Why should you come to a Young Writer's Program?

Have you wanted to write a novel in a month? Do you want to meet others who are interested in writing? What about just wanting like-minded individuals to correspond with? Want to push and challenge yourself? Just like being at the library?

Come to October's Novel Prep Sessions on Tuesdays @ 3:30 pm. The Library is providing laptops for who can't bring their own and writing devices for those who like to hand-write everything!

The First Meeting, on October 6th, will go over what NaNo is, what most people do to prepare, signing up for the Young Writer's Program, find our Virtual Classroom, and outlining what our goals are for our October Prep and for November .

Then we will have an activity to help us lock away our Inner Editor and start to relish the insanity that will be November.

Some Key Notes: The point of this program is to push yourself on your creativity, make you fulfill a self-made promise, and nothing you write will be public. Also, everything done inside of the virtual classroom is self-contained. If at the end of November you wish to edit your novel and try to get it published, I will aid you as much as possible!

Flashback (Demystifying the Youth Collection- Reference)

The last stop in our tour of the Youth Collection is the Reference section, a perfect place for the student researcher or inquisitive mind!

Overview
Reference books are non-circulating, meaning that they are not available for check out from the library, though readers are welcome to take notes or make copies of the pages they need.  Comprehensive encyclopedia sets and subject guides are often included in the reference collection. 

What It Looks Like
Since reference titles don't check out, they don't contain blue or white check-out cards inside their front covers; instead, they have "REFERENCE" written in bold letters.  Reference books do still have white spine labels (clearly marked with an "R" for "Reference", followed by a "J" or "Y" age designation (for Juvenile or Youth material), a Dewey Decimal number, and the first three letters of the author's last name (or as happens more often with Reference titles, the first three letters of the series, such as "COM" for "Compton's").  So, a spine label for the encyclopedia pictured below would be "R J031 COM".

Left: The cover of a reference title. Right: The inside cover of a reference book.

How to Find It

Here's an image of the catalog card for the encyclopedia mentioned above:

Title card for the full Compton's set.

Reference books are so easy to find, you don't even really need to look up their locators in the card catalog!  At most of the libraries in the Ozark Regional system, reference titles are shelved on top of the regular Nonfiction bookshelves.  Books are grouped together in complete sets (see the picture below of the full Compton's set).

If you've missed any part of this eight-part series on demystifying the youth collection, you can catch up on Board Books, Picture Books, Easy Readers, Juvenile Fiction, the Paperback Collection, Teen Fiction, or Children's/Teen Nonfiction when you have time.

Keep reading!

Shaen

Flashback (Demystifying the Youth Collection- Children's and Teen Nonfiction)

Today, we're moving on to explore the Nonfiction section of the Youth Collection!

Overview
The nonfiction section of the Youth Collection houses tons of factual titles for juveniles and teens covering a variety of topics, from outer space to the inner ear!  Like most public and school libraries, Ozark Regional uses the Dewey Decimal system to organize its nonfiction books (for a great overview of how Dewey Decimal Classification, aka DDC, works, visit this site).  Readers beeline for nonfiction for lots of reasons: to complete research for a school paper, to learn about a favorite hobby, or just to read for fun!  The nonfiction section also hosts a growing collection of kid-safe graphic novels (if you don't know what GN's are, Scholastic has a great overview of graphic novels they offer for elementary through teen readers).

What It Looks Like
As mentioned in the Overview section above, juvenile and teen nonfiction are shelved together, interfiled to make them easier to locate.  They boast white spine labels that contain the age designation ("J", "Y" or "YA"), the Dewey number (i.e. 741.5), and the first three letters of the author's last name. 

Left: The cover of a Nonfiction title. Right: A close-up of the spine label.

How to Find It
Here's an image of the catalog card for the above book (which happens to be one of the kid-safe graphic novels our library shelves under the 741.5 Dewey designation)...

Title entry card for David Peterson's Mouse Guard: Winter 1152.

We know this title is Juvenile Nonfiction because our catalog card locator contains a "J", followed by a Dewey number.  We know we can find this book shelved in the nonfiction section, shelved first by the Dewey number (since it's a "700", it's located about three-fourths of the way through the collection, after the "600's" and before the "800's"), and then by the first three letters of the author's last name.

