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
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.
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.
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).
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.
Research Libraries in Utah
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.
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.
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
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.
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.
Libraries & Homeschoolers: Working Together
Libraries and Homeschools: The Perfect Partnership

This articles details all the ways that libraries can assist and support homeschoolers, including meeting spaces, collections of local materials, lectures and programs, book discussions, foreign language materials, and so much more.

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. 

Helping Homeschoolers in the Library

This practical guidebook seeks to bridge the gap between librarians and homeschoolers in these two ways: who are homeschoolers and how can I help them practically? Part 1 addresses the history and background of homeschooling as well as the needs and viewpoints of various homeschooling groups. Part 2 deals specifically with building programs and services for the homeschooling population. By moving past stereotypes and understanding what resources are available, librarians can be important allies to this diverse group of patrons. Children's and YA librarians, library directors, support staff working with youth in public libraries and educators will find the information and tools they need to develop policies, programs, and services to support homeschoolers in their communities.

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. 
How to Homeschool Using Only the Library

The library is a wonderful resource for any homeschool parent. The resources found there help to enrich the curriculum or you can even use the library for all of your homeschooling material. These tips will help you get the most out of your local library. 

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. 

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.
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. 

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.  

Homeschooling and Libraries
This blog is written by Adrienne Furness and represents efforts to explore the homeschooling world and help librarians build good relationships with homeschooling families. Adrienne is a freelance writer and Children's Librarian at the Webster Public Library outside of Rochester, New York.
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.
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Featured Resources

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For the first time, Basic Montessori opens the celebrated philosophy and method to a more general public. David Gettman has devised a clear and modern explanation of Montessori's revolutionary ideas about early intellectual development, and provides a step-by-step guide to the Montessori learning activities most commonly used with under-fives. These include activities for introducing reading and writing, counting and decimal concepts, science, and geography, as well as activities that help dev...
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Field Trips: Bug Hunting, Animal Tracking, Bird-watching, Shore Walking
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Ideas and Books: The Method of Education
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The Trivium: The Liberal Arts of Logic, Grammar, and Rhetoric
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Reading Made Easy
Reading Made Easy is a phonics-based program, featuring 108 easy lessons, designed to be taught in less than 30 minutes per day. It is fully scripted and has original Christian content and stories. Includes hands-on writing and drawing activities. Reading Made Easy can be purchased here.
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