CHILDREN’S MUSIC COLLECTIONS IN PUBLIC LIBRARIES: A CASE STUDY OF
THE LACKAWANNA COUNTY LIBRARY SYSTEM’S COLLECTION
Amy Buntz
Clarion University of Pennsylvania
December 3, 2010
CHILDREN’S MUSIC COLLECTIONS IN PUBLIC LIBRARIES
CHILDREN’S MUSIC COLLECTIONS IN PUBLIC LIBRARIES: A CASE STUDY OF
THE LACKAWANNA COUNTY LIBRARY SYSTEM’S COLLECTION
Introduction
Libraries offer information in a variety of formats, including print, audio, audiovisual,
and digital. Most of the literature about collection development focuses on print materials,
particularly books, and suggests librarians use the same strategies or selection aids used for
books with other formats. According to G.E. Evans and Margaret Saponaro, “Librarians need to
remind the public and sometimes themselves that libraries are in the information business, not
the book business.”1 Music collections specifically for children are found in many public
libraries, but the topic of children’s music collections in public libraries and how to develop such
collections has not been adequately addressed by the library field. How do librarians choose
what children’s music to include in their collections? Choosing a book and choosing music for a
collection vary and the criteria for selection should reflect each format. Just as reading is of
significant importance and enjoyable for children, so is music. In recent years, the correlation
between music and cognitive development has been researched. Teachers who work with young
children include music in their classrooms to enhance literacy and other subject areas.
Literature Review
Can music make a person smarter? E. Schellenberg, a lead researcher in the field, would
answer this question with “a qualified yes.”2 Recent research has provided evidence that music
has effects on cognitive development. This has been a popular topic since the “Mozart Effect”
1
G.E. Evans and Margaret Z. Saponaro, Developing Library and Information Center Collections (Westport, Conn.:
Libraries Unlimited, 2005), p.203.
2
E.G. Schellenberg, “Music and Cognitive Abilities,” Current Directions in Psychological Science 14, no.6
(2005):320, Academic Search Complete (AAT 8380567).
2
CHILDREN’S MUSIC COLLECTIONS IN PUBLIC LIBRARIES
finding, where a group of undergraduate students who listened to Mozart outperformed another
group of students on spatial tasks. Eric Jensen shares some significant evidence from various
studies that supports the Mozart Effect.3 According to Jensen, the Mozart Effect is “cross
species: It occurs in rat brains, too.”4 Jensen also reports that the effect occurred with preschool
children who had no musical background, as well as with epileptics. Jensen states, “In twenty-six
of twenty-seven studies that have attempted to duplicate the original study, at least some positive
Mozart Effect has been reported.”5 Although significant research supports the Mozart Effect,
there are still some questions that have gone unanswered, including “why have some studies
failed to duplicate the statistical significance of the original Mozart findings?”6 Controversy
exists over the Mozart Effect today, but “the original researchers maintain that the music does
have the effects they claim.”7 According to Jensen, “Short-term listening can produce a
temporary gain in spatial skills for up to 15 minutes after the listening.”8 He continues, “For
lasting gains, nothing (so far) beats music training that starts early and continues for at least a
year.”9
Schellenberg’s research involved two groups of children who had received piano or voice
lessons for 36 weeks, as well as two groups of children who received drama lessons or no
additional instruction. The findings showed a greater increase in IQ in the groups of children
who received music instruction.10 Gottfried Schlaug, Andrea Norton, Katie Overy, and Ellen
Winner, other researchers in the field of music and cognitive development, are currently
3
Eric Jensen, Music with the Brain in Mind (Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press, 2000), 37-38.
Jensen, Music with the Brain, 37.
5
Jensen, Music with the Brain, 37.
6
Jensen, Music with the Brain, 37.
7
Jensen, Music with the Brain, 38.
8
Jensen, Music with the Brain, 38.
9
Jensen, Music with the Brain, 38.
10
Schellenberg, “Music and Cognitive,” 319.
