Reference Materials for

YouthsKatrina Braet

Jodi Haven

Deborah Manganello

Victoria Soule

Eva Weihl

OverviewThe goal of this presentation is to identify, survey, and analyze the reference tools available for children under the age of 13.

We have focused on a small selection of reference works that represent the best available resources in a variety of categories and formats.

This presentation will focus on four major categories of resources: encyclopedias and dictionaries, bibliographies and reader’s advisory tools, atlases and almanacs, and databases and digital resources.

These categories do not represent the entirety of all youth reference materials, but are broad enough in scope to encompass a large portion of them in a cohesive format.

Although some resources may fit into several of these categories, we have assigned them based on the primary function of the work (i.e.: an encyclopedia with both print and digital editions would fall under the category “encyclopedias and dictionaries,” while an exclusively digital repository would fall under “databases and digital resources.”)

The best resources as we have chosen them will be described in the following slides; additional information analyzing their strengths will be included in audio narration and accompanying note fields. A complete bibliography of sources will be included at the end of the presentation.

Methodology

As a group, we surveyed and located children’s reference materials through a variety of channels: public libraries, databases, web searches, professional reviews, and personal recommendations.

These resources were aggregated and then pared down to what we deemed the “best,” based on the application of three evaluative criteria: authority, currency, and ease of use.

These criteria are formatted as a series of questions to pose to each resource; although not all questions are applicable to each resource, they are formulated to illustrate the overall effectiveness and quality of a resource.

Criteria: Authority

AUTHORITY: Are the creators (writers, editors,

researchers, compilers, and so on) of the work credible

authorities on the subject? Are the credentials of the

creators easily findable? Does the work include

references and citations to substantiate the content?

Criteria: Currency

CURRENCY: Is the resource up-to-date? Was it created

within a suitable time frame to ensure the information is

current and accurate? If not, has it been recently edited,

updated, or amended? Is the resource actively curated to

ensure its accuracy?

Criteria: Ease of Use

EASE OF USE: Can this resource be easily found and

accessed by children under 13? Is the information

presented clearly, concisely, and logically? Will a child

under 13 be able to find the information they are looking

for easily and with little assistance? Is there an index or

table of contents to assist research? Is there a

subscription or fee associated with the use of the

resource? Is it prohibitively expensive for a user or an

information repository to acquire and utilize? Who are the

intended users of this resource?

Encyclopedias & DictionariesWorld Book Kids Online: http://www.worldbookonline.com/kids/home Provides age-leveled search engines, articles, timelines, educational videos, activities, and games for children Pre-K and up in areas such as early childhood thinking skills and core subject areas. There is a specific area designed for children PreK-2nd grade that is kid-friendly and offers a variety of learning tools and games aimed to teach children based on their educational needs. Contains information on religion, technology, life skills, sports, and hobbies. Located on the World Book’s Kid Info Finder page, students are able to search the database for articles, pictures, videos, reports, and much more. There are also specific sections on this page dedicated to daily newspapers, biographies, science projects, and current events. A dedicated children’s reference page also provides a dictionary, a citation builder, and information on how to properly research.

Children’s Encyclopedia of American History: a reference guide for children that provides information about America’s past historical events with the aid of maps, pictures, and illustrations. With historical events starting back from over 1,000 years ago to now, it provides children with a great overall resource to use when searching for information on America’s history.

Encyclopedias & Dictionaries

Oxford Illustrated Children’s Dictionary: This resource provides children with over 20,000 word definitions along with example sentences, pronunciation guides, and colorful pictures. With its family-friendly format children are able to learn about word meanings, pronunciation, word origins, and correct word usage through context.

Merriam-Webster’s Word Central: http://www.wordcentral.com A children's online dictionary where students can search word meanings, create their own dictionaries, learn daily new words, and play word games. Children can also use the online search engine on this site as a thesaurus or to find words that rhyme with the word they are searching. Each word listed in this online dictionary is provided with a definition, word function, and pronunciation with audio.

Bibliographies & Reader’s

Advisory ToolsStoryPlace: storyplace.org is an award-winning interactive online children’s digital library featured on the Charlotte Mecklenburg Library website. Free to anyone, this site offers birth-elementary aged children and their caregivers the chance to hear online stories in English or Spanish, click through online activities, take home printable activities, and view thematic reading lists. Children can enter the Preschool or Elementary Library and explore its many options. Book Hive is a search database of book reviews broken into categories such as Adventure, Poetry, Scary; and then further narrowed by audience (birth through grade 6).

