March 1, 2010
This volume more than updates Walters 2001 Children andLibraries; it revisits the nature of children, addressing social changes and encouraging a new generation of childrens librarians. Chapter 1 provides a fine history about U.S. library services to children, primarily in public libraries. Subsequent chapters detail six enduring core values of childrens library services and add two emerging themes: the need for information (and information literacy) and collaboration. Walters main contribution lies in her description of five models of children relative to the library: as reader, as a child of the information age, as a community member, as global, and as an empowered person. Another chapter focuses on management principals. Although school libraries are slighted, Walters core values are worth reading and implementing.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2010, American Library Association.)