This slim volume is mostly a compendium of addresses, but begins with an informative preface that explains in a nutshell the present face of the homeschooling public. Statistics show that well over one million U.S. school-aged children are now being taught in the home. This number continues to dramatically increase as parents become disheartened with the public school system. Statistics also show that this group of children and parents are above-average patrons who frequently rely upon the library for research and recreation. This book alerts public librarians to growing needs and expectations from this service population. Based on the author's program, presented at a Public Library Association (PLA) conference, the book reviews typical problems between homeschoolers and libraries (staff bias, censorship, depletion of limited resources) and suggests reasonable services every library should provide-programs, referral to support groups, maintenance of vertical files or special collections on legal requirements and curricula. A sampling of successful library programs in place around the country is highlighted. The remainder of the book is comprised of address lists for curriculum publishers and distributors, national and regional home education organizations, correspondence schools, homeschooling newsletters, and Web sites. All addresses appear to be up to date, although the regional listings are a little spotty. The bibliography is particularly good, listing the standard titles on homeschooling families and how to get started, also including suggested books for home teachers to use to develop their own curricula in the areas of math, history, and science. This is an inexpensive, fairly comprehensive guide to what is out there and what any library can do to improve its relationship with and service to this burgeoning group. Biblio. Appendix.
As the number of homeschooled children in this country rises, the public library can be an excellent resource for parents who prefer to educate their children at home. In this new guide, Scheps (Homeschoolers and the Public Library: A Resource Guide for Libraries Serving Homeschoolers, Public Library Assn., 1993) gives librarians tips on serving the homeschool population and information on existing programs. Part 1 presents problems librarians face when serving homeschoolers, background details on what a homeschooler wants from a public library, homeschooling laws, and eight sample programs from libraries in the United States (although some librarians may wish for a larger selection of programs). Part 2 is a useful directory of national, state, regional, and provincial homeschool organizations and associations. An extensive bibliography also lists homeschooling web sites. Another bonus is a resource list of correspondence schools, publishers, and distributors of educational materials. Scheps has produced an insightful and useful volume for those who support homeschoolers as part of their public library population.--Ru Story-Huffman, Hagan Memorial Lib., Cumberland Coll., Williamsburg, KY