4
3
CHILDREN’S MUSIC COLLECTIONS IN PUBLIC LIBRARIES
involved in an ongoing study focusing on the cognitive effects and structural differences in the
brains of children who are given music instruction. According to Schlaug et al., “Preliminary
results of our longitudinal study in five-to seven-year-old children suggest that cognitive and
brain effects from instrumental music training can be found.”11 These results came after only 14
months of music instruction. Further studies on music and its effects on the brain and cognitive
abilities need to be conducted.
Many early childhood teachers incorporate rhymes and music into their curriculum.
Research has shown that a strong connection exists between music and literacy. Literacy,
according to Jean McIntire, is “the ability to use language to communicate by reading, writing,
listening, and speaking.”12 Learning to read and learning to sing require some of the same
elements. For one, they both require a sense of rhythm. When children learn to read, they learn to
read rhythmically, and when children are exposed to music, they learn how to sing with rhythm
and move to the rhythms they hear. Bill Harp claims:
Music and reading go together because singing is a celebration of language. Children’s
language naturally has rhythm and melody. Children bring this natural “music” language
with them to the task of learning to read, and so using singing to teach reading draws on
this natural understanding.13
In Developing Literacy through Music, McIntire lists eight skills that link music and
literacy together. These skills include decoding, listening, rhythm, communication, creating,
thinking, vocabulary development, expressive, memorization, and large and small motor
Gottfried Schlaug et al., “Effects of Music Training on the Child’s Brain and Cognitive Development,” Annals of
the New York Academy of Sciences (2005): 228, doi:10.1196/annals.1360.015.
12
Jean M. McIntire, “Developing Literacy through Music,” Teaching Music 15, no.1 (2007): 44, Academic Search
Complete (AAT 26026921).
13
Bill Harp, cited in Gayla R. Kolb, “Read with a Beat: Developing Literacy through Music and Song,” Reading
Teacher 50, no.1 (1996):76, Education Research Complete (AAT 9706160258).
11
4
CHILDREN’S MUSIC COLLECTIONS IN PUBLIC LIBRARIES
development skills.14 If children are exposed to music prior to being able to read themselves,
they will be learning these vital skills that they will need once they begin reading. According to
McIntire, “By adding rhythm, music, and movement to a learning experience, we send messages
to the brain through various pathways and create a richer learning experience.”15
Shirley Handy argues that “the singing-reading connection not only helps children learn
to read, but also fosters a love for reading.”16 Introducing music to children in their early
childhood years is beneficial because this exposure to music will ultimately help them be better
prepared to learn to read than those who are not exposed to music. Because of this strong
connection of music and literacy, it is a great opportunity for teachers, parents, caregivers and
librarians to incorporate music into everyday activities with young children. A study was
conducted by Peter de Vries involving parental perceptions of how music was used in a
storytime at a public library. The findings revealed parents believed “music in storytelling
sessions enhanced social interaction for children; music focuses the children in storytelling
sessions; music is embedded in storytelling; and sessions provided new ideas for music in the
home and beyond.”17
John Flohr argues that music is beneficial to children in reading, as well as other subjects.
According to Flohr, “Music can enrich literature and language arts, poetry, theater arts (acting
out stories), transitions, science, and math, as well as help meet special learner needs.”18 The
usage of music with special needs children and English Language Learning (ELL) children has
proven beneficial. According to McIntire, “In a study of music’s impact on children with special
McIntire, “Developing Literacy,” 45.
McIntire, “Developing Literacy,” 45.
16
Shirley Handy, cited in Kolb, “Read with a Beat,” 76.
17
Peter A. de Vries, “Parental Perceptions of Music in Storytelling Sessions in a Public Library,” Early Childhood
Education Journal 35, no.5 (2008): 475-476, doi:10.1007/s10643-007-0221-4.
18
John W. Flohr, “Enriching Music and Language Arts Experiences,” General Music Today 19, no.2 (2006):12,
Academic Search Complete (AAT 21106412).
14
15
5
CHILDREN’S MUSIC COLLECTIONS IN PUBLIC LIBRARIES
needs, music study increased language development and emotional adjustment.”19 Kelli Paquette
& Sue Rieg offer suggestions for teachers on how to incorporate musical activities throughout
the curriculum and pay particular attention to its benefits for English Language Learners (ELLs).
