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

[Rorick, Janice]

I must say I was a bit puzzled about a children's area that did not
provide children's reference or reader's advisory services.  Our adult
reference staff members are not fond of covering the children's desk
because they are rarely able to give good reader's advisory service !
They do not always know classic children's literature, let alone what
new titles have recently been published or what age levels a particular
book can span.  Parents, grandparents, teachers, museum educators and
patrons just looking for "good illustrations" of any object know where
to ask for what they want in our library - at the children's desk.  If
they liked a book presented in a storyhour, they ask for more like it.
If there has been a death or divorce in the family, they ask for a book
to help.  If they want to know about local authors or storytellers, they
ask our children's librarian who often can put them in contact with
these community treasures.

The right book in the right hands is even more crucial for a child than
for an adult and people who actually read children's books have a much
better chance of creating a good match whether we are talking research
or recreational reading. Part of our Summer Reading Program is listening
to children share a story with us and sharing possible future reads with
them.

Janice Rorick  
Senior Librarian for Youth Services
Santa Barbara Public Library System
P.O. Box 1019
Santa Barbara, CA. 93101
805-564-5621