Service to Homeschooling Families
Format: Online
Fee: $75 for those in the California library community and Infopeople Partners, $150 for all others.
(An Infopeople Online Learning Course)
December 8, 2009 – January 11, 2010
According to the National Center for Education Statistics, well over one million children are being homeschooled in the United States. Studies show that a majority of homeschooling families rely on libraries as their primary source of learning materials. Although homeschoolers are among the most active users, few libraries offer specialized services to this high-needs population.
As a result of this course you will be able to:
- Reach out to homeschooling families
- Plan services benefiting homeschoolers, as well as other families
- Develop low-cost, high-impact programs targeted to homeschooling families
- Create collections for the widest possible use by homeschoolers
Author of "Helping Homeschoolers in the Library," Adrienne Furness will introduce you to the philosophies, trends, and regulations that impact homeschoolers and how homeschooling operates on a daily basis. You will come away with ideas on how to create a welcoming environment for these families and with strategies to reach out to and connect with homeschooling organizations in your community.
Course Description: During the course, you will be completing assignments and participating in online discussions, with the goal of learning from each other and generating a wide variety of outreach, program, and collection ideas. In online meetings you will have the opportunity to hear from librarians who have developed unique programs and services for this user community.
Preliminary Course Outline: Using your web browser and your Internet connection, you will log in to the Infopeople online learning site and complete the following learning modules:
- Module 1: Who Are Homeschoolers?
- Homeschooling facts
- Why families homeschool
- Major philosophies and trends
- Homeschoolers’ schedules
- Module 2: Outreach to Homeschoolers
- Homeschooling laws
- Homeschooling organizations
- Potential library obstacles for homeschooling families
- Module 3: Developing Programs for Homeschoolers
- Considerations when planning programs
- Developing low-cost programs that have maximum impact
- Welcoming homeschoolers into non-homeschooling programs
- Module 4: Developing Collections for Homeschoolers
- Identifying items that will have the widest use
- Locating reviews and evaluating resources
- Balancing the collection
- Housing the collection
Time required: To complete this course, you can expect to spend 2 to 2½ hours per week. You can work on each module at your own pace, at any hour of the day or night. However, it is recommended that you complete each week's assignments within that week to stay in sync with other learners.
Who Should Take This Course: Public library staff and managers who interact with homeschoolers, purchase materials, plan programs, or set library policies and procedures; school librarians from districts that provide additional services to homeschoolers; anyone interested in library services for homeschooling families.
Online Learning Details and System Requirements may be found at
http://www.infopeople.org/training/learning_details.html.
Course Start: This online learning course starts on Tuesday, December 8, 2009. Because several holidays fall within what would normally be a four-week course, the end date has been extended to January 11 to allow sufficient time to finish the four modules.
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