building a homeschool library with used books
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The homeschool library
One of the things that I attribute to the success of my children's home education is the use of 'living books' from our private homeschooling library. A home library can be inexpensive to build if you look for used and discount books. When you build a private collection, you can include those books that are most interesting and helpful to your particular family which are those that you will want to turn to again and again. It is not always convenient to run to the library to get that book on a particular subject. Having a good assortment of books at home will allow your child to delve into the subjest of interest, while passions still run high.
Having an in-home library will nurture a love of reading and a love of learning. Surround your childen with the best books and then watch their education take off to new heights!
Having an in-home library will nurture a love of reading and a love of learning. Surround your childen with the best books and then watch their education take off to new heights!
Contents at a Glance
An overview
Keeping all those books orderly, accessible and inviting is very important as your library grows, but it is not that hard to set up. Organizing the books according to type is a good first start. No matter how large or small your library is, have a section for each major book type: reference, history, science, language arts, literature, etc. Your sections will depend on what is in *your* library. You can even further sub-divide sections.
You will want to take the best care of these books, many of which will become heirlooms. When looking for the best spot for the library, choose one that is free from dampness, heat, and other things that can damage your investment. Teach your children from an early age to treat the books with respect and keep them out of their unsupervised reach until they are able to properly take care for them.
To be used, books need to be accesible- not in boxes or crowded on shelves. Book shelves of all type are great for this. Any room in the house is fair game for a bookshelf. You may prefer all books kept in one area, or rather have them in various parts of the house. For example, children's books can either be kept in their rooms, or in a hall leading to their bedroms. You decide what works best for you, keeping in mind to sort like books with like books.
You will want to take the best care of these books, many of which will become heirlooms. When looking for the best spot for the library, choose one that is free from dampness, heat, and other things that can damage your investment. Teach your children from an early age to treat the books with respect and keep them out of their unsupervised reach until they are able to properly take care for them.
To be used, books need to be accesible- not in boxes or crowded on shelves. Book shelves of all type are great for this. Any room in the house is fair game for a bookshelf. You may prefer all books kept in one area, or rather have them in various parts of the house. For example, children's books can either be kept in their rooms, or in a hall leading to their bedroms. You decide what works best for you, keeping in mind to sort like books with like books.
Materials you'll need
Book shelves do not have to be elaborate. Look for garage sale finds when you can. You may want to secure the shelves to the wall for added stability. Cement blocks or milk crates with wooden boards are a very economical way to add shelves. Add fabric to the boards and give it some flare.
Step 1:
setting up the library shelves
Decide the best place or places for your library and position the shelves. Your selection of books may be small at first so it is okay to have just one little book case or shelf to house them all. The idea is to carve out space in your home for the books that you will be getting.
Step 2:
organize books acording to type
Organize the books according to type. There are many different methods of organizing bookshelves. Choose what works for you. Perhaps you want to have a separate section for younger children and one for older ones, each according to a category. Or maybe you want to have them all grouped together, to facilitate multi-grade unit studies.
Have a special category for reference books which can easily be seen, so they will be used.
You can classify biographies either according to content: scientists in the science section or just as biographies.
Make a special day of sorting through and categorizing the books you already own. Get the whole family to help.
Have a special category for reference books which can easily be seen, so they will be used.
You can classify biographies either according to content: scientists in the science section or just as biographies.
Make a special day of sorting through and categorizing the books you already own. Get the whole family to help.
Step 3:
Collect those books!
Collect those books! One of the great things about having all you current books organized is that you can see what you have and what you need. Scout the homeschooling resource catalogs and make a list of the items you would like to add to your collection. As you go to yard sales and browse the on-line used book resources, you will know what you want. Take advantage of ebay for wonderfully low prices on used books. My store, 2 Impressions Homeschool Books, has a great assortment of used homeschooling books which my family has used in the years we have homeschooled since 1995. http://stores.ebay.com/2ndimpressionshomeschoolbooks
P.S.
My ebay store has a great assortment of used homeschooling books which my family has used in the years we have homescholed since 1995. Many of these books are 'living books'. Here's the link: come check out my books and get your library going today: http://stores.ebay.com/2ndimpressionshomeschoolbooks
Make sure you check back often, as I add new things all the time!
Make sure you check back often, as I add new things all the time!
by gailH7
Hello world. This is my bio. I can edit it later!
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