Staffordshire Libraries Stock Policy

This page provides details of the purchase and management of stock for adults, children and young people in Staffordshire’s County council and Community Managed Libraries

Published 2017 – Revised 2020, and 2024

1. Framework

1.1. Staffordshire County Council Vision

The vision for Staffordshire County Council is to create a connected Staffordshire, where everyone can prosper, be healthy and happy.

Staffordshire’s libraries will support this vision by offering access to a wide range of stock and online resources enabling people to make informed decisions and choices and helping them to live enriched lives.

Our libraries are safe, welcoming spaces that enrich lives and strengthen communities by inspiring creativity, curiosity, and connection.

1.2. Aims of the Stock Policy

The Stock Policy reflects the Vision of the County Council and aims to:

• Develop standards for stock acquisition and management.
• Ensure funds are used effectively to provide value for money, ensuring a consistent approach and maximising the availability of items in libraries across the county.
• Ensure that the stock reflects the needs of all users whatever their interests, abilities, or cultural backgrounds.
• Assist staff and volunteers in the development of their knowledge in the stock, to encourage imaginative promotion and reader development.
• Adopt the best use of IT in selecting, purchasing, and managing materials.
• Support Libraries Connected Universal Library Offers, Six Steps and the Association of Senior Children’s and Education Librarian’s Children’s Promise 

1.3. Definition of Stock

Stock is defined as all children’s, young people’s and adult book stock, periodicals, maps, printed music, audio books and electronic resources.

1.4. Scope of the Stock Policy

This policy covers the provision of the public library service. Services to prisons are also provided by Staffordshire Libraries, on subscription basis, to those prisons that buy in to the service. All areas of the service work together and support each other in their areas of expertise.

Although there are parts of this policy that are relevant to the Prisons Library Service, different priorities affect some of their policies, particularly regarding stock selection and management.

1.5. Legislation

• Public Libraries and Museums Act 1964
• Obscene Publications Act 1959, 1964
• Sex Discrimination Act 1975
• Disability Discrimination Act 1995
• Race Relations Act 1976 (Amended 2000)
• Public Order Act 1986
• Crime and Disorder Act 1998
• Human Rights Act 1998
• Counter-Terrorism and Security Act 2015
• Copyright Design and Patents Act 1988
• Copyright and Related Rights Regulations 2003
• Copyright (Visually Impaired Persons) Act 2002
• EU Copyright Directive 2015
• British Photographic Institute/Library Association Agreement 1994
• Library Charges Regulations (Department of Culture, Media, and Sport)
• EC Directive No.77/62 (Public Procurement)
• Staffordshire County Council Financial Regulations
• Staffordshire County Council Contracts (Standing Orders)
• Staffordshire County Council Standards of Conduct

2. Staffordshire Libraries

2.1. Libraries

Libraries in Staffordshire are divided into districts and within each district there are County Council managed libraries and community managed libraries.

2.2. Mobile Library Service

There are two mobile libraries.

2.3. Prison Library Service

A service is provided to the Ministry of Justice establishments in the county.

2.4. Residential Homes Service

A service is offered to residential homes in the county.

2.5. Staff

The Libraries Development Manager has overall responsibility for stock provision across Staffordshire Libraries and Arts Service.

The Service Development Officer – Resources, has responsibility for the acquisition and management of stock.

Library Development Officers based in each district have responsibility for the management of stock in their district.

3. Acquisitions Policy & Allocation of Financial Resources

3.1. Acquisition of Stock

Efficient and cost-effective supply depends on using the most appropriate sources for the different categories of stock. Most books are supplied by contracted library suppliers following a legal tender process. Contracts last for a minimum period of 3 years.

Current suppliers are as follows:

• Adult Books: Askews and Holts Library Services Ltd
• Children’s Books: Peters Books Ltd
• eBooks, eAudio and ePress: Bolinda
• eMagazines and eComics: Overdrive

Library suppliers, however, cannot provide all stock, and it is necessary to obtain these materials elsewhere. This includes:

• Items that can only be purchased direct from publishers e.g. most large print and audio books.
• Specialist subject areas where there are suppliers who have a wide range of stock and expertise to assist staff in the provision of suitable materials for example books in languages other than English, music scores, maps, essential skills materials, e-books, e-newspapers, e-magazines, e-comics, e-audio.
• Books written by local authors.
• Periodicals, newspapers, and other subscriptions.
• Subscriptions to online resources.

