Tuesday, December 17, 2024

Library Collections: Board Books


The latest update to our board book collection was a complete reorganization. The board books were moved into bin shelving (repurposed from the adult dvd collection), relabeled to put the call number on the cover, and the genre stickers simplified. I also got a grant for a lot of replacements and new titles in 2024.

Purchasing board books is, for me, a balance between collecting books that are developmentally appropriate, sturdy and long-lasting, and picking up more ephemeral titles that have a short shelf-life or are of more interest to adults than kids. The collection was the largest in 2019, with almost 800 titles (although I might have had another collection included in with it back then...) and the collection has mildly fluctuated since then, but I try to keep it between 550 and 650 total titles. Pre-pandemic, the average monthly circulation for the collection was around 400. With the most recent changes and updates, our monthly circulation in 2024 has fluctuated between 400 and 500!


Collection description: This collection is based on format. Board books are more sturdy in order for small children to touch, taste, and handle them.

Recommendations: Infants and younger toddlers do best with high-contrast illustrations, photographs, and simple words. Older toddlers will enjoy more narrative and interaction with the books.

Audience: Infants to age 3

Resources
New Board Books

Processing and Stickers
  • Call number stickers are on the cover, top left corner with up to ONE additional sticker to the right of the label.
  • Tags are on the outside of the back cover.
  • Toy sticker - book has lift the flaps, moving parts, touchy-feely aspects (Sticker shows a bee and says "
  • Genre stickers - Holiday, Faith (updated)
  • If the call number is BBZ instead of BB, it belongs in the last section which holds oversized board books (board books that do not fit in this section are shelved in the picture books)

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