[Publib] Children's Services -- what do you provide?

[Sue Kamm]

Your children's librarians don't do reference?  What planet are they from?  What are their bases for collection development?

Children's reference includes "assignments from hell" (I need to write a five-page report on this African American inventor [and the only information is that the person took out a patent]"), assignments not from hell (I have to write a book report on a biograhy of Martin Luther King Jr.), general questions (How do I find a book in your library?), and quick reference (What's the capital of North Dakota?).  

 For ready reference in the children's area, you need (at the very least) an encyclopedia, an unabridged dictionary, and an almanac.  Of course, the children's reference staff should have access to the library's catalog, the databases you subscribe to, and the Internet at large.  

----- Original Message ----- 
From: Sarah Samson 
To: Publib at webjunction.org
Sent: 8/9/2007 6:02:24 AM 
Subject: [Publib] Children's Services -- what do you provide?


Hello,

I am the Public Services Manager at a medium-sized library in Texas.  Our city has a population of about 100,000, we are the only public library in the city (no branches). We do not have a children's desk in the Children's Room.  For years, the children's librarians' responsibilities have been on programming (storytimes, Summer Reading activities, puppet shows, etc) and collection development.  The storytimes are hugely popular--often 100 children with parents come to a storytime on any given day. 

We just formed a committee to discuss purchasing a children's desk and the staffing of the desk, in other words, start providing children's reference and readers advisory in the children's room.  Our children's librarians are not thrilled about doing children's reference, they don't think there is a demand for it and they feel they have enough to do with programming and collection development.  

I'd like to hear from other libraries of cities my size.  Do you have children's reference or does the reference department handle any children's reference/readers advisory questions?  Our reference department is on 2nd floor, children's is on 1st floor, so when Reference librarians do get children's reference/readers advisory questions, they can't always leave the desk to show the child and parent where the books they are looking for are located. Plus, the reference librarians don't feel they have enough knowledge and experience to provide good service to children (it's not their expertise). 

How does your library provide children's services? Any feedback is Much appreciated! 

Thank you!

Sarah Samson
Public Services Manager
Round Rock Public Library
ssamson at round-rock.tx.us
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