Using children’s music with ELLs can help “prepare students for the genuine language they will
encounter.”20 In a study involving preschool-aged children with delayed language development,
“Hoskins reported that the use of music increased verbal response and improved expressive
language abilities.”21 Music can be especially helpful to these children to improve their literacy
skills.
A significant amount of children’s music teaches young children concepts. Flohr
mentions some of those concepts that are introduced through children’s music, including
numbers and colors.22 Children’s recording artists, like Hap Palmer, write children’s music to not
only provide listening pleasure, but also for the educational benefits. Palmer claims, “I began
writing songs that use music and movement to expand vocabulary and teach recognition of
numbers, letters, and colors.”23 Flohr offers suggestions for storytelling, and enriching books
with music, including involving children in the songs by encouraging them to clap, sing, chant,
etc. Children are also encouraged to act out the characters told throughout the songs.24
Why should public libraries offer music collections for children? Gene Simons offers
reasons why music is important in early childhood. According to Simons, “It is quite possible
that the most obvious reason for teaching music is also the most important: music is
C. Hoskins, cited in McIntire, “Developing Literacy,” 44.
Kelli R. Paquette and Sue A. Rieg, “Using Music to Support the Literacy Development of Young English
Learners,” Early Childhood Education Journal 36, no.3 (2008): 228, doi:10.1007/s10643-008-0277-9.
21
McIntire, “Developing Literacy,” 44.
22
Flohr, “Enriching Music,” 12.
23
Hap Palmer, cited in Mary B. Foley, review of “The Music, Movement, and Learning Connection,” by Hap
Palmer, Childhood Education 82, no.3 (2006):176, ERIC (AAT EJ754759).
24
Flohr, “Enriching Music,”15.
19
20
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CHILDREN’S MUSIC COLLECTIONS IN PUBLIC LIBRARIES
enjoyable.”25 His other reasons include the following: “music serves many people as an
expressive and creative outlet,” it promotes socialization, self-realization, and it enriches other
subjects.26
Since research supports a strong connection between music and intelligence and music
and literacy, one might wonder how the library world has responded. Little research exists that
connects library collection development policies to children’s music collections. Most collection
development material for music is written mainly for music libraries. In collection development
books, sections on music and AV material are given minimal attention. Criteria and guidelines
are not specified, but there is an emphasis on utilizing appropriate selection aids.
According to Evans and Saponaro, selection aids are “time-saving tools essential to the
efficient function of the library,” and include current sources for in-print books, catalogs, flyers,
and announcements, current review sources, bibliographic databases, best books, recommended
lists and core collections, and subject bibliographies.27 Evans and Saponaro claim that reviews
are easy to locate and offer some of the places to look. However, some of the websites they
mention have no reviews for children’s music, like CD Hotlist. Booklist, Library Journal, and
School Library Journal are listed as review sources.28 However, these review sources give little
attention to music, but rather focus on books. All Music was listed as “the obvious first choice”
for an online annotated music guide by Stephen Luttmann and seemed promising; however,
“Children’s” was not listed among the genres.29 There are styles within children’s music, but
Gene M. Simons, “A Rationale for Music in Early Childhood,” Education 99, no.2 (1978):141-142, Academic
Search Complete (AAT 4709480).
26
Simons, “A Rationale,” 143.
27
Evans and Saponaro, Developing Library, 82-83.
28
Evans and Saponaro, Developing Library, 212.
29
Stephen Luttmann, “Selection of Music Materials,” The Acquisitions Librarian 16, no.31/32 (2004):20,
http://www.informaworld.com/openurl?genre=article&id=doi:10.1300/J101v16n31_02.
