Children’s Services Today: A Practical Guide for Librarians by Jeanette Larson (review)

An entry in the Practical Guides for Librarians series, this book focuses on services to young people and offers a comprehensive look at the principles behind youth services, the day to day practices of children’s librarians, and challenges and issues that often come along with the job. That examination, along with the plentiful model programs, templates for storytimes, and other resources, could make this an excellent text on which to center an introduction to children’s services as part of an undergraduate or graduate program. Larson, former youth services manager at Austin Public Library, makes a point to remind readers that while youth services focuses on kids, the children’s and teen librarians also serve parents, teachers, immigrant families, homeschoolers, children with special needs and their families, as well as other caregivers. Because of the breadth of coverage—the book tackles everything from creating service programs for babies to partnering with local schools to applying for grants—the coverage is at times shallow, but significant issues such as building a diverse collection and community outreach are given special care. Each chapter ends with a summary of key points, references, and further reading. Aspiring and beginning practitioners will find this to be a solid and valuable resource. An index is also included.