Welcome to Beautiful Books Library! Here at the launch of our service, we are excited to share our vision with you! There has been a growing need for good libraries over the last few decades as our public libraries have relinquished their duties to curate good collections for their patrons. Over that same period of time, people across the country have risen to meet the need by starting their own Private Lending Libraries. There are currently 81 such libraries across the nation, and ours is the 82nd (the second in Alabama)!
Beautiful Books Library was created to fill a need for truly nourishing children’s literature. The books you will find on our shelves uphold truth and virtue, respect the young reader, and encourage educational growth and imagination. Many of our books are considered “living books,” a phrase coined by the 20th-century educational pioneer, Charlotte Mason. And as for the books in our collection without the “living” title, we are striving to ensure they are the very best possible. Beautiful Books Library believes that when you put the best in, you get the best out. Good literature is no exception.
A little about our collection:So what kinds of books will you find in our library? In a nutshell, books worth reading! Beautiful Books Library has invested in accruing the book lists of several private library lenders around the country who have been at the job of curating a collection of quality books for decades. And while it is our goal to read every book in our collection, until we reach that goal, we are relying on the experience of quality-book lovers to ensure we carry the best.
Our books are not new…well, most of them! You will often find books in our collection with a “Discard” stamp located on the inside cover. We wear this with pride, knowing that public libraries are emptying their shelves of the classics in favor of a more popular and more progressive book selection. Public libraries reflect a culture’s values, and as a culture’s values shift, so does their literature. Beautiful Books Library is fighting against this dangerous trend by only investing in books that are known for their ability to form the reader into a more virtuous, informed, and whole person. We are not swayed by what is “popular”. So while you will find a few new books in our collection, a majority of them are old.
What you won’t find in our library…All books are not created equal. And just as we nourish our bodies with good food, Beautiful Books Library believes the minds of children should be nourished with good literature. As a parent, it is not enough to say, “As long as my children are reading SOMETHING, I’m happy.” The standard should be higher!Although our family enjoys the Star Wars storyline, you won’t find that here. No My Little Pony. No Dragon Ball Z. Series like these may be temporarily useful to entice new readers to pick up a book, but they do not meet the standards of Beautiful Books Library or the many lending libraries seeking to provide quality reading material to children. We are unapologetically picky. Like good food forms a strong body, good books form a strong mind and heart. Beautiful Books Library is convinced great literature can shape the whole person, and that is what we seek to do!
Thank you for joining Beautiful Books Library and its mission to provide quality books to children!
We are a young library and value your support, whether in prayer, financially, or in book donations. Currently, we have over 1,300 books in our collection, and we are looking to add more.