How is an ignorant or illiterate parent going to " ensure their child is only checking out materials appropriate for them." Isn’t a librarian more qualified to know than a parent that is statistically unlikely to be educated enough to make a reasoned decision?
Librarians might know books better but usually don’t know the child’s personality, reading level, fears, interests, upbringing…
So as a parent, if you have any doubt, talk to the librarian.
We librarians are more than happy to help you make the right selection but we can’t make the choice for you. You can ask us what the book is about whether it contains certain types of content. We can also point you to resources that may help you make your decision. In fact if we suspect you might be making a wildly mistaken choice we might even take a moment to verify that you are making an informed decision.
What you can’t do is drop your kid off at the library for an hour and expect us to police what they read or check out on your behalf.
I’ve had parents not allow their 17 year old to check out Harry Potter because it will teach them witchcraft, while allowing their kids to read Twilight because it promoted abstinence. I’ve also seen parents let 2nd graders check out Attack on Titan (a Japanese comic where giant naked Ken dolls are going around eating people, and yes they knew what it was about), while forbidding the same kid from checking out a book with aliens in it because it went against the teachings of the bible. I once was once on the receiving end of an angry rant by a parent for letting their kid check out a Junie B. Jones book (a popular and award winning book series written for early grade schoolers) because the main character talked back to her parents.
There is no way I can know what each individual thinks is appropriate for their child. However I will do my best to help you make an informed decision for yourself.
How is an ignorant or illiterate parent going to " ensure their child is only checking out materials appropriate for them." Isn’t a librarian more qualified to know than a parent that is statistically unlikely to be educated enough to make a reasoned decision?
Librarians might know books better but usually don’t know the child’s personality, reading level, fears, interests, upbringing… So as a parent, if you have any doubt, talk to the librarian.
We librarians are more than happy to help you make the right selection but we can’t make the choice for you. You can ask us what the book is about whether it contains certain types of content. We can also point you to resources that may help you make your decision. In fact if we suspect you might be making a wildly mistaken choice we might even take a moment to verify that you are making an informed decision.
What you can’t do is drop your kid off at the library for an hour and expect us to police what they read or check out on your behalf.
I’ve had parents not allow their 17 year old to check out Harry Potter because it will teach them witchcraft, while allowing their kids to read Twilight because it promoted abstinence. I’ve also seen parents let 2nd graders check out Attack on Titan (a Japanese comic where giant naked Ken dolls are going around eating people, and yes they knew what it was about), while forbidding the same kid from checking out a book with aliens in it because it went against the teachings of the bible. I once was once on the receiving end of an angry rant by a parent for letting their kid check out a Junie B. Jones book (a popular and award winning book series written for early grade schoolers) because the main character talked back to her parents.
There is no way I can know what each individual thinks is appropriate for their child. However I will do my best to help you make an informed decision for yourself.