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Everybody knows that libraries are great places to check out books for free. A lot of people don’t know, though, that the public library is a treasure trove of free resources for homeschoolers.
I can wholeheartedly say that if you had to, you could definitely homeschool only with resources from the library. Keep reading to find out how you can maximize the benefits of your library card!
Choose the Best Library in Your Area
Let me first say that not every library is created equal. All of them will have books and an inter library loaning system to check out books that might not be available in your specific library.
All of them will have computers and a library database for research. Not all of them, however, will have a robust and active children’s department. Not all of them will have a large number of homeschoolers to interact with.
While it’s not terribly important to have a lot of fellow homeschoolers at your library, it can be a great thing. Many times, you can find informal homeschooler library meetups, and your kids can look forward to seeing some familiar faces when you go.
What to Look For
The most important thing to look for is a great children’s department. This guarantees that you will have good children’s programs, planned summer activities, and librarians who are passionate about youth literacy.
In my experience, the absolute best libraries for homeschoolers are those affiliated with local community colleges. If you don’t have something like this in your area, check out several libraries before choosing which one you want to make your go-to.
You’d be surprised by how different each library’s amenities are. See how the children’s sections looks and what programs they have. Are there kids book clubs or classes offered?
Visit at different times and see if there are homeschoolers during weekdays or families visiting during the weekends. Have a chat with the librarian to find out what kind of programs are offered.
If the library has a filled-out calendar of events for kids, then it’s a sure sign that the library will have a lot to offer.
Our library has a vibrant children’s program with books clubs for different age ranges, STEM activities, and a well-organized summer reading program. We also get to take advantage of whatever is available to the community college students, like access to their 3D printer. Awesome, right?
While you can’t expect to find all of that at every library, I’ll go into detail about some of the most common free resources for homeschoolers at the public library.
Preschool Story Time
Preschool story times are offered at most libraries and usually take place once a week. I have never been to a library that doesn’t offer some kind of weekly story time for kids. The best libraries will have multiple classes- like one for babies and toddlers, one for preschoolers, and possibly a Spanish or bilingual story time.
They are an excellent way for your child to meet some new friends, listen to stories be read allowed, and learn some songs. There’s also is usually a themed craft that the kids do at the end.
I highly recommend checking this out if you have little ones.
Library Apps
There are two notable library apps that work using your library card number: Libby and OverDrive.
By downloading one of these apps, you can have instant access to a ton of ebooks, audiobooks, magazines, and even videos.
How do these work? You search for the title you are looking for. It will either be available for instant checkout, or if there’s a waiting list, you can put it on hold. If you have it on hold, you will be notified when it is available for download (usually 1-6 weeks, max).
You can keep the items you’ve checked out for 2 weeks for they have to be returned, which is done simply with a press of a button.
So what’s the difference between Libby and OverDrive?
Libby is a basic app for easily downloading ebooks, magazines, and audiobooks on your phone or tablet. It’s great if you want something easy and unfussy.
OverDrive is the classic app that is also compatible with Kindles, Macs, and PCs, and also offers streaming videos (Libby does not).
Both Libby and OverDrive have the same books, so it’s really down to preference and what device you will be using.
I use the OverDrive app, and it has seriously saved my family when the Covid lockdowns shut down our library for months. We still had access to as many books as we wanted- even picture books for my preschooler!
This is an absolute must-have for homeschooling families. Not only is it instant access, but it also means you can take your library books anywhere without worrying about losing or damaging them. Going on a trip? Download some books for the road.
It’s also free, so you don’t have to spend a ton of money on books that will only be used once, like for unit studies.
Kanopy
Kanopy is a streaming video service that is free to library patrons. The library covers all of the costs. Seriously, no strings attached. All you need is a library card to sign up.
From movies and documentaries to foreign films and educational videos, this is a gold mine. And even better? There are no ads. Amazing.
Kanopy Kids is included, which offers a lot of children’s programs, educational videos, and animated picture books. We love the Little Pim series for language learning.
Depending on the public library that you are affiliated with, there is usually a monthly limit to how many videos you can check out. Mine has a limit of 4 videos a month, but Kanopy Kids is has unlimited streaming. It will let you know what your limit is when you sign up.
The downside? Although, it is offered at many public libraries throughout the country, it isn’t available everywhere. You can check here to see if your library participates.
Free WiFi, Computers, and Database Access
Every library has free WiFi, computers, and access to the library research database. This comes in really handy if your kids are learning how to do research, are working on a project, or just want a change of scenery to do their online work.
Free ABCmouse
A bonus for younger kids is that all libraries offer free access to ABCmouse. You don’t need a subscription to use this fun early learning program while using the library computers. When my two oldest kids were preschool age, we would always stick around after Preschool Story Time to play ABCmouse for awhile before going home.
The downside is that you can’t save your progress, so it’s a fun way to try it out, have some fun, and see if you like it. We loved it so much that we ended up subscribing to it so we could use it at home and on my phone with the app.
Obviously, libraries aren’t open to use the computers right now because of Covid, so if you want to try it out you can use my link to get a 2 month subscription for just $5.
Discounts for Library Patrons
Another serious benefit for homeschoolers is using your library card for discounted or free admission to museums and cultural attractions in your area.
In my city, kids get free admission to the art museum on the weekends. Other cities offer discounts to the theater, children’s museums, and science museums. You can do a quick Google search to see what types of discounts your library card gets you where you live.
Conclusion
So there you have it- a rundown of some of the coolest free library resources that homeschoolers should take advantage of.
And of course, make sure you’re using all of their amazing books to supplement the topics you’re working on.
When in doubt of what books to look for, just ask one of the librarians in the children’s department. They have a wealth of information and are passionate about children’s education and literacy.
Is there any other amazing free library resource I haven’t included in the post? Let me know in the comments!
[…] I’ve said before, a homeschooler’s best friend is the public library. It has an incredible amount of resources that are absolutely FREE. It’s a no-brainer to get a […]