25
7
CHILDREN’S MUSIC COLLECTIONS IN PUBLIC LIBRARIES
children’s titles could not be found under the pop/rock or folk genres. After searching for a
specific children’s artist, Laurie Berkner, the children’s genre appeared and a search was
performed within it. The styles within the children’s music genre listed on All Music’s website
include: educational, sing-alongs, nursery rhymes, lullabies, children’s folk, children’s rock, and
children’s pop. Once able to search within the children’s music genre, the site proved to be a
valuable resource, allowing the user to preview each track on an album and read background
information on the artist, as well as reviews for the album. Evans and Saponaro state, “At this
time, no comprehensive source for audiovisual materials similar to Book Review Digest of Book
Review Index exists.”30
Peggy Johnson, author of Fundamentals of Collection Development & Management,
brings some of the problems with librarians and collection development concerning media to the
surface. She notes, “Both librarians and the reviewing media tend to focus on print resources.”31
Johnson further states “Sheila S. Inter has called this a ‘bibliocentric’ stance and recommends a
nonbibliocentric approach that looks beyond print materials to include intellectual and artistic
expressions in all formats.”32 She also refers to a study that revealed more than 70 percent of
what children learn is through non-print means. Johnson lists criteria for evaluation and
assessment, but these are criteria used for all formats, and are too generalized. Sandra HughesHassell and Jacqueline Mancall argue, “Although reviewers can sort and describe parts of the
proliferating information world, they cannot be the primary judges of what should be purchased
or made available.”33 They further note, “We used to believe that our job was to collect the best
30
Evans and Saponaro, Developing Library, 224.
Peggy Johnson, Fundamentals of Collection Development & Management (Chicago: American Library
Association, 2004), 109.
32
Johnson, Fundamentals, 109.
33
Sandra Hughes-Hassell and Jacqueline C. Mancall, Collection Management for Youth: Responding to the Needs of
Learners (Chicago: American Library Association, 2005), 49.
31
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CHILDREN’S MUSIC COLLECTIONS IN PUBLIC LIBRARIES
resources just in case. We now know that our job is to collect the most appropriate resources and
to reserve funds for just-in-time purchases.”34
A few organizations award children’s albums for excellence in the genre; however, some
organizations are more prestigious than others. Each organization has award-winning albums
listed on their website. Children’s music awards include a Grammy Award for “Best Children’s
Musical Recording,” Parent’s Choice Awards, and the National Parenting Publication Awards
(NAPPA). These awards differ in how they choose their winners. The Grammy Foundation
chose only one winner for “Best Children’s Musical Recording,” whereas Parent’s Choice
Awards have different levels of winners and their list for one year contains approximately 75
recordings. This is a large list of award winners to choose from. Another challenge with the
Parent’s Choice Awards is that audiobooks are mixed in with musical recordings. There is no
separate category. On a positive note, criteria for each of the award levels are listed. However,
these are fairly generalized. The criteria listed for the Gold Awards includes the following:
“Criteria for judgments include the highest production standards, universal human values, and a
unique, individual quality that pushes the product a notch above others.”35 The American Library
Association’s subdivision, Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC) also has a listing
of Notable Children’s Recordings found on their website. These, however, mainly consist of
audiobooks. Currently there is no distinguished list or award solely for notable children’s music
through the American Library Association.
Other awards exist, such as The Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Award, Kids & Family
Awards, and the Children’s Music Web Awards. These too can be helpful selection aids, and
34
Hughes-Hassell and Mancall, Collection Management, 49.
“Parent’s Choice Award Levels,” Parent’s Choice, accessed October 17, 2010, http://www.parentschoice.org/awardlevels.cfm.
35
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CHILDREN’S MUSIC COLLECTIONS IN PUBLIC LIBRARIES
many of the titles of children’s music records overlap among them. The Kids & Family Awards
are based on a user poll that is commenced on the Fids & Kamily blog. The albums children and
parents vote on are composed of those determined to be best albums by music reviewers.