Reading Rockets: http://www.readingrockets.org/books/booksbytheme. An extensive collection of reading lists sorted by theme of books for readers up to about age 9, including author interviews, articles on literacy, and so much more. The multiple award-winning site contains a section specifically for librarians with links to tools like Bookfinder (by PBS Parents) where users can select age (birth-8), theme (friends, feelings, art, etc.) and also enter keywords to find appropriate books.

Bibliographies & Reader’s

Advisory ToolsALSAC: http://www.ala.org/alsc/compubs The Association for Library Service to Children division of ALA has compiled several lists and guidebooks for award-winning children's literature. The books and booklists represent titles carefully selected by ALSC committees made up of librarians, children's literature experts, school faculty, publishers and more. Lists are compiled in reference books or can be accessed online. Compilations of Notable Books offer collections of titles which have stood the test of time and should appeal to a wide variety of readers. ALSC also has recommended reading lists for children under the age of 5.

Database of Award-Winning Children’s Literature: http://www.dawcl.com/ A regularly updated database of books for children which have won awards, created and maintained by librarian Lisa R. Bartle. This resource is used to find award-winning titles past-current. Users can select searching properties from the following: Age (birth-14+), Setting, Historical period, Language, Format (picture book, reference material, etc.), Genre, Gender of protagonist, publication year; also, can enter keywords or author/illustrator’s name. Can search by award, or choose to search ALL awards. Dozens of awards are included such as American Indian Youth Literature Award, Scott O’Dell Award, YALSA Top Ten.

Bibliographies & Reader’s

Advisory Tools

RIF: http://www.rif.org/us/literacy-resources/booklists.htm

Reading is Fundamental (RIF) site features children’s

book lists carefully crafted by their expert Literature

Advisory Panel. This site includes lists of Caldecott and

Newbery titles, but unique to this site is the multicultural

lists from 2007-2014, compiled by grade level (pre K –

Grade 5). Many of the selections include activities and

lesson plans.

Atlases & Almanacs

National Geographic for Kids:

http://kids.nationalgeographic.com/kids/places/find A regularly

updated website that covers both cultural and physical

geographic of the countries around the world. Can be used to

answer questions regarding geography. Example: What

countries are located in North America? What climates do these

countries experience? What is their culture and people like?

National Geographic World Atlas For Kids (4th ed.): This

book covers in-depth both cultural and physical geographic of

the countries around the world. It is used to address questions

regarding geography and culture. Example: What ethic groups

are located in ____ country? What major religions are

worshiped in ____ country? What is the landmass size of ___

country?

Atlases & Almanacs

Children’s World Atlas: Published by Dorling Kindersley

(DK) Publishing, this book specializes in illustrated

reference books for adults and children. This book covers

in-depth both cultural and physical geographic of the

countries around the world. Although the material in this

book is 2 years old, this volume has some of the most

beautiful graphics on the market, and is a useful tool for

visually engaging with geographical and cultural concepts

and information.

Atlases & Almanacs

The Old Farmer’s Almanac for Kids: Published yearly, this

almanac covers historical events, science/historical information,

and activities for children. It addresses a plethora of topics such

as "Is a tomato a fruit or vegetable?" and "What day was

Benjamin Franklin born and who is he?" There are also

historical and educational notes on events on each day in the

almanac, with a visually compelling layout.

World Almanac For Kids Online:

http://www.worldalmanacforkids.com Infobase Publishing, a

leader in the publishing world for educational materials, has

been making their World Almanac for over 100 years. Their

online children's almanac is updated daily, and covers historical

events, school subject information, activities for children,

homework help, and more. It offers homework help and

citations for easy use.

Databases & Digital ResourcesPebbleGo!: http://www.pebblego.com Part of the Capstone Company, an established name in the education community for many years, PebbleGo! is an acclaimed online database for emergent readers, aimed at students in grades K-3. It provides databases on subjects such as animals, biographies, earth and space, and social studies. It also includes educational games, an article of the day, and a poll question of the day. This database features leveled text and reading scaffolds to engage children with simultaneous research and reading. It is valuable because students can read the text as well as being accompanied by full narration, and also allows students to type in search terms or search visually.

TrueFlix: www.scholastic.com/trueflix An online resource created by the well known company Scholastic books, this source for upper elementary students augments their “True Book” nonfiction print series and helps students to improve literacy skills and gain content area knowledge. The primary function of this database is to give students an introduction to the inquiry process. It can be used individually by students or as a group activity on a whiteboard. It includes a “read it” option which has leveled texts, and a “watch it” option that includes voice-over reading, as well as an “explore more” section that accompanies every True Book links to the Grolier Online Encyclopedia articles, and an activity center for informal interactive assessment.

