I admit it, I'm spoiled. I have one of the greatest libraries in the country--seriously, it is one of the top ten in the U.S.
Our school revolves totally around the library. After doing this for several years, I have my system down pat. I sit at my computer once a week going through my various sources (mainly my heavily marked up SOTW AG, and Christine Miller's All Through the Ages), ordering books that we'll use two and half weeks down the road. It takes me no time at all to search through the library website, requesting books be pulled and delivered to my branch three blocks away. When they are neatly stacked on the shelf for me (which may as well have my name on it), the library's computer system sends me an e-mail to come pick them up. And when items are due, I also get an e-mail reminder.
I have my mom to thank for my love of the library, and my both of my parents to thank for my love of reading. I was pretty much a self taught reader, and I can remember reading things upside down for fun in kindergarten. (And boy, was kindergarten different back in the 1960s, where we even had nap time in the middle of our 3.5 hour time at school!) My mom would take us to our library every couple of weeks to get more books, and when we got older, we would ride our bikes there. (I am so thankful for computerized catalogs!) I've always been a library geek, I mean, fan.
To celebrate the one year anniversary last summer of the branch opening near us, I signed up for a library tour. I was THRILLED to find that the kids and I were the only group in this timeslot. (Translation: No one else finds the library quite so exciting.) We had our own personalized tour of the library behind-the-scenes, AND we won a lovely Mikasa crystal bowl in a raffle that was given for each tour.
We go to the library to drop off /pick up books at least three or four times a week. It's close by, it's easy. My library card is invaluable, and I put more on it than my charge card (which I also use very liberally, many times each week). We average somewhere around 50-60 items checked out at any given time, with another 20 on hold.
We read a lot. Since September, Holly's read 150 books, over 20,000 pages. Trevor's read 120 books. (Both of those include books I read aloud.) Some are school, some are pleasure. I love to read, too, usually two books of my own each week. Robert's reading time and tastes vary widely, often taking cues from what Holly or I are reading. He just finished my Max Lucado book and is now reading Inkspell, and a couple of books on Harley history.
If we weren't able to use our library like this, our schooling would look different. I could never afford to buy the wide variety of schoolbooks every week that we use. It's interesting to me to even consider how things would change (the curriculum junkie in me). I don't always find every book I'm looking for, and I don't always get every book I request in time. But I'm free to pick and choose what we read about. It's almost always easy enough to find a great substitute.
Our librarians are terrific, always friendly, always going above and beyond when I've asked for help. When we used to go to the larger library, they knew my name and would pull our holds for us. This was impressive to me, since they saw (at least) hundreds of people each day. We go to our newer, smaller branch now. It has only self checkout stations. We don't see the librarians much, except to say hi as we walk past them to check out our own books. But they are still so very nice, still recognize us, although they have no way or reason to know my name. Every couple of months, I fill out a comment card to compliment them. They deserve it.
And for the $50 we pay each year in library taxes, it's the greatest bargain anywhere. Just rereading this makes me want to pick up a book.
8 comments:
Yes - I remember being little and SO thrilled when we would get to go to the library. It was one of our favorite outings. And I remember the librarian looking at the number of books you and I would check out and a few times, commenting rather sourly on how many we had - and Mom would jump in and let them know that we WOULD in fact read them all - and in less than the two weeks alloted. And to this day, one of the first things I do when I move is get a new library card (and I do move a lot!!!) -- and I hate the fact that while SF has a beautiful library (architectually) they did a very bad job of making enough room for the books so it is not a good one.
Can you tell we are related???
Ok. I want to move.lol Our library stinks. We actually bought a membership to the bigger city library nearby and I still can't find most of the books I need each week.
Hooray! A I Love My Library blog!! Sometimes I find myself still amazed that they are willing to go and gather all the books for me. What a gift! I just point and click (almost as fun as shopping) and the books are magically lined up on the shelf, waiting for me. Ahh.
you know . . since I stopped homeschooling I haven't been taking advantage of the library like I should.
You have inspired me to start visiting it again!
You're blessed. I should really try harder to use our library next year.... I could do the same internet type search and they would bring them to within 3-5 miles of my house every other week on the bookmobile... so I'd have to look about 4-6 weeks ahead, but it IS possible.... I'm already thinking about fall and looking for things to drop from my schedule....you'd think one of these days I would have almost dropped everything, but I am still finding a few little things here adn there that should be taken off my plate....maybe I'll take enough off that I can actually think about the library again.
I find it funny that a couple of my homeschool friends call me when they can't find the book they're looking for and usually I have it... sheeping grin...... sad, but true... I have quite a selection here at home already.... mostly thanks to purchasing 8 complete years of Sonlight... I hardly ever "need" to buy or look for a book at the library anymore... but I do get tired of reading the same ones over and over so it's nice to add some variety for "me."
Wow, you ARE lucky!
We have the worst library I've ever come across in our town. Poor selection, grumpy librarians who think home-educators are practically child-abusers. And stupid rules, like only 2 books per child on any one subject. And the 'young adult' section which is basically porn.
Oh and no toilets. (Way to encourage mothers of toddlers.)
I think I would want to live in your library.
Dorothy
Our library in Eagle River, AK was like this. I find it funny that a tiny library "up there" is way more high tech than the libraries down here. I could do the same things you mention - they would bring books from all over AK and the lower 48 - never charged me....quick and polite.
Here I can't reserve books or request them online. I CAN search their data base and that's nice. They have a new library "in the works". I talked to them about their system when we first got here, 1 1/2 years ago, and they said it was a computer glitche they were working.
Going to the library is like Christmas for me and the children too. We love it. We wouldn't have been able to afford to homeschool with the amount of lit we do if we didn't have libraries to work with.
Thanks for the reminder.
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