To ask if I'm the only one to be appalled by the general calibure of children's literature in libraries

[AWitchCalledMeg]

I know we are lucky to have libraries. I am grateful and do support our libraries. My four children and I visit five libraries local to us on a regular basis of which span three counties between them (we live on the border of several counties). But over the years I have become more and more saddened by quality of books available. My children are all under 7 so can't comment on books for older children. What is the process on how the books are selected? I would estimate 85% of the books are so so inane, dumbed down and stupid, 12% is the modern generic Julia Donaldson type fodder and then 3% are the rare gems which are actually good. Surely I can't be the only one to have noticed this? So many books they have available there I can't believe they were ever published and surely they would never sell in the shops.. perhaps that's why they are in the library? So many studies show that children are reading less than ever.. how can they hope to change this when so much utter tosh is being put out there?

Yep my kid came home with x6 rainbow unicorn nonsensical trivia yesterday
Have hidden 3 of them

Children of that age often like repetition in plot lines/format/etc. Yes, Rainbow Magic Fairies and Beast Quest and the like are formulaic, as were Nancy Drew, the Hardy Boys, and the Famous Five in their time.

I'd be interested to hear examples of what you consider to be the 3% of worthy books amongst the dross.

Have you checked the library catalogue? Perhaps all the 'good' books have already been borrowed which is why they're not on the shelf for you to choose, rather than they're just not available.

If you are interested in really good picture books for young children, check out the work of Jan Fearnley. She's a fab author, a fab illustrator and does not get the recognition she deserves for her work.

@JaneEyre70

That’s what I do for my son - we have loads of beautiful books (it’s like a library in his room) bought second hand from amazon and we’re lucky that we can afford to buy new books especially as Tesco prices are reasonably good for children’s books. It’s the kids whose parents can’t do so, have no library and therefore have no drive to read that I feel sorry for.

My kids are prolific readers including what some seem to think is dross - unicorns and fairy books and such like have all been devoured. But along with them, more interesting challenging books get read. Don't throw the baby out with the bath water, let children enjoy reading. Do you only read high end literature? Surely there's room for everything!

Library, Librarian, just what are those? Not in my town any longer. Madness when schools are put under so much pressure to improve outcomes and enjoyment in learning...what with no books!

Librarians used to buy books and know what was suitable. Now councils have contracts with commercial suppliers and buy in bulk.
Cuts in libraries are a disgrace, there are whole councils with no librarians or managers.

I love our library but their budget is bare - so bare they are run totally by volunteers with one part time library assistant. No librarians.
Despite that there are always colouring in, treasure hunt etc activities on. Lego club, bounce and rhyme etc. And the books are fab - there's always new stock which is just as well as dd1 (6) alone borrows 15 books each week. Dd2(4) borrows about 8. Some are fire to read to them - I absolutely hate reading Thomas the tank engine for instance, but some are lovely. This week we have 2 morality tales - Boas bad birthday, and My big shouting day. One chapter My Little Pony book - which I'm hating but dd2 is loving. A couple of lift the flap board books for D's (1). A new Julia Donaldson about Zog and the flying doctors. A rather sad story about a pigeon with a broken wing. One about a goose with no feathers. An origami "how to" book. A Horrid Henry. Oh and a Wibbly Pig book. Plus some random picture books and story books.
What's not to love?

YABU for the 'Julia Donaldson fodder' comment. If you don't appreciate her work, I'm not quite sure what you're looking for.

Our local library was so close to shutting down, luckily it escaped this and it's now run by volunteers. We only live in a small village but the selection of books for children is really good, I think you may just be unlucky. Titles also seem to change quite regularly, presumably as you can hire and return to and from anywhere in the county, so maybe yours just isn't getting used that much?

Notice that the OP hasn't been back to explain exactly what is so bad about Julia Donaldson. I think of her as one of the authors who inspired my daughter with a love of rhythm and diction which later transferred to Shakespeare and the Romantic poets. Her and Margaret Mahy's Seventeen Kings and Forty-two Elephants which I picked up by chance in ToysAreUs many years ago (nobody stopped them, nobody followed them, the deep dark jungle has devoured their tracks).

Be interesting to know what the OP thinks is a worthy children's book.

