Libraries
Libraries are an important resource for homeschoolers. Parents and children value librarians for the expertise they share when navigating the vast amounts of information found in today's libraries. Libraries also provide lending materials, educational materials, meeting space for support groups, and more.
Utah Public Libraries
Academic Libraries in Utah
Research Libraries in Utah
National Libraries
Libraries & Homeschoolers: Working Together
Utah Public Libraries
Utah State Library
Supports Utah public libraries through networking, consultation, training, reference, and educational services; provides library services to the blind and physically disabled; administers grants, ILL services, and contracts for access to commercial databases; coordinates statewide library development planning; works with counties to administer county bookmobile services; collaborates in providing full-text electronic access to stage agency publications; maintains a collection of materials of general interest to Utah state agencies and provides loans and information to libraries, state agencies, and the public.
Academic Libraries in Utah
L. Tom Perry Special Collections Library
Brigham Young University
1130 HBLL
Provo, UT 84602
Phone: 801-422-3514

The L. Tom Perry Special Collections Library preserves and houses materials requiring regulation. Because of their uniqueness, value, or fragility, these materials are given great care to protect them from damage or theft and to ensure their proper long-term use. Hence, Special Collections acquires, preserves, and makes available for use printed materials (280,000 books, pamphlets, prints, etc.) and a vast array of items comprising manuscript materials (8,000 manuscript collections including diaries, journals, papers, music scores, university records [including records of retired faculty], and 500,000 photographs).
Harold B. Lee Library
Brigham Young University
P.O. Box 26800
Provo, UT 84602-6800
Phone: 801-422-2927

The Harold B. Lee Library has about 98 miles of shelving for the more than 6 million items in its various collections. The library is located in the center of the Brigham Young University campus just south of the Administration Building.
Merrill-Cazier Library
Utah State University
3000 Old Main Hill
Logan, UT 84322-3000
Phone: 435-797-2631

The Merrill-Cazier Library is the Utah State University library. It is a 304,000 square foot facility in the center of the campus. Search online or visit the new facility. Features over 1,400,000 voulumes of books, magazines, and journals. Also houses 1,200,000 federal publications titles and 76,600 USGS topographic maps covering the entire U.S.
J. Willard Marriott Library
University of Utah
295 S 1500 E
Salt Lake City, UT 84112-0860
Phone: 801-581-8558

Marriott Library is an ARL library with holdings of nearly 3 million volumes, including 25,444 journals in electronic and print formats, and a considerable number of other networked electronic resources.
Research Libraries in Utah
Utah History Research Center
300 S. Rio Grande St.
Salt Lake City, UT 84101-1182
Phone: 801-533-3535

The Utah History Research Center is a service of the Utah State Archives and the Utah State Historical Society. Search for historical documents, cemetery burial records, manuscripts, newspapers, yearbooks, telephone directories, map, architectural drawings, photographs, and more. Located within the old Rio Grande Depot, the Research Center has been newly designed to meet researchers' needs. It is open to the public Monday through Friday, with additional hours on Saturday.
Public PIONEER - Utah's Online Library
Public PIONEER is a service of the Utah State Library Division. Provides databases of magazines, newspapers, Deseret News archives, Salt Lake Tribune archives, and academic journals.
Salt Lake County Archives and Records Management
2001 S. State Street #N4100
Salt Lake City, UT 84190-1300
Phone: 801-468-2332

The County Archives holds historical records from Salt Lake County dating from 1852. Types of records available include Property and taxation, public health, aging services, public safety, and adminisration records.
National Libraries
American Memory
American Memory provides free and open access through the Internet to written and spoken words, sound recordings, still and moving images, prints, maps, and sheet music that document the American experience. It is a digital record of American history and creativity. These materials, from the collections of the Library of Congress and other institutions, chronicle historical events, people, places, and ideas that continue to shape America, serving the public as a resource for education and lifelong learning.
America's Story from America's Library
This Web site is brought to you from the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C., the largest library in the world and the nation's library. The site was designed especially with young people in mind, but there are great stories for people of all ages.
Library of Congress
The Library of Congress is the nation's oldest federal cultural institution and serves as the research arm of Congress. It is also the largest library in the world, with millions of books, recordings, photographs, maps and manuscripts in its collections. The Library's mission is to make its resources available and useful to the Congress and the American people and to sustain and preserve a universal collection of knowledge and creativity for future generations.
Libraries & Homeschoolers: Working Together
Homeschoolers and the Public Library

