ERIC Number: ED402936
Record Type: Non-Journal
Publication Date: 1996-Dec
Pages: 4
Abstractor: N/A
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: N/A
EISSN: N/A
Public Library Services for Home Schooling. ERIC Digest.
Masters, Denise G.
Public libraries have a responsibility toward all of their patrons, including home schoolers. "Home schooling" describes the situation where parents or guardians choose not to send their children to public or private schools, but instead educate their children themselves. Libraries are very important to home schoolers because, in most communities, public libraries are the only educational resources available to them. Public libraries can offer home schoolers services such as outreach, tours, programming, and collection development. Challenges associated with providing library services to home schoolers include: censorship (patrons' objections to material); subject wipe-out (when one family borrows all materials on a given subject); negative staff attitudes toward home schooling; time/energy demands; technology demands; and administrative limits. When enhanced with access to technology such as CD-ROMs or online resources, home schooling's emphasis on self-discipline and initiative can well prepare children for the workplace of the future, one of multi-abilities and multi-generations. Home schooled children may not have the same access to information as other children, but public libraries are in a position to help them. (Contains 14 references.) (SWC)
Descriptors: Access to Information, Educational Attitudes, Educational Needs, Educational Resources, Educational Technology, Elementary Secondary Education, Futures (of Society), Home Schooling, Instructional Materials, Library Automation, Library Materials, Library Role, Library Services, Nontraditional Education, Online Systems, Optical Data Disks, Parents as Teachers, Problems, Public Libraries, User Needs (Information)
ERIC Clearinghouse on Information and Technology, 4-194 Center for Science and Technology, Syracuse, NY 13244-4100 (free while supply lasts).
Publication Type: ERIC Publications; Reports - Descriptive; ERIC Digests in Full Text
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: Office of Educational Research and Improvement (ED), Washington, DC.
Authoring Institution: ERIC Clearinghouse on Information and Technology, Syracuse, NY.
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A