning with microscopes

 

Art gallery showings - rotating displays of student artwork from the community.

 

Those are a few things off the top of my head.

 

Faith

Link to comment
Share on other sites

 

Our big dream is a homeschooling center similar to the Homeschool Resource Center in the Johnsburg IL Library. We are looking to get a committee together to help make plans and we will seek a grant to make this happen. I could not believe how receptive our librarians are to this.

 

:iagree:

 

This. The great thing about the Johnsburg Public Library are the microscopes and slides available for check out. And the huge model of the human body. :D

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

 Share

×
×
  • Create New...