Collection Management for Homeschooling Populations

Erin Linsenmeyer

What are we going to learn about?

-Why do we need a homeschooling collection?

-What are some unique needs to the homeschooling population?

-What can a homeschooling collection look like?

Homeschooling Statistics

Since 1999, the number of children who are being homeschooled has increased by 75%.

Nationally, 4% of children are homeschooled, although the number of children whose parents choose to homeschool is growing at a rate 7x faster than enrollment in public schooling.

Education News, 2012

Homeschooling Statistics cont.

--National Home Education Research Institute estimates 2.04 million children in 2010. --This number is probably higher. NHERI estimates growth at 2-4% per year. -In Illinois, estimated 90,000 homeschooled children in 2010--2003 study, 78% of homeschool families get resources from the public library.From Homeschooling in the United States: 2003 http://nces.ed.gov/pubs2006/homeschool/

Why homeschool?

NHERI: --Customize and individualize learning for student.--Pedagogical differences--Wish to impart a certain set of values or beliefs to children--Provide a safer environment for children--Health or other situational issues

How do they homeschool?

Charlotte Mason (Christian focused, literature based)Unschooling (child decides)Unit Studies (curriculum focused around topics)Classical Education (based on the book The Well Trained

Mind)On-line SchoolingBlended (mixture of curriculum)Some public/private schooling

How can you find your homeschoolers?

--At the library

--On-line

--On-line networks

--Homeschool conferences

What are they looking for?

--Examples of curriculum--How to homeschool books--"How to" subject areas--Detailed books--Classical works--Language learning materials--AV materials--Science materials

Issues to consider

--Religious material--Age of materials--Expense of buying and replacing curriculum--Weighing the needs of a small population against space and cost--Circulation policies (reciprocal borrowing, extended checkouts) --Where do the materials go?

Examples

New Albany-Floyd Public Library (Indiana)

Fantastic Fridays program

Families volunteer and make recommendations about materialsAmerican Libraries article

Examples

Johnsburg Public Library, Johnsburg, Illinois

Within 12 months of opening HRC, the materials checked out constituted 6.5% of the total materials circed.

9 out of 10 were checked out by reciprocal borrowers. Johnsburg Public Library