How to Build a Cheap Homeschooling Library

For most homeschoolers, the home library is an important part of the learning atmosphere of the home. Whether it’s a small nook, or large bookshelves full, here are some tips for how to build a cheap homeschooling library.

Don’t Feel Pressure to Make Your Home Library Insta-worthy!

You certainly don’t have to feel pressured to have your homeschool be a certain way. I know in the age of Pinterest perfection and Insta-worthy images, homeschool mamas can easily slide down the comparison rabbit hole. Don’t go there!

You Can Have a Home Library No Matter the Space Available

Of course, having a book selection of your own is a very valuable asset to a homeschool. I can’t recommend it enough! But regardless of whether you have a small shelf in your live-in camper trailer (as my traveling friend homeschooling their daughter), or you have a large wall of built in bookshelves full to the brim, be assured that being able to reach for a real, paper book, and escape to another place and time in our imagination, is a hugely important part of learning at home.

“There are perhaps no days of our childhood we lived so fully as those we spent with a favorite book.” ~Marcel Proust

Use Your Local Library as A Resource for your Homeschool

I don’t think you need to feel like you must own all the books you like or even love. Now, most of us have access to all the free to borrow books we could want at our libraries!

Having to return a book at a certain time is not the same as owning it yourself, but it’s the next best thing! And they can store them for you whenever you want to check them out again, without it taking up space in your home.

If I find us checking out certain books over and over, then that’s when I definitely look into buying our own copy.

Don’t forget to check into the things your library offers its patrons, such as online resources, audio books, and taking requests to purchase certain titles you may want to read. In my post Fall in Love with Your Local Library, I share a bunch of reasons you should definitely be using your library regularly, and different specific ways to take advantage of all they have to offer.

How to Build a Cheap Homeschooling Library:

Now for the most important part… ideas on where to find cheap books to build your cheap homeschooling library.

1. Thrift Stores

My personal favorite place to search for books, thrift stores can be an incredible resource.

Of course, you never know what will be there, so you have to be watching frequently for good stuff. I love to keep a lookout at my local haunts and relish in the satisfaction of finding some amazing choices now and then for mere pennies. The thrill of the hunt!

Usually paperback books are between $0.25-0.50 and hardbacks are 0.50-1.00. Sometimes the deal is even children books are all $0.25 or $0.50, no matter what type. You can really score big on occasion!

2. eBay/Thrift Books Website –

Online used book markets are great places to look first before buying new if you have a particular title in mind you want to add to your homeschool library.

Unlike thrifting, you can find a wide variety of titles available that way and choose from prices, shipping costs and sellers. It never hurts to check if you can get a cheaper, used copy before shop

Here are a few:

eBay

Thrift Books

Abe Books

3. Library Book Sale/Yard Sales

Every year our library has a fundraising book sale and the selection is pretty good! Books aren’t as cheap as thrift stores, but are still a good deal. Check out your library book sales and local yard sales for some awesome steals!

4. Swap With Friends

If you have friends around that are book lovers and/or homeschoolers (synonymous), then see about arranging a book swap! It could be on a community scale or just 2 families swapping a bag of books. It’s a wonderful thing when neighbors, friends and family share with each other.

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5. Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library

If you have a child between the ages of birth and 5, you can sign them up to receive a completely FREE picture book every month sent directly to your mailbox! Unbelievably cool, right?! Check out my post here to read all about this and sign up!

6. Amazon

I can’t complete a book shopping list without mentioning Amazon. After I have exhausted my other options and am sure I want to own a certain title, this is my go-to.

Their prices are usually the best.

I love the free Prime shipping for our homeschool, it’s awesome to be able to have access to most anything we might need fairly quickly, especially since we live in a rural area where it can be harder to find exactly what you are looking for.

Check out my Amazon Storefront! It is basically a page on Amazon’s website where I can curate and collect all my favorites they offer and share them with you in one convenient place! I have a book section that I often add to.

What about you?

Let us know in the comment section below if you have any other ideas to share on how to build a cheap homeschooling library!