Reader's Advisory for Parents

Ideally, reader's advisory for parents will result in the parent finding a book that the parent and child will both want to read the book multiple times. Repetition is a helpful learning tool for young children and ne research study even found that repetition is one of the best ways to build vocabulary and develop reading skills for young children (Garner, 2011). If the book is an inappropriate length, poorly written/illustrated, or not on a topic of interest to the child, then the book is less likely to be reread and less likely to be promoting vocabulary building through repetition.

A lot of reader’s advisory for parents happens away from the reference desk. Passive reader’s advisory is a well-used tool of librarians to provide quick access to books for parents. Book lists for children’s books are everywhere. From themed book lists, to “if you like ___, you may like ___”, to children’s book award lists; these types of lists are relied upon by many parents to quickly find large amounts of books their children may enjoy. Parents, teachers, and librarians all pay attention to children’s book awards, such as the Newbery Medal or Caldecott. The Newbery winner is expected to sell 50,000 more copies than an equivalent book (Clark, 2003). Having a convenient list of these books along with other desired titles or subjects is commonly available to parents in public libraries and serves as an effective means of passive reader’s advisory. Book displays are also another very common and well-used passive reader’s advisory tool that appeals to parents. Parents often run tight schedules and may not have the time to research good children’s books or endlessly browse the vast sea of picture books, and talking to an actual librarian may seem like a chore to some parents as they would have to talk and keep track of their young child simultaneously. Book displays are an ideal tool for these types of parents as the recommended books are out and easily accessible.

Reader’s advisory for parents is a practice that provides its own unique challenges and opportunities. Libraries should be adept at providing reader’s advisory for parents, children, and parents with the children present. A respectful, listening attitude towards all patrons provides meaningful connections and examples for parents and children to follow. Reader’s advisory for parents can take many forms including traditional discussions at a reference desk, book lists, book displays, and story times. It can include recommending books, audiobooks, toys, music, or movies. Reader’s advisory for parents is a skill that all children’s librarians should be familiar with in order to promote early literacy in their library and to serve a population of library users that can rely on the library on a weekly or even daily basis and account for a large portion of a public library’s circulation statistics.