All orders will be confirmed by Bibliographical Services to comply with County Council financial regulations.

3.2. Donations

The library service is not obliged to accept donations. They are accepted on the understanding that they conform to the same criteria as purchased stock and a catalogue record for the ISBN exists on the library management system. Items must be in good physical condition, up to date and enhance the stock of the library. Donations may not always be added to the library receiving the donation; their deployment will depend on the subject matter and existing holdings. Donations not required will be disposed of in the same manner as purchased stock for example sale or recycling.

Occasionally local organisations approach a library with a view to providing stock for their local library. This may be in the form of goods or cash. Such donations are welcome if value is added to the existing stock and there is sufficient space.

All donations will be withdrawn when the specified criteria (see section 7.1) are no longer met.

It is not possible to add labels specifying who has donated books.

3.3. Unsolicited Stock

The County Council will only accept and admit payment for goods if an official order number has been issued. An exception may be made for purchase of local publications. The suppliers of these publications are required to supply Staffordshire County Council with all the necessary information to enable them to be set up as vendors on the County Council’s finance system; they will also need to provide the Library Service with an invoice.

Some authors, publishers or other suppliers send items that have not been ordered, enclosing an invoice, in the hope that a purchase will be secured. Items supplied on this basis will not be accepted unless they are genuinely required. If the item is not required, it should be kept for six months after which time it becomes library property and may be disposed of. Should the sender require its return, the cost of postage must be provided in advance. (Sale of Goods Act 1979).

3.4 Self Published items

Staffordshire Libraries and Arts Service is often asked to acquire, either by purchase or donation, books that have been self-published.

For your titles to be considered for purchase, they need to be presented to our book supplier Askew and be available for selection via the Askew web-based catalogue.

To ensure your titles can go onto the Askew catalogue, they ask that you send full details of title/s of your publication to the following partner companies:

• BDS
  
  
• Nielsen Book Data
  
  
• Gardner’s Books

Books donated to Staffordshire Libraries and Arts Service will be reviewed and may or may not be added to our library catalogue. We are not in position to return of a book once it has been donated.

3.5. Allocation of Resources for Books and other Materials

The way in which budgets are allocated is determined to some extent by the way in which stock is selected and managed.

Askews and Holts Library Services Ltd is allocated a budget to select adult book stock for libraries. Funding is allocated to Peters Books Ltd for the supply of children’s and young people’s fiction via standing order lists and an amount of funding is allocated for supplier selection.

Subscription plans provide a more cost-effective way of purchasing large print and audio books.

Budgets for children’s non-fiction, replacement book stock and where books are required to fulfil a particular local need are delegated to Library Development Officers to purchase for libraries in their clusters.

Resources are held centrally for:

• Lending materials – newly published titles and specialist areas of stock such as large print titles, audio books, e-books, e-audio, e-newspapers, e-magazines and e-comics
• Reference books, periodicals, online resources, and essential skills
• Local Studies books and materials
• Miscellaneous County spending such as binding, subscriptions to organisations, inter-lending costs etc.

Resources are delegated to Libraries Development Officer:

• Stock replacement
• Stock of local interest
• Requests
• Reading group sets

3.6. Other Sources of funding

Funding for the purchase of stock the Prisons Library Service is obtained from the prisons who elect to buy into the respective services.

4. Stock Selection

4.1. Aims

• To provide books, e-books and other materials that allow Staffordshire’s residents and communities to access, enjoy and benefit from a range of learning, recreational and cultural activities.
• To enable Staffordshire’s children and young people to get the best start in life and receive a good education so that they can make a positive contribution to their communities.
• To provide value for money through a coordinated and consistent approach to selection, promotion, and exploitation of all stock across the county to ensure optimum performance.

4.2 Objectives

• Stock should be selected to serve the needs of the whole community, not solely current members of the library service.
• Stock selection should be in line with current and anticipated needs, and take account of known tastes, preferences, and interests, and support general education needs.
• Stock should reflect the racial, ethnic, linguistic, and cultural composition of each community. However, if titles are concerned solely with the promotion of a single political party, racial group or religion and are also regarded as propaganda these will not be added to stock.
• Although local needs and preferences will be accommodated as far as possible, all stock will be regarded as county stock and not the property of any one service point.
• Purchasing choices must be made regarding value for money and overall stock coverage as it is not possible to buy every published book. Stock is purchased throughout the year to maintain a continuous supply of books while also considering the need to replenish areas of stock and fulfil reader requests within the limitations of available funds.