Mouse Guard can be found with the other graphic novels and cartooning/drawing books located under the 741.5 Dewey number.

And there you have it- a brief overview of how the Nonfiction section is organized and how to located items on the shelves!  If you've missed any part of this series on demystifying the youth collection, you can catch up on Board Books, Picture Books, Easy Readers, Juvenile Fiction, the Paperback Collection, or Teen Fiction at your leisure.  Next up, our last stop in the series: the Reference section!

Keep reading!

Shaen

Flashback (Demystifying the Youth Collection- Teen Fiction)

Join us today as we continue exploring the Youth collection and discover how to find Teen Fiction in the library.

Overview
Once readers enter middle school and begin to outgrow the Juvenile Fiction collection, they are ready to move on to Teen Fiction, which is divided into two sub-categories: "Y" Fiction (or Youth Fiction, for grades 7-9) and "YA" Fiction (or Young Adult Fiction, for grades 10-12).

What It Looks Like

Many of the libraries in the Ozark Regional system shelve Juvenile Fiction separately from Y/YA (aka Teen) Fiction, though as mentioned in an earlier post, some of our smaller branches still combine the two sections into one.  Like Juvenile Fiction titles, the spine label on a Teen Fiction book is white and is labeled with a "Y" or "YA" designation, as well as with the first three letters of the author's last name.  For example, a book by Sarah Dessen would have a spine label that reads "YA Des".

Left: The cover of a Teen Fiction title.  Right: A close-up of the spine label.

How to Find It
Here's an image of the catalog card for pictured book...

Author entry card for Sarah Dessen's Whatever Happened to Goodbye?

We know this title is Teen Fiction because our catalog card locator mentions that the book is labeled with a "YA", followed by the first three letters of Dessen's last name.  We know we can find this book shelved, alphabetically by the author's last name, with the other "Y" and "YA" titles in the Youth area.

There's our book!

And that's it- an overview of Teen Fiction and how to find a "Y" or "YA" book in the library!  If you've missed any part of this series on demystifying the youth collection, you can catch up on Board Books, Picture Books, Easy Readers, Juvenile Fiction, or the Paperback Collection at your convenience.  Next up: the Nonfiction Section!

Keep reading!

Shaen

Flashback (Demystifying the Youth Collection- Paperbacks)

Join us today as we continue exploring the Youth collection and discover how the J/Y/YA paperback section is organized.

Overview
If readers don't find what they're looking for in the Juvenile Fiction section, they might try the library's collection of paperbacks for Juveniles, Youth, and Young Adults (titles in this collection run the gamut, with books for grades 3-12).  Paperbacks often have a shorter shelf life (pun intended!) than hardback titles, but don't let their dog-eared appearance fool you!  You can find lots of great reads in this section, in a variety of genres: adventure, action, mystery, historical, fantasy, science fiction, contemporary, and more.  

What It Looks Like
Since paperbacks are flimsy by nature, they aren't processed as heavily as a hardback counterpart would be.  For example, paperbacks don't have spine labels.  When you want to know what age range a paperback book is geared toward, you just open the book and look in the upper left-hand corner of the white check-out card for the "J" for "Juvenile" (grades 3-6), "Y" for "Youth" (grades 7-9), or "YA" for "Young Adult" (grades 10-12) designation.

A peek at the white card for Mark Williams' Dragon Sword- by checking the upper left-hand corner of the card, we can see that this is a Juvenile Fiction (JFIC) from the paperback collection (PB).

Since paperbacks tend to rotate in and out of the collection much more quickly than hardback books, they are also shelved more casually- usually lumped by series or genre, rather than alphabetically by author's last name.  The paperback collection is a perfect place to browse for interesting titles you may not have stumbled across otherwise!

How to Find It
As I mentioned above, paperback books aren't processed as heavily as hardback titles.  Aside from not having spine labels, this also means that these books are not listed in the library's card catalog.  If you're looking for a paperback book, just browse the section until you find what you're interested in, or feel free to ask your local librarian for help!

And that's it- an overview of J/Y/YA paperbacks and how they're organized in the library!  If you've missed any part of this series on demystifying the youth collection, you can catch up on Board Books, Picture Books, Easy Readers, and Juvenile Fiction when you have time.  Next up: Teen Fiction!

