Homeschool Library Connection

A big way to save money in our homeschools is to utilize the library. Check out this great email list to get started using the library effectively: Homeschool Library Connection.

From the website:
Description

The library can be an awesome resource for homeschoolers, but is useless if it doesn't carry the books that we need.

The sole purpose of the Homeschool Library Connection email list is to help homeschoolers make purchasing suggestions to their public libraries.

I will present titles of interest to homeschoolers, including all of the information that you should need to make a purchasing suggestion to your library -- title, author, publisher, date published, ISBN #, price, and comments.

Let your voice be heard. If your library has a website go to it now and see if you can make purchasing suggestions online. If so, make a suggestion! If not, next time you visit the library ask for a patron request form and then fill it out!

Some tips:
--The form you need to fill out may be called a variety of things: patron request, item request, purchase suggestion, or something similar.
--Sometimes it's easier to ask a main library instead of a suburban or branch library.
--You'll have a better chance of a purchase at a big library than a small one which needs to get rid of books to save room.
--Titles published in the past year are more likely to be purchased. Librarians want their purchases to have a long shelf life and so are weary of older books.
--If you do suggest an older title, make sure to comment that it is a "classic" and will be checked out for years to come.
--Don't give up if you feel that your suggestions are ignored. Your voice will eventually be heard!
--Tell all of your like-minded friends to make purchasing suggestions too. There is power in numbers.