Research Questions & Methodology
Overarching Question: When did the symbiotic relationship between homeschoolers and the public library begin?
How has the modern homeschooling movement influenced public library services and programs?
What are the benefits for homeschoolers? What are the benefits for public libraries?
How will this relationship evolve? What impact will this have on library services?
Contribution to the Topic and Methodology
This website provides a starting point for the exploration of the historical relationship between homeschooling families and public libraries.
Once research for this topic began, it was clear there is a need for this type of inquiry. Much of the existing studies focused on the various services and programs offered to homeschoolers and not the genesis of the partnership. A major challenge I experienced was finding relevant interdisciplinary scholarship that focused on the beginning of the library-homeschool relationship. Again, this reinforced a need in the field for this type of inquiry. Although familiar with Library and Information Science journals and databases, I used the online chat feature offered by the IUPUI University Library to inquire about good databases for the topics of education and homeschooling.
In addition to secondary sources such as books and journal articles, I relied on primary sources such as YouTube videos produced during the time frame of the topic (1970s to present), journal articles written during the period under study, and homeschool programs and resources from current library websites. Additionally, I contacted two Indiana libraries via email (Greenwood Public Library and Mooresville Public Library) and corresponded about current homeschool initiatives and programs. This approach worked well for the purposes of this study. However, a filmed session of one of the local library's homeschool programs would have been a nice addition to the website but was not included due to time constraints and scheduling conflicts.
To complete the project, I referred to my initial research questions and analyzed the primary and secondary sources that I had gathered. I realized that although I had drawn conclusions that were reinforced by scholarly literature and primary sources, the absence of such a previous study was obvious. My hope is that this research provides a starting point for a larger discussion on the origin of the unique relationship between homeschoolers and public libraries.
How has the modern homeschooling movement influenced public library services and programs?
What are the benefits for homeschoolers? What are the benefits for public libraries?
How will this relationship evolve? What impact will this have on library services?
Contribution to the Topic and Methodology
This website provides a starting point for the exploration of the historical relationship between homeschooling families and public libraries.
Once research for this topic began, it was clear there is a need for this type of inquiry. Much of the existing studies focused on the various services and programs offered to homeschoolers and not the genesis of the partnership. A major challenge I experienced was finding relevant interdisciplinary scholarship that focused on the beginning of the library-homeschool relationship. Again, this reinforced a need in the field for this type of inquiry. Although familiar with Library and Information Science journals and databases, I used the online chat feature offered by the IUPUI University Library to inquire about good databases for the topics of education and homeschooling.
In addition to secondary sources such as books and journal articles, I relied on primary sources such as YouTube videos produced during the time frame of the topic (1970s to present), journal articles written during the period under study, and homeschool programs and resources from current library websites. Additionally, I contacted two Indiana libraries via email (Greenwood Public Library and Mooresville Public Library) and corresponded about current homeschool initiatives and programs. This approach worked well for the purposes of this study. However, a filmed session of one of the local library's homeschool programs would have been a nice addition to the website but was not included due to time constraints and scheduling conflicts.
To complete the project, I referred to my initial research questions and analyzed the primary and secondary sources that I had gathered. I realized that although I had drawn conclusions that were reinforced by scholarly literature and primary sources, the absence of such a previous study was obvious. My hope is that this research provides a starting point for a larger discussion on the origin of the unique relationship between homeschoolers and public libraries.