Loading

Stock selection policy for children's stock

Children’s book supplier selection

The service uses supplier selection for children’s fiction, young adult fiction and children’s non-fiction for a proportion of our purchases.  As with adults’ stock, a strategy and a specification has been written for them and it is reviewed annually. This is then sent back to Essex for review and modification before order fulfilment. 

Children’s book selection

The aims and outcomes for children’s book stock in Essex are:

• Children should have access to a wide range of books; both fiction and non-fiction
• The books should be of high quality – appearing up-to-date and inviting
• Books should be available for a wide range of reading abilities so that every child can find the book that is right for them. This includes reluctant older readers, who should be able to find books that appeal to them and are at the right reading level, as well as competent younger readers who should be able to find books which stretch and challenge them
• Our book stock should reflect and celebrate our diverse communities and children should be able to identify with depictions of children in the stories
• Our books should be available in quantities that mean children can have fast access to popular books soon after they are published
• Children should expect to find a selection of books by every well-known modern children’s author in all libraries, and there should be a small range of classic children’s stories
• Books should support children’s emotional and intellectual development
• There should be a balance of familiar, comforting books as well as books to challenge, excite and delight children.

Children’s book stock selection criteria: what we stock

Appearance

• Cover and illustrations should be attractive, have immediate shelf appeal and look up-to-date
• Illustrations should be appropriate to the intended readership (particularly in terms of age of character and style of illustration)
• The typeface should be clear and of a size appropriate to the book and the literacy levels of the intended audience
• Illustrations should complement the text
• Illustrations should represent characters in an appropriate and respectful manner.

Popularity

• If the book is by a tried and tested author
• If the book is in a series of popular titles
• If the book is a film tie-in (but should have good quality illustrations)
• Books which are high profile and heavily promoted before publication.

Style

• Books should be written in a style which is appropriate to the subject matter and will at once engage and widen the reader’s appreciation of language
• Books should be well written and appropriate for the type of book – eg a different style is anticipated for formula fiction than literary fiction, but each is valid
• Value should be placed on writing that encourages a child to take an imaginative view of the world
• In non-fiction, we expect to see indexes and contents pages to support children’s study skills and other tools such as timelines, glossaries, bibliographies and web links.

Physical

• Books must be robust enough to withstand public library use
• Sewn or glued bindings are preferable to stapled bindings.

Format

The majority of children’s book stock will be paperback; the exceptions are:

• Popular homework topics eg Tudors or Victorians
• New novels by significant authors are limited usually to one or two hardback copies for our two flagship libraries.  Highly desirable authors would be purchased much more widely, to fulfil waiting lists
• Picture books by popular authors or illustrators
• Fiction that has a high currency and are likely to be requested on publication
• New Young Readers Series – often books in this series never appear in paperback
• If publishing of hardback and paperback is simultaneous, we will buy the paperback.

Children’s book stock selection criteria: what we do not stock

• Poor quality production
• Gimmick books
• Coffee table gift books
• Bind ups – three books in one (because they don’t last and are hard for children to use)
• Books with stickers to be stuck in or things that can be removed or books which invite children to write or draw in them
• School reading scheme books unless one story in a scheme stands on its own as an excellent book
• Books which are not an appropriate format for library use, for example miniature books that will get lost on shelves.

Children’s replacement stock purchase

The following criteria are considered

• Replacement of popular titles
• Replacement stock is bought to ensure the maintenance of a comprehensive collection
• Ensure we have copies of award-winning titles/authors
• Boosting collections in popular categories
• Supporting non-fiction demands
• Key anniversaries of popular titles.