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The Public Librarian's Role in Serving the Homeschooled Student
By Maria Zawacki
Where to start?
The Johnsburg Public Library's HRC draws homeschool patrons from all across northern Illinois. Inevitably, for the most part they simply want to know where to begin.
- One of the most important things a public librarian can do to assist them is to make readily available a compilation of your state's laws in regards to homeschooling. This can be as simple as downloading your state's laws from a reputable non-sectarian website such as A to Z Home's Cool Homeschooling Web Site. To avoid providing legal advice, simply keep the printed pages in a binder in the reference section and keep the information current. Each state has its own unique set of homeschooling laws.
- Including contact information on local homeschool groups is also a big help to those just beginning homeschooling. Many times new homeschoolers just want to be able to find an experienced homeschooler to talk to.
- Finding an experienced homeschooler in your community willing to help the library can be an incredible boon to providing quality services to this segment of the population. At the Johnsburg Public Library, we are extremely fortunate to have a knowledgeable homeschool parent advisor, Kathy Wentz, who volunteers her time once a week to meet with homeschoolers, recommend homeschool-related acquisitions for the library, and maintain the HRC.
Since most public librarians don't have the good fortune to have a resource center for homeschoolers at their disposal like we do at Johnsburg, highlight what you do have. Create a flyer or brochure targeted just to homeschoolers.
- Make note of the in-house and online reference and reader's advisory services and resources available via your library.
- Include information on other basic services of special interest to homeschoolers, such as interlibrary loan. Many patrons still assume if you don't own it, they can't get it.
- Provide information on how to easily locate historical fiction for youth, which is frequently a part of a homeschooler's curriculum.
- If you offer an educator's card with extended loan periods, extend that same offer to homeschoolers.
Many homeschoolers really want nothing more of your library than to simply take advantage of all that you already offer.
Keep differing educational philosophies in mind
Unlike public school curriculums, homeschoolers embrace a wide variety of educational philosophies including Classical (Trivium), Charlotte Mason, Waldorf, Montessori, Unit Study Approach, and Unschooling. Libraries by nature are geared toward the promotion of reading for even the youngest of children. But some homeschool philosophies, such as Waldorf and the Moore Foundation philosophies, discourage formal study, including reading, before the age of 8 or 10.
- When helping a homeschooler, remember not to ask what grade they are in—it means nothing to them!
- Homeschooling also embraces a broad spectrum of abilities and disabilities, due to dissatisfaction with a perceived "one-size fits all" philosophy of local public school systems. This translates into a public librarian needing to be more knowledgeable about what your library can offer homeschool students in terms of high-interest, low-readability titles, or titles for young children with very advanced reading skills. Reader's advisory services for youth are extremely important to homeschoolers. They value children's librarians who read and know all about the books in their collection.
- Maintaining copies of older classic children's literature—older books with strong family values—is also very important to homeschoolers. They prefer original versions of the classics, as opposed to any new or updated versions.
- Make sure your collection has non-fiction books that relate to classic children's literature, such as The Little House Cookbook: Frontier Foods from Laura Ingalls Wilder's Classic Stories. Combining fiction with related non-fiction titles is frequently a component of homeschool curriculums.
Keep them coming back
Encourage homeschoolers to check out all those items! Frequently they seem almost embarrassed to come to the Checkout Desk with a huge stack of items. Keep in mind that they are usually gathering curriculum materials for more than one child and on more than one subject. Offer extended loan periods if necessary, or encourage the option of renewing items. They view the public library as a goldmine and you won't find a more appreciative library patron than a homeschooler.
Learn more
For more information about the Johnsburg Public Library's services to homeschoolers and its Homeschool Resource Center see http://johnsburglibrary.org/hrc.htm or contact Maria Zawacki at mzawacki@johnsburglibrary.org. •
After working in various academic and public library positions, Maria Zawacki received her MLS from Northern Illinois University in 1992. She has been the Director of the Johnsburg Public Library in Johnsburg, Illinois for a total of thirteen years. Since winning a $55,000 LSTA grant from the Illinois State Library in 2001 to establish a Homeschool Resource Center (HRC), the Johnsburg Public Library has been known nationwide for its work with homeschoolers.
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About the author:
After working in various academic and public library positions, Maria Zawacki received her MLS from Northern Illinois University in 1992. She has been the Director of the Johnsburg Public Library in Johnsburg, Illinois for a total of thirteen years. Since winning a $55,000 LSTA grant from the Illinois State Library in 2001 to establish a Homeschool Resource Center (HRC), the Johnsburg Public Library has been known nationwide for its work with homeschoolers.
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