Libraries and homeschooling

"In 2007 , 52 percent of America's more than 100,000 public libraries saw an increase in circulation (Combined Book Exhibit 2007)- A good portion of those users are home educators, according to NCES (2003), which found that nearly 80 percent of homeschoolers use a public library" That is from the article, Libraries and Homeschoolers. The reason why I believe libraries see a lot of homeschoolers is because they are the ones that need to use the library more than regular schooled children. Those at home the majority of the time, do not have a school library to go to, so they use their public library instead. This statement from the same article just gives evidence that homeschoolers do indeed use their public libraries, "Homescboolers often develop
close associations with local librarians, frequenting their local libraries often.."  One way that libraries can increase their patrons in this area is through the use of hands on programs. According to the article, "Hands-on Homeschool Program",
                                                                           Children and their parents love to come to a pro- gram where they learn about a topic and then apply what they have learned with an experiment or activi- ty. This dual approach not only helps children pro- cess information in different ways, but also gives them something to take home to show others in their family and to have for their portfolios. Most of the families that we have worked with maintain some type of portfolio of their child’s work. These portfolios are used to show their child’s progress through the year.
In planning these hands on programs it is essential to ask the 5 W's and the one "H": Who are you doing it for? What is the program? When it is to be held? Where is it to be held? Why it is being held, what are the reasons for this program? How are you going to accomplish this? What are you capable of doing for this program? How long will it take you to complete this program in terms of hours? Doing these types of programs can bring you success but only if you think about it ahead of time and plan it out.
                 Although it takes a lot of work to organize and prepare, the experiments and hands-on activities of these programs are key elements to their success. Researching the topic, being prepared, and being willing to adapt an experiment or activity to meet the needs of your group and the supplies and limitations that you have will also help you to have a successful program. Keep in mind that these programs don’t have to just be for the homeschooling crowd. Pro- grams that incorporate science and other subjects with a hands-on component can be fun for the whole family and can bring in quite the crowd at your library. (Hands on Homeschool Program)  In conclusion, I agree with everything that has been said because I do believe first off that homeschoolers are the ones that frequent the library the most for the reasons that were mentioned and also putting on hands on programs will increase your patrons in this area.