Since they first became common, public lending libraries have been an important source of resources for self and home education. Books on every topic are available, from agriculture to arithmetic, as well as a wealth of periodicals. Libraries are also a rich source of resources other than books. Among these are DVDs featuring many fascinating and useful documentaries on the same breadth of subjects as the books. Audio books are available so that the visually impaired may also benefit. Most libraries also contain computers by which the Internet may be accessed, and the Internet itself is an incredibly useful tool for home schooling and self education.
Books are, without doubt, some of the most important and useful aids to learning. From the textbooks that form the core of any home-schooling effort to other non-fiction pieces that can illuminate important elements of a home education regimen and even the great literature of the world, no learning resource is quite as versatile and ubiquitous as books. There are many lists of textbooks and course curricula for homeschooling that can be found online, in places like Homeschool.com.
The Internet can be an invaluable resource for home schooling and self education. There are specialized websites about everything from elementary school science to military history, and these can form either the core of a lesson or supplements to it. It is important to select websites carefully if used as part of a scholarly enterprise like home schooling or self education. Many websites are not well researched and can present incorrect information. A good rule of thumb is to use websites that are either highly respected, like those of encyclopedias, universities and the government; just look for the .edu or .gov ending to their web address. Beyond that, make sure that websites you use have references to scholarly sources like books, journals and encyclopedias.
Many universities offer online courses that can be taken by anyone who is interested and willing to pay. Recently, several prestigious universities, such as Yale, have started making video versions of lectures available online for no charge. These can be very useful substitutes to courses you take in person at a local learning establishment, but can also form an entire course of study. The course offerings vary from school to school, so be sure to keep looking if you don't find what you're looking for at first.