Informational Books, Beginning Readers, and the Importance of Display: The Role of the Public Library

Public venues providing books for young children (stores, daycares, preschools, out-of-school cares, classrooms, and libraries) in a Canadian median-household-income neighbourhood were visited to determine the balance of stories and informational books for beginning readers ages 4 to 8, placed on display. Stories were heavily favoured in almost all venues; 86% of books on display were stories and 14% were informational books. Few children would likely find a broad range of informational topics. The public library has an opportunity to display a balance of genres to support beginning readers' informational as well as fictional needs and interests.