Keep reading!

Shaen

Flashback (Youth Collection Demystified- Children's Fiction)

Join us today as we continue exploring the Youth collection and discover how to find Juvenile Fiction in the stacks.

Overview
After fledgling readers have mastered the challenge of Easy Readers, the next stop in their reading journey is the Juvenile Fiction section.  Juvenile fiction is intended mainly for readers who are grades 3-6 and varies widely in content and style. 

What It Looks Like

Left: The cover of a Juvenile Fiction title.  Right: A close-up of the spine label.

Many of the libraries in the Ozark Regional system shelve Juvenile Fiction separately from Y/YA (aka Teen) Fiction, though some of our smaller branches still combine the two sections into one.  The spine label on a Juvenile Fiction book is white and is labeled with a "J" for "Juvenile", as well as with the first three letters of the author's last name.  For example, a book by Erin Hunter would have a spine label that reads "J Hun" (see above picture).

How to Find It
Here's an image of the catalog card for this book...

Author entry card for Erin Hunter's The Fourth Apprentice.

We know this title is Juvenile Fiction because our catalog card locator mentions that the book is labeled with a "J", followed by the first three letters of the author's last name.  We know we can find this book shelved, alphabetically by the author's last name, with the other "J" titles in the Youth area.

Here it is!

And that's it- an overview of Juvenile Fiction and how to find a "J" book in the library!  If you've missed any part of this series on demystifying the youth collection, you can catch up on Board Books, Picture Books, or Easy Readers at your convenience.  Next up: the Paperback Collection!

Keep reading!

Shaen

Flashback (Youth Collection Demystified- Easy Readers)

Today, we're continuing our tour of the Youth collection, figuring out how to locate easy readers (also known as "step" readers or "level" readers) on the shelves.

Overview
Easy readers (aka "step" or "level" readers) are the titles children check out when they're interested in learning to read independently from an adult.  In line with their name, these books often sport an assigned "level" on their front covers or spines.  As the designations increase in value (they often range from PreK for fledgling readers and work their way up to Level 3 for those children able to read whole paragraphs on their own), the difficulty level of the book's reading content becomes more complex.  Like stepping stones across a babbling brook, easy readers are meant to smoothly guide children through the transitional process of becoming independently literate. 

What It Looks Like

Left: The cover of an easy reader.  Right: Close-up of the level label.

Easy readers are always either located in a separate section near the picture books, or at some of our library branches, the easy readers are interfiled with the picture books.  Regardless of how they're shelved, easy readers are simple to distinguish from other parts of the collection because, while they are still alphabetized by the first letter of the author's last name and carry a bright yellow spine label similar to picture books, easy readers' spine labels are also clearly marked with a large, black "ER" designation. 

How to Find It
Here's an image of the catalog card for this book...

Author entry card for Melvin Berger's Snap!

We know this title is an easy reader because our catalog card locator mentions that the book is labeled "ER", and after noting that the author's last name begins with the letter "B", we know we can find this book in the Easy Reader section with the rest of the "B"s.

Found it!

And that's it- an overview of easy readers and how to find them in the library!  If you've missed any part of this series on demystifying the youth collection, you can catch up on Board Books or Picture Books at your convenience.  Next up: Children's (or Juvenile) Fiction!

Keep reading!

Shaen

Flashback (Youth Collection Demystified- Picture Books)

All right, today, we're continuing our brief tour of the Youth Collection, figuring out how to locate picture books on the shelves.

Overview
The picture book collection is the section most people think of when they conjure up images of the library.  Picture books can range from simple to quite complex, in both text and illustration and are often books that parents/teachers/caregivers read to children prior to children learning to read independently.  The books I use in story time are almost always culled from the picture book collection.  

What It Looks Like

A wintry book to get you in the right frame of mind for upcoming chilly temps! 

Picture books are easy to tell apart from most of the other books in the Youth Collection; they have bright yellow spine labels, shared only with the Easy Reader Collection, which we'll cover in more depth in the next post. 

How to Find It
Here's an image of the catalog card for this book...

Author entry card for Jimmy Fallon's Snowball Fight.