Best lists are also noted in various collection development books and articles as being
good selection aids. An article was written in School Library Journal titled “12 Kids’ Albums
You Can’t Live Without.”36 The albums listed in this article are reviewed and each entry
provides some background information on the artist. Also listed is “Albums You Almost Can’t
Live Without.”37 Rob Reid, author of Children’s Jukebox, suggests 47 children’s recordings as a
recommended core collection for libraries.38 Reid states, “The recordings listed in this book
represent the finest children’s recordings on the market. Many are Parent’s Choice Award
winners, ALA Notable Recordings, Grammy Award winners, and recordings I discovered from
my years of reviewing for School Library Journal and Booklist.”39 Other best lists can be found
on the websites of Edutaining Kids and Time Out New York Kids.
Reviews are also noted by collection development articles and books as another useful
tool in selecting children’s music. Review Corner offers the viewer with a justification of how
they rate children’s music. Their criteria at least offer some practical understanding. They choose
children’s recordings that “offer catchy rhymes and rhythms, helping to develop children’s
language skills; inspire imagination and wonder; feature engaging narrated stories that transport
children to an imaginative world and/or introduce educational concepts in an innovative way;
Warren Truitt, “12 Kids’ Albums You Can’t Live Without,” School Library Journal 53, no.7 (2007):30-35,
Academic Search Complete (AAT 25655172).
37
Truitt, “12 Kids’ Albums,” 30-35.
38
Rob Reid, Children’s Jukebox: The Select Guide to Children’s Musical Recordings (Chicago: American Library
Association, 2007).
39
Reid, Children’s Jukebox, xi.
36
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CHILDREN’S MUSIC COLLECTIONS IN PUBLIC LIBRARIES
and feature soundtracks that are high quality and pleasing to young ears.”40 Best Children’s
Music is a resource that claims they research the best of children’s music and provide reviews
and lists on their website. However, nothing since 2007 has been added to the site, making it
hard for users to utilize what this site has to offer. Additional reviews of children’s music can be
found on the websites of Barnes & Noble, Amazon, Babble, and Common Sense Media.
Kristi Jemtegaard, author of “I Know It When I Hear It: Evaluating Children’s Music
CDs,” offers how she critiques children’s music, including its content, organization, vocals,
instrumentation styles, physical and technical considerations.41 Within each area, Jemtegaard
poses questions that should be asked when evaluating each children’s music CD. Her credentials
include “years of listening to, evaluating, and reviewing children’s music.”42 Jemtegaard notes
that prior to defining her criteria for evaluating music, she searched the Internet for some
answers. The search, she claims, “yielded almost nothing.”43
Another important aspect touched upon in one of the articles was that there are
organizations fighting to keep music education in public schools. According to Linda Fairtile and
Karen Burke, “There have been movements in the United States to increase awareness of the
importance of music education, but none of these national groups has made formal connections
to public libraries, nor have they addressed the important role that libraries could play in this
effort.” 44 Fairtile and Burke also note that the main portion of public libraries’ music collections
“Software Evaluation Form: How We Rate Products,” Review Corner, accessed October 17, 2010,
http://www.reviewcorner.com/softwareevaluation.html#music.
41
Kristi Jemtegaard, “I Know It When I Hear It: Evaluating Children’s Music CDs,” Booklist 103, no.5 (2006): 78,
Education Research Complete (AAT 23320273).
42
Jemtegaard, “I Know It,” 78.
43
Jemtegaard, “I Know It,” 78.
44
Linda B. Fairtile and Karen M. Burke, “Music Collections in American Public Libraries,” Fontes Artis Musicae
48, no.4 (2001): 327, Academic Search Complete (AAT 9059667).
40
11
CHILDREN’S MUSIC COLLECTIONS IN PUBLIC LIBRARIES
includes recorded music.45 Considering the fact that music education is struggling to survive in
schools and that public library music collections are mostly recorded music, it may be in the
libraries’ best interest to include music in other formats, such as books with sheet music.
Purpose of the Study
The literature reviewed supports that music plays an important role in teaching children
literacy and other subjects, as well as having effects on cognitive development. However, very
little attention has been given to developing music collections, particularly, children’s music
collections. The purpose of this study is to investigate the Lackawanna County Library System’s
(LCLS) holdings of children’s music to determine the representation of musical styles and the
quality of choices made for children’s CDs. LCLS holds 730 children’s music CDs which are
shared among nine libraries and a Bookmobile service. The follow-up surveys administered
provide an understanding of the rationale or criteria for acquisitions. Since no information was
found on collection development for children’s music in public libraries, this study will
determine how children’s librarians in LCLS make their music selections.