4.3. Selection Criteria

Content:

• Staffordshire Library Service will endeavour to provide comprehensive subject coverage across the county. Larger libraries will stock the widest range of titles, but all County Council and Community Managed Libraries will have stock to fill gaps in coverage, especially where there is community demand.
• Fiction by popular authors will be provided in all libraries.
• Stock will be purchased to promote and support shortlisted titles for literary prizes e.g. Man Booker and Orange Prizes

Most of the stock purchased will be recently published titles. However, stock will be purchased to replace popular titles and to fill any identified stock gaps.

Staffordshire Libraries will attempt to stock items to help and encourage students within the limitations of the resources budget. The following will not be provided:

• Revision guides and course books that are not appropriate for public library stock.
• Workbooks that are for completion by the user
• Teaching packs
• Materials that are of an advanced level.
• Items of specialist interest where use would be limited.

Physical Characteristics:

Stock will be provided in a variety of formats, dependant on availability, suitability, and the limitations of the resource budget.

High quality production is important, and consideration will be given to the strength of the binding and the dust jacket, which should be attractive and relevant to the content. In addition, the paper must be of a good quality and typefaces should be clear and easily legible. Although book production standards have declined over recent years, the quality of production will not preclude purchases of popular titles.

Books in loose-leaf format will not normally be purchased except for use in the library e.g. local studies material. Spiral bound format stock will only be purchased where an acceptable alternative is not available.

Manufacturers’ workshop manuals will not be purchased.

Cost:

While there is no set upper or lower price limit value for money must always be a consideration.

Due to limited resources, the library service will decline to purchase expensive items for readers’ requests where the book is either of limited general appeal or on a very specialist subject.

The benefits of a hardback edition versus a paperback version will be considered particularly with stock revision or simultaneous publication.

4.4. Controversial Material

The Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals (CILIP) states in its policy on ‘Intellectual Freedom, Access to Information and Censorship’ published in 2005 that:

Access should not be restricted on any grounds except that of the law. If publicly available material has not incurred legal penalties, then it should not be excluded on moral, political, religious, racial or gender grounds, to satisfy the demands of sectional interest.

Staffordshire Library Service fully supports this statement and will make available the broadest range of material possible within its policy of freedom of access to all legally available information. It is recognised, however, that in preserving this right certain material may on occasion prove to be unacceptable or offensive to individuals or groups within the community, but a balance of all views and opinions will be maintained wherever possible.

4.5. Levels of provision

It is not possible or desirable that every library holds the full range of materials and services provided by the library service.

All libraries will stock the following:

• Adult fiction
• Popular adult non-fiction
• Children’s books, picture books and board books
• Large print books
• Audio books for both adults and children

In addition, larger libraries may stock:

• A wider range of adult non-fiction
• Some reference titles.
• A small number of newspapers and periodicals

Performance monitoring takes place on a regular basis.

To ensure that library stock changes on a regular basis, to be able to offer users the widest possible choice and to be cost effective, many new titles are purchased to circulate.

Library user’s suggestions regarding stock provision are always welcome. All library contact details are available on our web site.

Most of our online resources can be accessed by users from home. Some sites, such as the genealogical resource Ancestry Library Edition, can only be accessed in the library because of the publishers’ terms and conditions.

All members of the library can borrow e-books, e-audio titles, e-magazines and e-comics from the library web site as long as they have been issued with a PIN. PIN’s can be obtained by completing the online internet registration form, which is also available to complete in hard copy at all libraries.

Provision in schools and prisons will be determined by Service Level Agreement.

4.6. Methods of Selection

Co-ordination

A co-ordinated approach will be taken in the selection of all types of stock, and a variety of different selection methods will ensure that:

• Stock is selected as cost effectively as possible.
• Skills and knowledge of staff is used to good effect.
• Newly published titles are available to library users as soon as possible.
• The widest possible range of titles and subjects is made available within the county.
• The use of individual titles is maximised.