All books in the picture book collection are arranged alphabetically by first three letters of the author's last name, so this title is a snap to find.  Just locate the shelf with the other yellow labels marked with an "F", and then browse down the line until you find the title you're looking for.

Here's our book!

And that's it- an overview of picture books and how to find them in the library!  If you missed the first part in this series of demystifying the youth collection, feel free to catch up here.  Next up: the easy reader (aka step, or level, reader) collection...

Keep reading!

Shaen

Flashback (Youth Collection Demystified- Board Books)

Have you ever walked into the youth area of your local library and wondered "How on earth is this organized, and where do I find what I need?"  Maybe you browsed on your own until you located the right title, or maybe you asked a librarian for help.  Maybe you left the library frustrated that you couldn't find what you needed.

Well, no more!  All the information you need is at your fingertips- in the catalog and on the book spines!  Over the next few weeks, I'll help to "demystify" the code on those paper spine labels so you can always find exactly what you're looking for. 

Overview
Let's start with the board book collection.  Those small, sturdy squares with cardboard-esque pages are perfect for adults to read to babies or toddlers who are just beginning to learn how to appreciate books.  The covers of board books are washable, their pages don't rip easily, and they often feature simple, bright illustrations and minimal text.

What It Looks Like

Here's a seasonal board book I snagged from our collection at Ironton.

Board books are different from the majority of the Youth Collection in that they don't have spine labels. 

Look, Ma, no label! :)

We often keep our collection corralled in a plastic bin or two, near the picture books- a section we'll talk about in the next installment of this series!

How to Find It
Let's say you found the above dePaola title listed in the card catalog...

Author entry card for Tomie dePaola's My First Thanksgiving.

and you wanted to know how to find it in the Youth Collection.  In the upper left-hand corner of the catalog card is a call number or locator.  This card notes that My First Thanksgiving is a board book, so automatically, we know we can find it in the board book bin (or designated shelf, as it happens at some of our branch libraries), which I've already mentioned are always located near the yellow-spined picture books. 

And that's it- an overview of board books and how to find them in the library!  Next up: demystifying the picture book collection...

Keep reading!

Shaen

Lots of Changes Afoot!

Lots of fun changes are happening at Ozark Regional lately, including a new member for the Youth Department (we'll introduce her soon!) and a fresh, fun, new program layout for Fall 2013 that includes seasonal programs at select branches for grade schoolers and homeschoolers, along with traditional toddler/preschool story time sessions.  Info should be out at the front desk of your library or in the left-hand column of this blog within the next couple of weeks, so keep your eyes peeled!

While we're working our way through all of these changes over the next few weeks and getting ready to hit the road in September, I thought I'd re-introduce a series, "Demystifying the Youth Collection", that was first published on the blog in 2012.  In case you've ever been confused trying to locate materials in your library, here's help- at least as long as the card catalog is still in use (and just to satisfy your curiosity, yes, the library is on its way to being automated; the groundwork is being laid as we speak!  Like I said, lots of changes afoot!).

So, keep posted for the next few weeks as I lead you through the Youth Collection, step by step!

Keep reading!

Shaen

Youth Collection Demystified- Reference

The last stop in our tour of the Youth Collection is the Reference section, a perfect place for the student researcher or inquisitive mind!

Overview
Reference books are non-circulating, meaning that they are not available for check out from the library, though readers are welcome to take notes or make copies of the pages they need.  Comprehensive encyclopedia sets and subject guides are often included in the reference collection. 

What It Looks Like
Since reference titles don't check out, they don't contain blue or white check-out cards inside their front covers; instead, they have "REFERENCE" written in bold letters.  Reference books do still have white spine labels (clearly marked with an "R" for "Reference", followed by a "J" or "Y" age designation (for Juvenile or Youth material), a Dewey Decimal number, and the first three letters of the author's last name (or as happens more often with Reference titles, the first three letters of the series, such as "COM" for "Compton's").  So, a spine label for the encyclopedia pictured below would be "R J031 COM".

Left: The cover of a reference title. Right: The inside cover of a reference book.

How to Find It

Here's an image of the catalog card for the encyclopedia mentioned above:

Title card for the full Compton's set.

