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Kids! @ your library® Tool Kit
Kids! What They Told Us
In preparing this campaign, ALSC conducted six focus groups of students in grades 2-4. The purpose was to explore how early elementary children view the library and to test key concepts for the proposed campaign.
The ALSC groups were held in one urban, one rural and four suburban locations. Seventy-five students in grades 2-4 participated. Most (90 percent) had library cards.
While generally enthusiastic, most said they use the public library only occasionally, partly because they use school libraries and partly because that is how often their parents take them. The children who didn’t visit a public library said it was because their parents don’t take them.
The children told us they believe more kids would use public libraries if they knew what was there for them—and if their parents would take them.
It is clear that their perception of the public library is changing. While most (especially girls) said they liked to read, books are not necessarily what draws them. Suburban kids, especially, said their families buy books and they use the library more for computers, movies and games.
Most of these 2nd-4th graders said they use the library more for fun than school. They said their homework often does not require a library and that they turn first to their teachers, parents and the Internet. Urban and rural children were more likely to mention they liked to read and study at the library.
Almost all the children said they seek out librarians to help them find books and get assistance in using the library. They are generally pleased with how they are treated.
Their answers, while mostly not surprising, reinforce the key role of parents and that the library should be positioned as a source of both learning and enjoyment.
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