Choosing Strategies of Children and the Impact of Age and Gender on Library Use: Insights for Librarians

Abstract

Libraries continue to be an important source of books for young people, though relatively little is known about how gender and age influence visitation frequency for this purpose. In addition, while supporting children to choose books is part of the role of both school and public librarians, little is known about the strategies and processes children use to select books, and the beliefs and attitudes that underpin them. Findings from the 2016 Western Australian Study in Children's Book Reading offer insights into these areas that can support librarians to guide book choice, and they encourage targeted intervention to ensure that boys and older children make use of their libraries to support their literacy growth.