A Living Library
Hall's Living Library
A library outranks any other one thing a community can do to benefit its people. It is a never failing spring in the desert.
Andrew Carnegie
Hall’s Living Library is a collection of almost 20,000 treasured children’s books — most from the Golden Era of children’s literature. The library is owned by Mrs. Sandy Hall and housed at Pray’s Mill Baptist Church in Douglasville, Georgia. Memberships are open to the public; you do not need to be a member of Pray’s Mill to use the library.
The Librarian
Curated by Sandy Hall.
Sandy is a veteran homeschool mother of more than twenty-five years, and has lovingly collected these books over the past fifty years. Her vision is simple: that families would have access to the kind of literature that shapes a child — books that breathe life, that delight the imagination, that have stood the test of generations.
A Living Library
What is a “living book”?
The phrase comes from the British educator Charlotte Mason. A living book is a book written by an author who is captivated by his subject and who tells the story with skill, warmth, and truth. Living books are the opposite of dry textbooks and twaddle — they invite the child into a world, build vocabulary, sharpen the moral imagination, and quietly form lifelong readers.
Hall’s Living Library is a working alternative to the modern public library. The collection has been hand-selected, one book at a time, with all of the above in view.
The Collection
Nearly 20,000 volumes, hand-selected.
Membership
Open to the public.
- Yearly family membership: $150
- Open to: any family in the community — PMBC membership is not required
- What you get: borrowing privileges across the whole collection of ~20,000 titles
It is not only about the books. It is also about the friendships and relationships built around them.
Schedule a Tour
Come and see.
If you would like an alternative to the public library’s offerings, please contact Sandy directly to schedule a tour. She would be glad to walk you through the collection and help you decide whether it is a good fit for your family.
- Email: [email protected]
- Facebook: Living Books Library · Sandy Hall (check here for current hours and news)
- Where: Housed at Pray’s Mill Baptist Church, 4979 Highway 5, Douglasville, GA 30135