Cataloguing, or not, at the Library

Libraries all over the world are under financial pressure. Budgets are being pushed down at a time when libraries are expected to do more and more.Thirty years ago it was just circulating physical objects. Now, like so many operations, libraries have had to handle the transition from "atoms to bits". Plus all of the computers with Internet access, and "all you can eat" wireless for the ubiquitous laptops.

And it is not just the transition to electronic version of books, now patrons expect to be able to order up eBooks and audiobooks on-line. And how many different models of eBook readers are there? Unlike audiobooks, where the electronic versions come in standard MP3 format, there are a number of incompatible eBook formats.

But what does this have to do with cataloguing? I have a 3 1/2-year old daughter, so we get lots of books from the library. (Yesterday she maxed our her card at 50 items, so I had to put some of her borrowing on my card.)

She's on a kick of wanting me to read all of the books featuring particular characters. Dora the Explorer, caillou, and Franklin the Turtle. The problem, apart from the sheer torture of having to read Dora books, is that my local library system, one of the largest in the country, has partially abandoned cataloguing.

All paperback children's books are no longer catalogued. When you check them out the circulation system just records them as "Juvenile Paperback".

Given the life expectancy of a children's paperback, months at best, I can understand why a library might not want to spend the time (and therefore the money) to create a full bibliographic record for each title. However, the lack of information means that it is impossible to find out if the library actually has the title I'm looking for. And as children's book publishers often put an ad for the other books in the series on the inside back cover, my daughter knows exactly which books she wants me to find for her.

So, yet another example of management saving money by increasing the amount of work that the customer has to do. In this case scour every library branch looking for the elusive title.

Exploring for Dora, what an irony.

Why are licensed products so bad?

I know, a bit provocative. perhaps I should have rephrased the headline and said "Why are licensed children's books so bad?"

For some unknown reason my 3 1/2 year old daughter has become enamoured with Dora the Explorer. She started with some clothing as hand-me-downs, and then we borrowed some books from the library. This was followed by the discovery of Dora DVDs on the library shelves.

I've had the misfortune of having to read far too many of these books. Complete and utter rubbish. Horrible illustration, miserably bad writing, and incomprehensible plots. And also horribly inconsistent. Evidently you get chocolate from the "Chocolate Tree" and also from the "Chocolate Lake".

So, if you are looking for a gift for your kid this Christmas, try to steer clear of licensed books. The publisher has to pay a percentage to the TV show, and in order to keep the price down they sacrifice content.

There are tons of great children's books that are not based on TV shows . The Little Blue Truck books, anything by Mo Willems, or old favourites like Dr. Suess or Beatrix Potter. Just steer clear of Dora, or her cousin Diego. You child will thank you eventually and you may manage to keep your sanity through a couple of readings.