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Navigating the Children's Collection

Locating Children's Literature

Need ideas for children's book titles?

Check out guidebooks from the library's Teaching Resources Collection (see some ideas below in the "Helpful Guides to Children's Literature" box) or perform a subject search in the UA Libraries Catalog or OhioLINK catalog for any of the following established Library of Congress subject headings:

  • Picture Books For Children -- Bibliography
  • Picture Books For Children -- Indexes
  • Picture Books for Children -- United States
  • Picture Books for Children -- United States -- Bibliography

Check out award winning children's books:

Locating specific children's book titles:

Once you have identified a specific title you want, perform a title search in the UA Libraries Catalog, the OhioLINK Catalog, or the SearchOhio Libraries Catalog:

  • Use the search box provided below, but change the dropdown to "Title" if you have identified the title you are looking for.
  • Locate the item in the Wayne College Library's collection, or place a hold on the item and select "Wayne College Library" as your pickup location.

Locating children's books on a variety of subjects, topics, or genres:

  • Go to the "Subject Searching" box provided below for ideas on how to search the UA Libraries Catalog for children's books on a topic you're interested in.
  • Go to the "Locating Multicultural Literature" box provided below for ideas on how to locate books about a variety of multicultural or diversity topics.
  • Go to the "Genre (Category) Searching" box provided below for a special shortcut and instructions for searching for children's books by genre.

Note:

Books that are cataloged with "juvenile" in the subject headings can range from preschool through high school.  You may perform any of these searches and locate young adult books right alongside children's picture books.  Examine the item descriptions closely.

Creating a New Collection

Try these steps, based on library collection development practices, to create a new classroom collection:

Set parameters and criteria for what will be included and excluded

  • Formats
  • Publication dates
  • Reading level / target ages
  • Topics
  • Cost
  • Duplication

Discover items

Review and preview items

  • Locate reviews and determine quality
  • If possible, get your hands on the item and examine
  • Where else can students find this item? Is it already available in the school library?

Acquire items

Organize items

  • How will the students be accessing the items?
  • Consider: reading level, format, subject area, author, categories (ABC books, picture books, chapter books, genres, etc.)

Creating Themed Kits

Budget

The total budget for this year's kits is $900.00 to create nine themed kits.

A good rule of thumb for each kit would be to budget for about $60 for books, and $40 for realia (or some close approximation).

Parameters

  • The goal is to create 9 themed kits, with each student creating their own themed bag
  • Each kit should include a group of hardcover books, an activity, and related realia
  • Activities must be compliant with copyright
  • The kits must fit in the provided kit bags