Name: CHEC Rocky Mountain Homeschool Conference
Start: 2025-06-12T00:00:00-05:00
End: 2025-06-14T23:59:59-05:00
Location: Denver, CO

Tagged: Home Library, lending library, MN, software

This topic has 48 replies, 17 voices, and was last updated 11 years, 3 months ago by RobinP.

Viewing 15 posts - 16 through 30 (of 49 total)

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Author
Posts
April 3, 2012 at 12:50 am
akirechelle
Participant
I haven’t posted in ages, but read daily 🙂 But my husband and I would like to do this. Right now we are in the planning and organizing stages..but I always told my husband when I grow up I want to be a librarian. He thought this would be perfect for me… I need to join the yahoo group.
I am in the DFW, TX area
April 3, 2012 at 12:59 am
missceegee
Participant
I would like to do this, too. I have enough books to start (~6000), they are organized for my use, but not in an accessible manner for others and I don’t know how I’d change it to be suitable. Ideally, it would not be in my living space. Hmmm. Someday.
I’m in north Florida.
April 3, 2012 at 1:13 am
crazy4boys
Participant
I think I’ll end up with my books being in my living spaces. I don’t see any way around that for now….and maybe even never or at least until we retire from the military. I’m hoping that if I’m organized people will be able to find the books easily…the spare bedroom might house all the science books, the basement will have picture books in one area, history in another, etc. As I enter them into the database I’ll add a note as to where they are (this helps me too). And then I’ll make sure to clean my house on library days!
One idea I had was to offer to pull the books for people in advance. If they send an email with a list of books they want, I can have them all ready when they get here.
Still planning….still thinking….baby steps…..
April 3, 2012 at 1:44 am
RobinP
Participant
And baby steps is key. When I finally officially opened I had over 7000 books. Nothing had been cataloged, repaired, organized. Now I have over twice that many books and still don’t have it done. I encourage you to work on those things now, bit by bit, so you won’t be drowning in books when the time comes.
June 10, 2013 at 3:12 pm
missceegee
Participant
Robin, want to come visit me in FL and help me with organization and prep work? Bring the kids and hubby and we’ll send them to the beach while we play librarian.
June 10, 2013 at 4:21 pm
RobinP
Participant
Ooh, Christy, are you ready to make it official?!? Grab me at the conference this week and we’ll talk! We need to find a way to locate each other. There about 10 from our CM group going. I think the AO people are wearing something special to identify themselves with. Maybe we should come up with something. Or I could just PM you my cell number. Can’t wait to meet in person…and talk books! 🙂
June 10, 2013 at 5:01 pm
Shannon
Participant
Can someone give an overview of what it means to have a library in one’s house? Do the borrowers pay any kind of fee or it is all a donation of your time and money? My husband and I had thought of running a library of sorts – with educational items (manipulatives, curriculum, hs philosophy books, etc) but hadn’t though of a library with 6000+ books. I’d love to hear a simple overview of how it works.
June 10, 2013 at 6:12 pm
RobinP
Participant
Shannon,
I opened my library officially in June 2008. I’m blessed that I have an apartment finished in my basement just down the stairs from my living room so it’s convenient to us but separate from out living area. That said, it does not have to be. Just whatever works for you. Currently I have about 16,000 books and growing constantly. I charge a yearly fee paid by August 1 and going through July 31. My focus is on living books, mostly OOP with few written after 1970 when the focus began to change in children’s books. You are welcome to browse my website. There are photos and some general info about the library. Please ask if you have questions. I love to talk books. 🙂
http://Www.childrenslegacylibrary.blogspot.com
February 13, 2014 at 4:25 am
Jolene Ceravalo
Participant
Just happened on this! I have a lending library in my home! I currently do not have what one would consider living books. I carry Christian fiction and Christian non-fiction titles, and I’m hoping to expand my homeschool selections soon! I opened in 2010 in PA, and I reopened in MN in 2013 after our move back (MN’s my home state). I’m in Dakota County. If you’d like more info, please let me know! Blessings!
February 13, 2014 at 12:57 pm
RobinP
Participant
That’s exciting, JamochaJo! What a blessing to your community
February 13, 2014 at 1:37 pm
Doug Smith
Keymaster
Karen and I have been dreaming of having a library one day. We feel like we should be sharing all these living books we’ve collected over the years. Plus, it’s a way to be around and hopefully be a blessing to younger families. Since we are inching towards being emtpy nesters, that seems more and more like it would be a natural outreach.
But right now, we’re plenty busy with SCM and the upcoming convention season!
We live in northern IL.
February 13, 2014 at 2:06 pm
RobinP
Participant
Wow, Doug! How fantastic would that be?! The impact of your knowledge and wisdom along with your treasured books would be incalculable.
February 13, 2014 at 5:16 pm
Phobo
Participant
Robin, do you mind me asking what you charge for the yearly fee?
Rachel
February 13, 2014 at 7:01 pm
RobinP
Participant
Rachel,
My fees are based on what part of the library the patron wants to use.
Five in a Row totes only – $60 per year
Shelf book only – $75 per year
Entire library – $125 per year
February 13, 2014 at 8:43 pm
eawerner
Participant
Robin, What is a ‘shelf book’?

I have been so inspired by the libraries some of you have. I would love to be able to serve others this way. My oldest is only 7 so we have plenty of time to collect books. 🙂 I am a little OCD though and love to clean and purge, so I need to figure out how to keep it all organized and in good shape or I’ll go crazy from the mass chaos!
Happily, dh doesn’t mind the idea of more (good) books in the house. I will be going to ikea as soon as the roads get better to buy a large (110″ wide!) book case 🙂 I’m so excited to have my books in one central location where they will get seen and used.
Oh, and we live in Northern Wisconsin.