Public libraries are invaluable tools for DIY educators and home education. Home-based educators utilize various curriculum sources to assist in teaching.  The National Center for Educational Statistics published a survey from 2012, in which 70% of homeschooled parents cite the public library as their most valued resource. This article, written for the American Library Association, details how librarians can meet the needs and work in partnership with homeschooling families. 

Homeschool Library Connection
The library can be an awesome resource for homeschoolers, but is useless if it doesn't carry the books that homeschoolers need. The sole purpose of the Homeschool Library Connection email list is to help homeschoolers make purchasing suggestions to their public libraries.
Public Libraries Welcome Growing Homeschool Community

Public libraries around the country are finding new ways to serve the growing population of homeschoolers through physical spaces and creative programs catered to homeschooling families’ needs. This article takes a look at what libraries in Illinois, Colorado, and Tennessee are doing to meet the diverse needs of homeschooling families. 

Homeschoolers’ Experiences with the Public Library

The purpose of this study was to understand the experiences of homeschoolers using the public library. A phenomenological design using interviews, a survey, and a writing prompt was used to give voice to the public library experiences of seven homeschool participants. From the data, three primary themes surfaced. First, most of the participants felt that the library was a home away from home. Next, many of the participants valued how the public library saved them money, and finally, many of the participants voiced a desire for more library daytime programs, especially daytime programs that catered to older, homeschooled children.  

Four Reasons Why Libraries are Homeschooling Hotspots

There are four reasons why libraries should be indispensable for homeschooling families. They offer resources and materials for homeschool students, individualized help and tutoring, activities and events for homeschoolers, and opportunities for parents. 

A Home Away from Home: Libraries & Homeschoolers
According to a 2003 study by the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), when homeschoolers were asked about their primary source of books and/or curriculum, 78 percent named their public library. This article offers ideas for outreach and support to homeschooling families, including ideas for creating a homeschool information hot spot, touring the library with homeschool groups, offering targeted programs and more.
There's No Place Like… the Library!
On the rewards of the library-homeschool relationship, with practical suggestions of ways libraries can cultivate relationships with homeschoolers.
Homeschoolers and Public Libraries: A Synergistic Relationship

Homeschoolers are commonly heavy users of their local libraries. Statistics show that more than 78 percent of home educators use the public library as their primary resource for curriculum supported materials. So, how do libraries become educational “hubs” for homeschoolers? They develop programs and services to support this burgeoning population by offering programs, digital information, and events that support homeschooling families. The energy and vibrant curiosity that home-educated children have, and the commitment and support their parents contribute, make libraries a better place for all. 

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Serving Homeschooled Teens and Their Parents (Libraries Unlimited Professional Guides for Young Adult Librarians Series)

This guide for librarians addresses the needs of homeschooled teens and how a library can meet those needs. Includes ideas like developing a homeschool resource and book collection to creating special homeschool programs. While this book was written for library staff, it is also an insightful guide into how homeschoolers and libraries can work together. 

The Perfect Partnership: Public Libraries and Homeschoolers
As a community partner, the public library can assist this growing population’s needs. The best scenario is one in which the library staff works with the local homeschool community. 
19 Ways to Get the Most from Your Library

We all know the library is the homeschooler’s best friend. Where else can you go to find all those wonderful books, DVDs, and more for free? But your librarian can be even more helpful than you had realized. Here are some tips for getting the most from your library.

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Featured Resources

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