Reference books are so easy to find, you don't even really need to look up their locators in the card catalog!  At most of the libraries in the Ozark Regional system, reference titles are shelved on top of the regular Nonfiction bookshelves.  Books are grouped together in complete sets (see the picture below of the full Compton's set).

If you've missed any part of this eight-part series on demystifying the youth collection, you can catch up on Board Books, Picture Books, Easy Readers, Juvenile Fiction, the Paperback Collection, Teen Fiction, or Children's/Teen Nonfiction when you have time.

Keep reading!

Shaen

Youth Collection Demystified- Children's and Teen Nonfiction

Today, we're moving on to explore the Nonfiction section of the Youth Collection!

Overview
The nonfiction section of the Youth Collection houses tons of factual titles for juveniles and teens covering a variety of topics, from outer space to the inner ear!  Like most public and school libraries, Ozark Regional uses the Dewey Decimal system to organize its nonfiction books (for a great overview of how Dewey Decimal Classification, aka DDC, works, visit this site).  Readers beeline for nonfiction for lots of reasons: to complete research for a school paper, to learn about a favorite hobby, or just to read for fun!  The nonfiction section also hosts a growing collection of kid-safe graphic novels (if you don't know what GN's are, Scholastic has a great overview of graphic novels they offer for elementary through teen readers).

What It Looks Like

As mentioned in the Overview section above, juvenile and teen nonfiction are shelved together, interfiled to make them easier to locate.  They boast white spine labels that contain the age designation ("J", "Y" or "YA"), the Dewey number (i.e. 741.5), and the first three letters of the author's last name. 

Left: The cover of a Nonfiction title. Right: A close-up of the spine label.

How to Find It
Here's an image of the catalog card for the above book (which happens to be one of the kid-safe graphic novels our library shelves under the 741.5 Dewey designation)...

Title entry card for David Peterson's Mouse Guard: Winter 1152.

We know this title is Juvenile Nonfiction because our catalog card locator contains a "J", followed by a Dewey number.  We know we can find this book shelved in the nonfiction section, shelved first by the Dewey number (since it's a "700", it's located about three-fourths of the way through the collection, after the "600's" and before the "800's"), and then by the first three letters of the author's last name.

Mouse Guard can be found with the other graphic novels and cartooning/drawing books located under the 741.5 Dewey number.

And there you have it- a brief overview of how the Nonfiction section is organized and how to located items on the shelves!  If you've missed any part of this series on demystifying the youth collection, you can catch up on Board Books, Picture Books, Easy Readers, Juvenile Fiction, the Paperback Collection, or Teen Fiction at your leisure.  Next up, our last stop in the series: the Reference section!

Keep reading!

Shaen

Youth Collection Demystified- Teen Fiction

Join us today as we continue exploring the Youth collection and discover how to find Teen Fiction in the library.

Overview
Once readers enter middle school and begin to outgrow the Juvenile Fiction collection, they are ready to move on to Teen Fiction, which is divided into two sub-categories: "Y" Fiction (or Youth Fiction, for grades 7-9) and "YA" Fiction (or Young Adult Fiction, for grades 10-12).

What It Looks Like

Many of the libraries in the Ozark Regional system shelve Juvenile Fiction separately from Y/YA (aka Teen) Fiction, though as mentioned in an earlier post, some of our smaller branches still combine the two sections into one.  Like Juvenile Fiction titles, the spine label on a Teen Fiction book is white and is labeled with a "Y" or "YA" designation, as well as with the first three letters of the author's last name.  For example, a book by Sarah Dessen would have a spine label that reads "YA Des".

Left: The cover of a Teen Fiction title.  Right: A close-up of the spine label.

How to Find It
Here's an image of the catalog card for pictured book...

Author entry card for Sarah Dessen's Whatever Happened to Goodbye?

We know this title is Teen Fiction because our catalog card locator mentions that the book is labeled with a "YA", followed by the first three letters of Dessen's last name.  We know we can find this book shelved, alphabetically by the author's last name, with the other "Y" and "YA" titles in the Youth area.

There's our book!

And that's it- an overview of Teen Fiction and how to find a "Y" or "YA" book in the library!  If you've missed any part of this series on demystifying the youth collection, you can catch up on Board Books, Picture Books, Easy Readers, Juvenile Fiction, or the Paperback Collection at your convenience.  Next up: the Nonfiction Section!