To achieve this, the selection of newly published titles is undertaken by our adult stock suppliers with advice from staff on a county basis, while stock replacement is undertaken by Library Development Officers to ensure that the stock of each library reflects local needs.

Adult Lending Stock:

Newly published adult books are selected by library suppliers to a specification supplied by the library service and to an agreed budget. Selection is monitored and the specifications are reviewed annually.

Other areas of stock that are selected centrally include language courses, e-books and e-audio books.

Children’s Books:

A standing order list is used to select children’s fiction. Children’s board books, picture books, beginner readers and books for teens are selected by library suppliers to a specification supplied by the library service to an agreed budget. Selection is monitored and the specification reviewed annually.

Reference and E-resources:

Information will be made available to users in the most appropriate format. This may be in print but is increasingly only available online.

An increasing number of reference titles are available online. The benefit of this is currency of information and they are often easier to access for users.

Costs and licence agreements vary greatly so where titles are subscribed to use will be monitored to ensure value for money is being achieved.

Newspapers and periodicals are acquired either from local newsagents or via a subscription agent. Back editions of national newspapers are available online.

Ordnance survey maps in OS Landranger and explorer both local and national are purchased centrally.

The purchase of local studies material is co-ordinated to ensure that all relevant titles are held in libraries where they will be of most interest. Often copies will be purchased for reference as well as for loan.

Requested items:

Where a requested title is in print but not in county stock purchase will be considered. All purchases must comply with the criteria described in section 4.3 of this webpage.

The item purchased will not always be allocated to the library where the request originates but could be added to the stock of a more suitable location. Often titles are more specialised so will be circulated to obtain maximum use.

When the number of reservations placed is more than 5 for each copy of each title held additional copies will be considered for purchase.

5. Accessibility and Promotion

5.1. Signing and Guiding

The signing and guiding inside libraries will be clear and accurately reflect the stock on the shelves, to help library users locate items of particular interest and age suitability.

Headings will be consistent in each library.

5.2. Arrangement

The arrangement of the stock within libraries will reflect the preferences of the users of that library. This means that different arrangements may be tried to test which best achieves that requirement.

The layout of shelving must ensure that stock is within easy reach and shelving is spaced to allow easy physical access to all users. Items will be displayed in such a way as to encourage browsing and give users the ability to do so in comfort.

Within the children’s library there will be separate areas representing the needs of different age groups, including an under 5s area with board books and picture books in kinder boxes. Beginner reads and reading on will be arranged together.

Resources for teenagers should be in a separate area where possible.

If special collections are held in a library these should be kept as a collection and located where they are most relevant e.g. Reading Well collections

5.3. Display

All libraries will proactively display stock. Stock will be maintained in a bright, clean, and appealing condition.

Displays will be changed regularly to maximise the impact of trends, e.g. film/TV tie-ins, sporting events, ‘in the news’, and highlight the full range of stock available.

New stock to the library will be particularly showcased e.g. transferred or rotated stock as well as new acquisitions.

Displays will reflect Libraries Connected Universal Library Offers and may support national initiatives, local interests or be organised in conjunction with external organisations where there is a connection with the libraries core business.

Some libraries may host special collections, e.g. Reading Well collections, and these will require prominent display.

Different display techniques are encouraged e.g. Book of the Day, and stock should be displayed ‘face on’ whenever possible.

6. Reservations and Inter-lending

Library members may make requests for any item that is not immediately available on the library shelves. The request may be for an individual book, spoken word recording, subject, periodical article or set of plays or scores.

Reservations can be made either in the library with the assistance of library staff or by using the library online catalogue.

When an item has been obtained to satisfy a reservation, the borrower will be notified, either by email, telephone, text message or post. Items will be retained for collection for ten days, or two mobile library visits.

6.1. Items in County Stock

The library database holds details of all items in county stock and all items that are on order. Library members can place a reservation themselves on the web, either in the library or at home, or they can ask library staff to do so on their behalf.

