Informational Picture Books in the Library: Do Young Children Find Them?

ABSTRACT Ten public libraries were surveyed to evaluate access for young children, aged 4 ½ to 6 years, to age appropriate informational picture books. Location of books, types of shelving, and displays were noted for both fiction and informational books, and unobtrusive observations of young children browsing were conducted in three of the libraries. The findings confirmed children's preference for books in eye level face front shelving in high traffic areas especially near the children's area seating; most children did not explore far from parents. Visits by children to hardcover fiction, paperback fiction, and paperback informational picture books, were balanced. However, hardcover informational picture books were missed due to less accessible locations, oversize shelving, and fewer displays. The role of accompanying parents in finding materials was pivotal. Improving access for young children to a wide variety of books in their public libraries supports both recreational and educational needs, and needs to be considered in library layout.

[1]  C. Pappas.  Fostering Full Access to Literacy by Including Information Books. , 1991 .

[2]  Pam Sandlian.  Information playgrounds : Creating children's libraries , 1999 .

[3]  Sharon L. Baker,et al.  Overload, Browsers, and Selections. , 1986 .

[4]  Herbert Goldhor.  The Effect of Prime Display Location on Public Library Circulation of Selected Adult Titles , 1972, The Library Quarterly.

[5]  Jo Bell Whitlatch,et al.  Patron Online Catalog Success , 1994 .

[6]  S. L. Baker.  The Display Phenomenon: An Exploration into Factors Causing the Increased Circulation of Displayed Books , 1986, The Library Quarterly.

[7]  Christine C. Pappas,et al.  Is Narrative “Primary”? Some Insights from Kindergarteners' Pretend Readings of Stories and Information Books , 1993 .

[8]  G. Kylene Beers,et al.  No Time, No Interest, No Way! The 3 Voices of Aliteracy. , 1996 .

[9]  Are We Childproofing Our Public Libraries? Identifying the Barriers That Limit Library Use by Children. , 1996 .

[10]  Ronald R. Powell,et al.  Basic Research Methods for Librarians , 1985 .

[11]  Christine L. Borgman,et al.  Why are online catalogs still hard to use , 1996 .

[12]  Glenn L. Brudvig.  The Measurement and Evaluation of Library Services , 1978 .

[13]  Carol Collier Kuhlthau.  School librarian's grade-by-grade activities program : a complete sequential skills plan for grades K-8 , 1981 .

[14]  Jean Billman,et al.  Observation and Participation in Early Childhood Settings: A Practicum Guide, Birth Through Age Five , 1995 .

[15]  Douglas Zweizig.  The Tell it! manual : the complete program for evaluating library performance , 1996 .

[16]  Gale Eaton,et al.  Lost in the Library: Are Spatial Skills Important in Shelf Searches?. , 1991 .

[17]  Christine L. Borgman,et al.  Why are online catalogsstill hard to use , 1996 .

[18]  Nell K. Duke,et al.  Non-Narrative as a Catalyst for Literacy Development , 1998, Language Arts.

[19]  H L Pick,et al.  The content and manipulation of cognitive maps in children and adults. , 1976, Monographs of the Society for Research in Child Development.

[20]  F. Carlsen,et al.  THE SILENT MAJORITY , 1976, The Lancet.

[21]  Charles A. Bunge.  Responsive Reference Service: Breaking Down Age Barriers. , 1994 .

[22]  D. Ray Reutzel,et al.  THE ART OF CHILDREN'S BOOK SELECTION: A LABYRINTH UNEXPLORED , 1997 .

[24]  Carol Collier Kuhlthau.  Meeting the Information Needs of Children and Young Adults: Basing Library Media Programs on Developmental States. , 1988 .

[25]  Louis R. Wilson,et al.  The Geography of Reading. , 1939 .

[26]  Deborah Langerman.  Books and Boys: Gender Preferences and Book Selection. , 1990 .

[27]  D. Reutzel,et al.  The Art of Children's Book Selection: A Labyrinth Unexplored , 1997 .

[28]  Mary Jo Langhorne,et al.  Marketing Books in the School Library. , 1987 .

[29]  Jerry Watson.  Persuasive Poster Power. , 1985 .

[30]  Dorothy J. Leal.  Storybooks, Information Books, and Informational Storybooks: An Explication of the Ambiguous Grey Genre. , 1993 .