Keep reading!

Shaen

Youth Collection Demystified- Paperbacks

Join us today as we continue exploring the Youth collection and discover how the J/Y/YA paperback section is organized.

Overview
If readers don't find what they're looking for in the Juvenile Fiction section, they might try the library's collection of paperbacks for Juveniles, Youth, and Young Adults (titles in this collection run the gamut, with books for grades 3-12).  Paperbacks often have a shorter shelf life (pun intended!) than hardback titles, but don't let their dog-eared appearance fool you!  You can find lots of great reads in this section, in a variety of genres: adventure, action, mystery, historical, fantasy, science fiction, contemporary, and more.  

What It Looks Like
Since paperbacks are flimsy by nature, they aren't processed as heavily as a hardback counterpart would be.  For example, paperbacks don't have spine labels.  When you want to know what age range a paperback book is geared toward, you just open the book and look in the upper left-hand corner of the white check-out card for the "J" for "Juvenile" (grades 3-6), "Y" for "Youth" (grades 7-9), or "YA" for "Young Adult" (grades 10-12) designation.

A peek at the white card for Mark Williams' Dragon Sword- by checking the upper left-hand corner of the card, we can see that this is a Juvenile Fiction (JFIC) from the paperback collection (PB).

Since paperbacks tend to rotate in and out of the collection much more quickly than hardback books, they are also shelved more casually- usually lumped by series or genre, rather than alphabetically by author's last name.  The paperback collection is a perfect place to browse for interesting titles you may not have stumbled across otherwise!

How to Find It
As I mentioned above, paperback books aren't processed as heavily as hardback titles.  Aside from not having spine labels, this also means that these books are not listed in the library's card catalog.  If you're looking for a paperback book, just browse the section until you find what you're interested in, or feel free to ask your local librarian for help!

And that's it- an overview of J/Y/YA paperbacks and how they're organized in the library!  If you've missed any part of this series on demystifying the youth collection, you can catch up on Board Books, Picture Books, Easy Readers, and Juvenile Fiction when you have time.  Next up: Teen Fiction!

Keep reading!

Shaen

Youth Collection Demystified- Children's Fiction

Join us today as we continue exploring the Youth collection and discover how to find Juvenile Fiction in the stacks.

Overview
After fledgling readers have mastered the challenge of Easy Readers, the next stop in their reading journey is the Juvenile Fiction section.  Juvenile fiction is intended mainly for readers who are grades 3-6 and varies widely in content and style. 

What It Looks Like

Left: The cover of a Juvenile Fiction title.  Right: A close-up of the spine label.

Many of the libraries in the Ozark Regional system shelve Juvenile Fiction separately from Y/YA (aka Teen) Fiction, though some of our smaller branches still combine the two sections into one.  The spine label on a Juvenile Fiction book is white and is labeled with a "J" for "Juvenile", as well as with the first three letters of the author's last name.  For example, a book by Erin Hunter would have a spine label that reads "J Hun" (see above picture).

How to Find It
Here's an image of the catalog card for this book...

Author entry card for Erin Hunter's The Fourth Apprentice.

We know this title is Juvenile Fiction because our catalog card locator mentions that the book is labeled with a "J", followed by the first three letters of the author's last name.  We know we can find this book shelved, alphabetically by the author's last name, with the other "J" titles in the Youth area.

Here it is!

And that's it- an overview of Juvenile Fiction and how to find a "J" book in the library!  If you've missed any part of this series on demystifying the youth collection, you can catch up on Board Books, Picture Books, or Easy Readers at your convenience.  Next up: the Paperback Collection!

Keep reading!

Shaen

Youth Collection Demystified- Easy Readers

Today, we're continuing our tour of the Youth collection, figuring out how to locate easy readers (also known as "step" readers or "level" readers) on the shelves.

Overview
Easy readers (aka "step" or "level" readers) are the titles children check out when they're interested in learning to read independently from an adult.  In line with their name, these books often sport an assigned "level" on their front covers or spines.  As the designations increase in value (they often range from PreK for fledgling readers and work their way up to Level 3 for those children able to read whole paragraphs on their own), the difficulty level of the book's reading content becomes more complex.  Like stepping stones across a babbling brook, easy readers are meant to smoothly guide children through the transitional process of becoming independently literate. 