When making reservations, please note the following:

• Some reference and local studies material cannot be reserved or may be borrowed for a limited period.
• Some libraries hold stock which belongs to other organisations. While users of those libraries can borrow these titles, they cannot be despatched to other libraries to satisfy requests.
• Items that are on order may be reserved but as orders are often placed several weeks in advance of publication, they may take longer to supply.
• Sets of orchestral and vocal scores can be reserved and borrowed for a period of twelve months by choirs and music groups that are registered as members of the library service. New music groups and choirs can register provided they are based within Staffordshire or provided their librarian or the choir/group member responsible for collection, distribution and return of the music scores lives within Staffordshire. Sets of music scores cannot be reserved and borrowed by individuals. Choirs and music groups can reserve music scores up to six months in advance. Christmas music reservations cannot be placed until June to allow all users an equal opportunity to obtain them. Music scores cannot be reserved or requested online; requests must be emailed to interlending@staffordshire.gov.uk
• Sets of plays can be reserved and borrowed for a period of three months by drama groups that are registered as members of the library service. Play sets cannot be reserved and borrowed by individuals.

Where there are more than five reservations per copy of a title in stock, further copies will be considered for purchase to reduce waiting time.

A small charge is made to request an item, payable on collection, with the following exceptions:

• Children’s requests are free of charge.
• Items that attract a loan charge (Language Courses and Audio Books etc.) are free of charge to request.
• Concessionary rates apply to other reservations.

6.2. Items not in County Stock

Books that are not in stock but are in print will be considered for purchase and bought if they conform to the policy set out in the ‘Criteria for Selection’ section (4.3)

6.3. Inter Library loans

Books that are not suitable for purchase or are out of print may be borrowed from other library authorities, universities, or the British Library (excluding music score sets).

There is a considerable cost in obtaining these items. Loan periods may be restricted by the British Library and additional charges are applied when items are renewed. Consequently, it is necessary to pass on the full cost to those who wish to borrow items from other library services. Before an application is made to external authorities, users will be contacted to ascertain that the book is still required and that they are willing to pay the full cost.

Periodical articles are usually supplied in the form of photocopies, and these must be paid for at the current rate.

It is not possible to obtain orchestral sets and vocal scores from other library services but sets of plays may be obtained from other library services. The charge for this service will depend upon the number of copies required.

7. Stock Management

7.1. Stock Maintenance

Stock will be regularly edited and reviewed to ensure:

• a current, quality, active and relevant stock
• that all stock is in good physical condition
• that stock is displayed to best advantage
• that adequate space is available for effective display
• a broad range of stock is available.

7.2. Circulation

Collection management software is used to ensure that all libraries have a good selection of stock from which borrowers can choose. It ensures that stock is more effective and borrower-focussed, based on performance. The use of this system means that items reach libraries where there is a demand for them, thus maximising the potential of stock.

7.3. Reserve Stock

Items of long-term value are kept in a reserve store. This includes non-fiction subjects such as history, biography, and local studies and also some fiction titles. This stock may not be heavily used, the non-fiction may contain information that is no longer current, and both the fiction and the non-fiction may be dated in appearance and not in an ideal physical condition, but the stock is retained to satisfy reservations of users, both in Staffordshire and for inter-library loans.

Books that may increase in value or become collectable will be identified by the Library Development Officers as they carry out stock management in their libraries.

The Library Development Officers will inform the Libraries Development Manager and these books will be transferred to the library central reserve and withdrawn from circulation.

A label will be placed in/on these books stating, “This book must not be discarded or sold without the permission of the Libraries Development Manager.”

7.4. Disposal of Stock

The library service has a responsibility to ensure that stock is accurate, current, and relevant to the needs of the local community. To achieve this, stock will be continually reviewed and withdrawn when it is:

• Physically damaged, defaced or worn to the extent that it cannot be repaired. The following criteria will be considered:
  • Torn jackets
  • Dirty jackets or covers.
  • Badly faded jackets
  • Loose or torn pages
  • Defaced pages
  • Stains
  • Grubby pages/edges
  • Yellowing pages
  • Unpleasant smell
  • Broken binding
  • Flap or pop- up books damaged.
  • Damaged (in any way not specified above)
• Out of date and / or containing out of date information
• No longer in demand or circulating.
• Required to be withdrawn from circulation for legal reasons.

Items will be offered for sale only if they are of no use and are in a saleable condition.

Items may be sold in libraries or through dealers depending on which method is judged to realise the greatest income.

No items may be earmarked for individual purchasers, as such a system may be open to abuse.

8. Children and Young People’s Stock

These key selection criteria for Children and Young People's stock sit within the county Stock Policy document and reflect those issues that specifically refer to children's stock.

