by Ann Hoey
Youth Services Coordinator
N.H. State Library

In this electronic age, books still play a critical role, especially in the lives of children. Research demonstrates that children as young as infants benefit from being read aloud to by parents and caregivers. Hearing nursery rhymes and sharing picture books allow young children to become engaged in the process of language acquisition and the development of reading skills. Public libraries with a vibrant children's collection offer their patrons a wealth of treasures.

For small, rural libraries wishing to improve their children's collection, two grants may offer some help. The Children's Literacy Foundation (www.clifonline.org) and the Libri Foundation (www.librifoundation.org) both award grants to public libraries in the form of a donation of new children's books. If your library meets the necessary criteria, you may be eligible to receive one or both of these grants.

Whether or not you develop your children's collection with the help of grant money, you can work to build a high quality selection of children's materials. Weeding is essential. It may be time to rid the shelves of outdated, unused materials that are taking up valuable space and disguising the need for current, attractive titles. Selection tools are available in many forms from patron requests to journal reviews to bestseller lists on Amazon. The N.H. State Library provides a Youth Services webpage at www.state.nh.us/nhsl/ldss/RGyouthservices.html, which includes information about collection development. Also, as the Youth Services Coordinator, I am available for help at any time.

So, in this New Year ahead, let's continue to advocate for the development of children's book collections in our libraries. Happy Reading!