Databases & Digital ResourcesInfoTrac Junior Edition: A more advanced, in-depth research tool for students at the middle school level, InfoTrac Junior introduces the content and features of an academic research database in a way that is accessible to elementary and middle school students. It contains full-text titles from sources such as magazines, newspapers, and reference works for information on current events, the arts, and science; student researchers can easily access over 300 indexed general interest titles. The layout and interface is scholarly but simple and easy to use, and competently introduces research concepts such as citations, relevancy ratings, multi-format materials, and more. It is part of the Gale PowerSearch platform, which is a branch of the Gale Virtual Reference Libraries, a highly credible and powerful reference tool.

Reflections & Conclusion

The breadth and depth of the research tools available for children directly affects how both children and information professionals interact with those resources. Because of this scope and variety, it is imperative to thoughtfully analyze these sources in terms of quality and usability with a clear set of criteria. This analysis guides our children's reference collection development as well as our ability to instruct students on their usage.

Criteria can be applied differently depending on the resource; not all resources will meet every guideline, but that does not mean it is unusable. For instance, some of our chosen "best" resources are print books that are less current, but have valuable illustrations or other factors that make it strong in the area of ease of use. Ultimately, the evaluation criteria are a guideline to consider how a work fits into a reference collection overall, rather than a checklist that exists in stasis and without context.

Reflections & Conclusions

Ultimately, a children's reference collection must be created with

balance in mind. Some factors that are important to consider

when building and evaluating a youth reference collection:

Budget: What is the price? Will this item need to be replaced

frequently as information becomes outdated? Will several

children be able to use it at once, as in a database subscription?

Format: Is the resource print or digital? Does the collection

favor one format too heavily over the others to the disadvantage

of those using it? (For instance, too many digital resources put

those users with less technological literacy at a disadvantage).

Intended Audience: Does the collection favor very early

learners over tweens or vice versa? Does it address a variety of

learning styles, subject material, etc.?

Type: Is there an adequate balance of encyclopedias,

databases, bibliographies, non-fiction materials, and so on?

Reflections & Conclusions

Children’s reference collections are constantly evolving

and require steady evaluation and re-evaluation to be

curated to the highest standards.

Ultimately, with consideration, analysis, and reflection, we

can become fluent in the variety of children’s reference

materials that exist, and best use them in our libraries and

information centers to the benefit of our young patrons.

Doing so will allow us to familiarize children with reference

practices and information fluency from a young age,

benefiting them for the rest of their years as learners.

ReferencesAdams, S. (2011). Children's world atlas. New York: Dk Publishing.

American Library Association (2014, March 3). Association for Library Service to Children. Available: www.ala.org/alsc

Bartle, L. R. (2014, March 3). The Database of Award-Winning Children's Literature. Available: http://www.dawcl.com/

Charlotte Mecklenburg Library (2014, March 9). StoryPlace: The children’s digital library. Available: http://www.storyplace.org

Infotrac junior edition. (n.d.). Retrieved fromhttp://go.galegroup.com/ps/start.do?p=STOJ&u=lom_accessmich

King, D. C. (2003). Children's encyclopedia of American history. New York: Smithsonian Institution.

Merriam-Webster’s Word Central. (2014) Retrieved from http://www.wordcentral.com/

ReferencesNational Geographic: Kids. (n.d.). Retrieved February 19, 2014,

from http://kids.nationalgeographic.com/kids/places/find/

National geographic kids world atlas (Fourth ed.). (2013).

Washington DC: National Geographic Society.

The old farmer's almanac for kids. (2013). Dublin, N.H.: Yankee

Pub.

Oxford illustrated children’s dictionary. (2010). New York, NY:

Oxford University Press.

Pebblego!. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.pebblego.com/

Reading is Fundamental (2014, March 2). RIF. Retrieved from

http://www.rif.org

Trueflix. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.scholastic.com/trueflix

ReferencesWorld Book Kids Online. (2014). Retrieved from

http://www.worldbookonline.com/kids/home

WETA Public Broadcasting (2014, March 5). Reading

Rockets. Retrieved from http://www.readingrockets.org/

World Almanac For Kids. Infobase Publishing, n.d. Web. 2

Mar. 2014. Retrieved from

http://www.worldalmanacforkids.com