Creating a Reference Library

It’s the Self-Reliant Thing to Do.

No man is an island, entire of itself ~  John Donne

I think it’s safe to say that we are all striving “at some level” to be self-reliant in our individual surroundings. This may take the form of learning about gardening so we can grow and preserve our own food or may be found in cooking from scratch and eating simple meals from food storage. You may also have chickens (the gateway animal) and have fresh eggs for the family and compost for that productive garden.

The thing is you can’t get all the knowledge you need to be self-reliant all by yourself. You have to rely on others for information while you are gaining experiences to be your own “expert.”

That’s where a reference library comes in. My personal library is filled with books about vegetable gardening and herbs. Then there are soap making, natural cleaning, and other DIY topics to fill it all in. I have books about every aspect of preparedness you can imagine – from fire building to first aid. And I have cookbooks to help me get out of my dinner planning rut.

Paper or eBook?

I personally prefer a mix of both hard copy books and eBooks. Digital copies are very convenient for learning something quickly and for easy access. Open up a copy on your smartphone or tablet and get reading. You can do it anywhere without having to think about bringing a paperback with you.

On the other hand, I have in the past spent hour upon hour reading, and highlighting, new things I’m learning in gardening and preparedness books. I like the ability to pull a book off the shelf and search an index for just the right information to solve a problem.

Some of the favorite reference books on my shelf right now are: (found at Amazon)

• Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity by David Allen
• Financial Peace Revisited by Dave Ramsey
• Preparedness Principles by Barbara Salisbury
• The Encyclopedia of Country Living by Carla Emery
• Four-Season Harvest: Organic Vegetables from Your Home Garden All Year Long by Eliot Coleman
• Rodale’s Garden Problem Solver: Vegetables, Fruits, and Herbs
• The Backyard Homestead: Produce all the food you need on just a quarter acre!
• Rosemary Gladstar’s Medicinal Herbs: A Beginner’s Guide
• The New American Herbal by Stephen Orr
• Ball Complete Book of Home Preserving

Always Adding to the Library

Self-reliant types like us are always adding to their knowledge. That means we are always looking for new materials to add to the reference library mix. I have purchased these and I am especially excited about the new titles that I’ve added from the Back to Basics Bundle.

• Prepping Crash Course
• Your Own 72-hour Kit Plan
• Fermenting Fruits & Vegetables
• From Dirt to Dollars – successful farmers market sales
• Six Dollar Family – frugal living tips
• The Complete Guide to Natural Cleaning
• Homesteading When You Don’t Have a Homestead
• Habitat Housing for Rabbits
• Practical Simplicity
• and any of the 15 Natural Remedy Titles

What are your favorite reference library titles? Is there a book that you think would be perfect for me?