8.1 Aim

• To ensure that the range and quality of stock provision within our public libraries meets the social, developmental, educational, language and general interest needs of children and young people aged from birth to 16, whilst meeting quality and value standards.
• To provide stock that allows the service to meet:
  • Staffordshire Libraries & Arts Business Plan objectives
  • The Association of Senior Children’s & Education Librarians Children’s Promise
  • Libraries Connected Universal Library Offers
  • Targets for satisfaction set by the Public Library Users Survey (Children’s)
  • The social inclusion agenda
  • Staffordshire County Council's key priorities

8.2 Definition of stock

Children and Young People’s stock encompasses a broad range of material as appropriate to meet the educational, information or recreational needs of the targeted group. It includes both hardback and paperback books, board books and audio books and rhymes.

The categories of stock are:

• Board Books
• Picture Books
• Beginner Readers
• Reading On
• General Fiction
• Teenage
• Graphic novelsMaterials to support special needs
• Non-Fiction
• Dual Language texts
• Stories on CD

8.3 Acquisition and Selection

General

• Library usage, customer requests and feedback from staff will be considered during book selection.
• Specific national and local initiatives will be supported by the purchase of relevant materials, for example Bookstart, Staffordshire’s Young Teen Fiction Award, Summer Reading Challenge

8.4 Selection of stock

As outlined in section 3.4 of the County Stock policy a standing order for new titles by popular children’s fiction authors is placed with Peters Library Suppliers.

Peters select the following new stock in accordance with the Supplier Selection Guidelines:

• Board books.
• Picture books
• Beginner Reads

Peters will purchase extra copies of new titles that are in heavy demand or requested.

Library Development Officers select teenage stock from a central budget to support Staffordshire’s Young Teen Fiction Book Award.

8.5 District Delegated Budgets

All districts have a percentage of the stock budget delegated to them to purchase non-fiction titles and retrospective fiction. This is:

• New non-fiction titles
• The replacement of titles as withdrawn from stock (fiction and non-fiction) • Filling stock gaps (fiction and non-fiction)
• Requested non-fiction titles not available elsewhere in the county.

8.6 Other selection methods

• The Library Service will ensure that a wide range of stock is purchased by scanning reviewing journals, publisher’s catalogues, and appropriate web sites.

8.7 Criteria for Stock selection

Selected stock should:

• Provide best value for money whilst meeting quality standards.
• Encourage reading for entertainment and enjoyment.
• Support language and reading development.
• Be appropriate for differing reading and development levels.
• Support the Summer Reading Challenge and Staffordshire’s Young Teen Fiction Award
• Support and develop information literacy for formal and informal education.
• Reflect positive images of other cultures, genders and social groups and be socially inclusive.
• Provide for leisure and recreational needs.
• Develop personal awareness related to contemporary society.
• Recognise the changing population and reflect the needs of children and young people using English as a second language.

8.9 Stock Display and Promotion

• Within the children's library there are separate areas representing the needs of different age groups including an under 5's area with board books and picture books in kinderboxes and an area for young readers
• Resources for teenagers should be in a separate area.
• Stock is maintained in a bright, clean, and appealing condition.
• Books and other resources are displayed appropriately to ensure that users can locate appropriate material.
• Face on display is important for all types of material to help customers select and to encourage book borrowing.

8.10 Board books

Target group: babies and toddlers up to 24 months old. Sharing books with babies helps them to:

• Focus their eyes
• Recognise objects in their immediate world.
• Develop the parent/child bond.

Criteria for selection:

• Be of sturdy construction.
• Be of a suitable size for handling by and sharing with a baby.
• Black and white illustrations and photographs are particularly valuable for babies aged 0 – 8 months old.
• Illustrations need to be bold with clear colours and outlines.
• Text should be limited, and vocabulary needs to be simple and written in a bold, clear typeface.
• Wordless books are also useful for encouraging talking and listening.

8.11 Picture books

Target group: children aged 2 – approximately 6 years old.

These books help young children to:

• Widen their horizons.
• Develop their vocabulary.
• Develop their reading, listening, and talking skills.
• Develop their fine motor skills by turning pages and lifting flaps.
• Share experiences in a safe environment.
• Have fun.
• Learn about their immediate and wider world and their place within it.

