Why We Love the Library

We love the library.

When the kids were really little it became a place for us to go and let them play in the kids area. It was quiet, fun and most importantly free! Since becoming homeschoolers, we love it even more.

Books to Read

We love to read. We read books with our kids daily. And the library has become a great way for us to bring new books into our house on a regular bases without costing us a cent. We use a book basket to get a selection of picture books in our home and the library really helps keep it fresh and fun.

Put Books on Hold

I LOVE using the holds system.

Our city’s library system is actually made up of over a dozen branches. Sometimes the book we want isn’t at our local branch. So I put it on hold and within the week, they deliver it to our home branch just down the street. And with the help of the on-line account library system, I can put things on hold from my laptop on my couch.

I also use it when I’m doing a unit study. Online, I can find titles and put them on my list. When I want them, I just click the HOLD button and they are sent to my branch. I’ve got a list of about a dozen Barbara Reid books in my list, ready for our author study this winter. The hold system really helps us maximize the books we have access to.

More than Books

Libraries are not just for books. These days you can check all kind of things out of the library. Movies, Audiobooks, music, documentaries are all available. I’ve even seen some libraries that allow you to check out toys. (ours doesn’t have this program, but I wish it did.) Checking these different things out are great ways to find interesting supplemental resources for your homeschool. And sometimes, it’s just a great place to find a movie.

Fun Classes and Activities

Most libraries offer a variety of programs and classes, often very cheap or free. Ours is no exception. They have one-day programs on school PD days, weekly activities during the summer and of course book clubs and story times. We personally love the summer programs because it gives us an outing and a chance to socialize with others during a time when all of our other activities (playgroups, gymnastics, co-op) are off for the summer.

Our library often brings in entertainment too. In the past, they’ve brought in magicians, animal rescues and authors. One year they brought in a children’s musicians and Alexie loved it and laughed the whole time.

A Place to Go

The library have become one of our favourite places to go. It has a special place on my list of outings. When we need to get out of the house, we can go there and play for awhile. Or to give us a different environment for us to do our work. Since it’s free, it makes it a great place to go our an hour or so and just get out of our 4-walls. And if we really need something different, we can go visit another branch in the city.

These are just some of the reasons that we love the library. It can be an incredible resource for any family, but especially for homeschoolers. From free books to a place to go and hang out to activities and classes, the library is the place to be these days!