Public Librarians’ Consciousness of Picture Books Selection for Book Reading Service: Based on the trends of book lists and interview surveys

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to clarify public librarians’ consciousness of picture books selection and the formation process of such consciousness. We analyzed trends based on the 15 types picture book lists provided by public libraries. And we interviewed 10 public librarians based around who created the picture book lists.

We found through these surveys that librarians tend to select “picture books read over the years”, published over 25 years ago, and picture books published by time-honored publishers. Some public librarians are conscious of their biased selection and worry about their fairness of book selection as public employees.

It’s said that this consciousness is formed through the training or experience of working. Informants think that librarian child-rearing experience is the most important effect factor. Informants with child-raising experience say that they get their original selection criteria through reading to their children in their personal time. But objectively speaking, that original selection criteria is only a complement or enhancement of selection criteria “picture books read over the years.”