Criteria for selection:

• Production needs to be robust, well-designed and of high quality.
• Flaps and tabs and other movable parts need to be sturdy enough to stand up to frequent use by small children.
• A wide variety of illustrative styles and techniques need to be represented to stimulate children’s interest and creativity.
• Text should complement the pictures, be of appropriate size and type, and should not lose clarity if overlaid onto pictures.
• Popular TV character books should be well represented.
• Concept books, that is shape, colour, numbers, size, need to be particularly clear and uncluttered. In ABC books the correct use of phonics is vital for example c = cat not circus.
• Positive images of children and families from a wide range of family circumstances, ethnic and religious groups should be represented.

Picture books for older children.
(See also: graphic novels)

Target group: children aged 6+.

These books help children to:

• Have fun with reading.
• Build confidence, particularly for reluctant readers.
• Explore different styles of artwork.
• Develop creativity and imagination.
• These books have a high appeal to children with a low reading age but high interest level.

Criteria for selection:

• The illustrations should be of a more complex nature and may contain images that may be disturbing to a younger child.
• The theme should be more challenging and demanding and may involve issues needing a greater understanding and maturity.
• The humour may be subtle and aimed at an older child.
• The pictures should be plentiful and crucial to the book, even though the text maybe much denser than for a younger picture book.

8.13 Beginner readers (green spine label)

Target group: children moving on to become independent readers.

Criteria for selection:

• Simple sentences
• Clear typeface
• Uncluttered page layout
• Predictable, repetitive language
• Frequent, relevant illustrations, often in colour
• Simple plot that is written well enough to hold child’s attention to the end.
• Often no more than 30 pages long

8.14 Reading On (red spine label)

Target group: newly independent readers.

These books support the transition from beginner readers to general fiction.

Criteria for selection:

• High quality narrative, characterisation, linguistic style, visual appeal, and production values.
• A straightforward storyline which encourages anticipation and has a convincing resolution.
• Positive role models for gender, disability, race, and culture.
• Requiring only limited reading confidence or stamina.
• Traditional school reading scheme books are not purchased as they form an integral part of the structured teaching package within schools.

The style and presentation should be appropriate to reflect the needs of the reader:

• Well-spaced lines
• Text in small chunks
• Clear interaction between text and illustrations
• Simple vocabulary

8.15 General fiction

Target group: Independent readers usually between 8- 12 years.

Criteria for selection:

• A wide range of material is needed to reflect different genres and reading abilities.
• A logical well-developed plot with a satisfying ending
• The narrative should engage the reader and extend the imagination.
• Believable characterisation which develops the story
• A positive reflection of gender, disability, race, and culture
• Readable and enjoyable language, which is appropriate for the intended age group, recognising the range of abilities and needs of the readers.
• An attractive format which appeals to the child

8.16 Teen fiction

Target group: young teen fiction is for 11 to 13/14 years, and older teen fiction is for 13/14 -16 years.

Criteria for selection:

• Similar to general fiction but there may be contentious and controversial material, particularly in the older teen books.
• Bad language and sexual content are acceptable provided it is not used gratuitously or is overly graphic.

8.17 Graphic novels (comic strip style)

Target group: generally, for young people aged 15 + and adults. As this material can often contain bad language, violence, and sexual content in graphic format, it is sited near older teen stock and adult sci-fi, or near the music/media collections.

8.18 Non-Fiction

Criteria for Selection:

• Information needs to be current and of an appropriate level for the target audience.
• The language used must be easily understood by the target audience.
• Books supporting the national curriculum are designed to meet the homework needs of individual children. Textbooks are not selected as these are supplied by the schools.
• Information must be easily accessible, elements to look for include: an index, glossary, contents page, relevant photographs, and clear labelling of pictures and diagrams.
• Layout must be attractive, clear, and easy to follow.
• Books with pages to complete, tear out, fold up etc are not bought

8.19 Large Print and materials to support children with special needs

• Children's fiction is purchased in standard print format.
• For children requiring even larger print, staff can direct users to the library of the National Library for the Blind who operate a free loan service of books for children aged 8+ in 24-point type.
• Stories on CD are available free of hire.

8.20 Stories on CD

• Multimedia packs (book and CD) are purchased and treated as one item.
• There is no hire charge.
• Selection is based on the quality and content of the original story and suitability of the story read.