Ours has one book shelf for tweens/ teens. Made me laugh when the million pound city library open. Hardly anything for older kids/ young adults. When I commented on the PS2 being in there and not really good use of our council taxes they said they struggle to get them in and are their target audience. Um a decent selection of books would be good.

Sick and tired re the way everything( money,books,holiday activities)gets geared to toddlers and younger readers,many of whom aren't even reading properly yet. Kids of all ages need to be engaged and kept reading.

Julia Donaldson is fantastic. My nearly three year old stepson loves her books. Also as previous posters have said, many-if not all- libraries have a service that allows you to request certain books and they'll have them sent in from somewhere else in the county free of charge. It's very good.

My local library until recently had s 'boys into books' section. It filled me with rage, especially as my 10 yo dd preferred the books there...

I am surprised any one ever goes to the library anymore. They give away children's books for 49p at charity shops. Such a waste of tax payers money paying for a library.

I am surprised any one ever goes to the library anymore

when your (older primary) dc reads one or two books per week the library becomes a good place...

And when they read 15 per week, well that's an awful lot of 49ps I don't have, plus an awful lot of shelf space I don't have! ALSO I like reading to my kids on the comfy sofas and choosing the books without being elbowed out of the way by bargain hunters...

@Julie8008

I can think of lots of things that are a waste of tax payers money. Access to reading books for children that benefits not just their imaginations but the ability to improve their literacy skills therefore their whole futures, is not one of them.

Libraries are important for those who can't afford 49p for a charity shop book 2 or 3 times a week.

I am surprised any one ever goes to the library anymore. They give away children's books for 49p at charity shops. Such a waste of tax payers money paying for a library.

They've now filled it with PCs for internet use rather than books

Libraries are not just about books - a common misconception. Libraries are about access to information. In the old days, that was books but these days it is just as much, if not more, about accessing information online.

If you are in the position of having to claim benefits, you will know that very often that means filling in forms online. There is often no paper alternative. It is either online or nothing. The very people least able to afford IT equipment and internet access, are the very people who must use it to access the support they need to keep body and soul together. This is why libraries have to find space to provide computers. They are the one place where those who are less privileged can access the internet for free so that they can continue to be part of our society. For that reason alone they are worth every penny of council tax that is spent on them and quite a bit more.

Disclaimer: Yes, as may be evident from my username, I am a librarian. However, I work in a specialist library. I don't and have never worked in public libraries, but I am an ardent supporter of their values - particularly that access to information should not be the preserve of the rich and privileged.

I'll get off my soapbox now!

What DontMakeMeShushYou said

I'd be interested to know what you consider gems in terms of picture books if ex children's laureate Julia Donaldson doesn't make the cut!
If your children have chosen a book they are obviously interested in it even if you aren't. I'm of the opinion that there is no such thing as a bad children's book if a child enjoys it. The majority of learning comes from the conversations with the adult reading with them rather than the book itself. If you've got a book in front of you that your child wants to share with you a conversation vaguely related to it can't be too hard.

Julia Donaldson is brilliant! I'm not sure what you have against her. When my dd was little she loved JD, Emma Dodd, Hairy Mclairy, the Large Family, Sue Hendra, Barbar, Shirley Hughes, Debi Gliori with the odd fairy nonsense thrown in here and there. She went through a Rainbow Fairy stage (because all the other girls in the class read them) but soon lost interest when she realised how dull the plot was. She moved on to the Magic Faraway Tree and now she's 8 I've introduced her to Harry Potter. I think kids tend to suss out what's really worth reading with a bit of guidance...

What Dontmakemeshush said. And also building on that - they’re one of the few communal spaces we have left in an increasingly isolating world. In a world where loneliness is fuelling mental and physical health crises that’s vital.

OP, if you think you can do a better job than Julia Donaldson then let's see it. You are very quick to criticise but probably woefully ignorant of the skill involved in writing and creating a children's picture book. It's an art and there is a lot more to it than most people realise - the amount of people who think 'I could do that' when they flick through a picture book ... the fact is that actually they would probably fail miserably at it.

What books would you have in your ideal library OP? Every book has it's place, even if it isn't a literary knock-out - it might be the book that encourages a reluctant child to actually start reading, even if it is some frothy nonsence about unicorns. If the child enjoys it and it transports them then fine - the next book they read might be one of more substance. They don't all have to be weighty tomes with long words and high ideas.