What It Looks Like

Left: The cover of an easy reader.  Right: Close-up of the level label.

Easy readers are always either located in a separate section near the picture books, or at some of our library branches, the easy readers are interfiled with the picture books.  Regardless of how they're shelved, easy readers are simple to distinguish from other parts of the collection because, while they are still alphabetized by the first letter of the author's last name and carry a bright yellow spine label similar to picture books, easy readers' spine labels are also clearly marked with a large, black "ER" designation. 

How to Find It
Here's an image of the catalog card for this book...

Author entry card for Melvin Berger's Snap!

We know this title is an easy reader because our catalog card locator mentions that the book is labeled "ER", and after noting that the author's last name begins with the letter "B", we know we can find this book in the Easy Reader section with the rest of the "B"s.

Found it!

And that's it- an overview of easy readers and how to find them in the library!  If you've missed any part of this series on demystifying the youth collection, you can catch up on Board Books or Picture Books at your convenience.  Next up: Children's (or Juvenile) Fiction!

Keep reading!

Shaen

Youth Collection Demystified- Picture Books

All right, today, we're continuing our brief tour of the Youth Collection, figuring out how to locate picture books on the shelves.

Overview
The picture book collection is the section most people think of when they conjure up images of the library.  Picture books can range from simple to quite complex, in both text and illustration and are often books that parents/teachers/caregivers read to children prior to children learning to read independently.  The books I use in story time are almost always culled from the picture book collection.  

What It Looks Like

A wintry book to get you in the right frame of mind for upcoming chilly temps! 

Picture books are easy to tell apart from most of the other books in the Youth Collection; they have bright yellow spine labels, shared only with the Easy Reader Collection, which we'll cover in more depth in the next post. 

How to Find It
Here's an image of the catalog card for this book...

Author entry card for Jimmy Fallon's Snowball Fight.

All books in the picture book collection are arranged alphabetically by first three letters of the author's last name, so this title is a snap to find.  Just locate the shelf with the other yellow labels marked with an "F", and then browse down the line until you find the title you're looking for.

Here's our book!

And that's it- an overview of picture books and how to find them in the library!  If you missed the first part in this series of demystifying the youth collection, feel free to catch up here.  Next up: the easy reader (aka step, or level, reader) collection...

Keep reading!

Shaen

Youth Collection Demystified- Board Books

Have you ever walked into the youth area of your local library and wondered "How on earth is this organized, and where do I find what I need?"  Maybe you browsed on your own until you located the right title, or maybe you asked a librarian for help.  Maybe you left the library frustrated that you couldn't find what you needed.

Well, no more!  All the information you need is at your fingertips- in the catalog and on the book spines!  Over the next few weeks, I'll help to "demystify" the code on those paper spine labels so you can always find exactly what you're looking for. 

Overview
Let's start with the board book collection.  Those small, sturdy squares with cardboard-esque pages are perfect for adults to read to babies or toddlers who are just beginning to learn how to appreciate books.  The covers of board books are washable, their pages don't rip easily, and they often feature simple, bright illustrations and minimal text.

What It Looks Like

Here's a seasonal board book I snagged from our collection at Ironton.

Board books are different from the majority of the Youth Collection in that they don't have spine labels. 

Look, Ma, no label! :)

We often keep our collection corralled in a plastic bin or two, near the picture books- a section we'll talk about in the next installment of this series!

How to Find It
Let's say you found the above dePaola title listed in the card catalog...

Author entry card for Tomie dePaola's My First Thanksgiving.

and you wanted to know how to find it in the Youth Collection.  In the upper left-hand corner of the catalog card is a call number or locator.  This card notes that My First Thanksgiving is a board book, so automatically, we know we can find it in the board book bin (or designated shelf, as it happens at some of our branch libraries), which I've already mentioned are always located near the yellow-spined picture books. 

And that's it- an overview of board books and how to find them in the library!  Next up: demystifying the picture book collection...

Happy Thanksgiving, and keep reading!

Shaen