Research Questions and Hypotheses
The research questions to be answered in this study include the following: What styles of
music are represented in the Lackawanna County Library System?; How do the styles measure
up in terms of percentages of the collection?; Do the librarians have a collection development
policy?; Do the librarians use a set criteria or guidelines when choosing children’s music for
their collection?; How do librarians choose music for their collections?
45
Fairtile, “Music Collections,” 2001.
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CHILDREN’S MUSIC COLLECTIONS IN PUBLIC LIBRARIES
Hypotheses for this study include the following: There are few or no guidelines or
criteria in which librarians use to choose children’s music; A significant portion of librarians will
not be familiar with selection aids and award organizations; The libraries do not have nor use a
collection development policy.
Methodology
The methodology for this study included an analysis of the LCLS holdings of children’s
music CDs. Each CD was evaluated according to style or description, as well as its inclusion on
award lists and best lists. The collection analysis was conducted from January 2010-May 2010.
Titles added to the LCLS collection after January are not included in the analysis. The materials
analyzed in this study were children’s music CDs. Audio cassettes and talking books were not
included in the analysis. Only CDs that were labeled as juvenile in the LCLS collection are part
of this study.46
A list of children’s music titles was generated from the LCLS catalog, which includes
730 titles.47 These titles are shared among nine libraries in the system including a branch library,
plus the Bookmobile. However, one of the libraries in LCLS does not hold a children’s music
collection.48 Each CD title was analyzed for musical style or description, found within the
catalog record. This information was retrieved from subject headings, descriptions, titles and
subtitles of the CDs. If no style or description of the music was listed in the catalog record, then
The call number JUV CD was used to search and acquire a list of children’s music titles. If a children’s music CD
(i.e. soundtrack) exists in the LCLS collection as an adult CD, which just has a call number beginning with “CD,”
then this title was not included in this analysis.
47
When the LCLS collection was first searched for children’s music CDs in its OPAC, the search returned 480
titles. When searched again on the staff side of the library automation system Workflows, the search returned 508
titles. The IT department was contacted and ran a report for children’s music CDs, beginning with the call number
JUV CD. The search yielded 730 titles. The titles that were not part of the initial list were then added and analyzed
according to style/description and their inclusion on award lists and best lists.
48
This library was not a part of the follow-up survey because they do not have a children’s music collection in
place.
46
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CHILDREN’S MUSIC COLLECTIONS IN PUBLIC LIBRARIES
the CD title was marked as not having a musical style listed. There were a total of 47 different
styles or descriptions for the 730 children’s music records found in the LCLS catalog.49
After the CD titles were analyzed according to style and description, they were compared
against award lists. The first award list consulted for this study is the Grammy Award list. The
award-winning titles used in this analysis were among the “Best Musical Album” category in the
children’s genre. The category of “Best Recording” was not used in this study because this study
focuses on entire music albums, not individual songs. Also, winning titles in the category of
“Best Spoken Word Album for Children” were not included in this study. A list of twenty
Grammy award-winning titles was used to determine if they held a place in the LCLS collection.
One album is awarded per year, ranging from 1990-2009.50
The second award list consulted for this study is Parent’s Choice. Parent’s Choice
awards albums in six categories, including Gold, Classic, Silver, Recommended, Approved, and
Fun Stuff.51 Parent’s Choice awards more than one winner per year in each award category.
Because of the multitude of award-winning titles, this study only used those albums listed as
Gold and Classic award-winning titles. The 216 Parent’s Choice award-winning albums used in
this study date from 1989-2009.
The third award list consulted for this study is NAPPA, the National Parenting
Publication Awards. NAPPA awards children’s music according to five categories, including
49
Some of the titles had more than one style or description listed in the record, and therefore, all styles and
descriptions listed were applied to each title.
50
The Grammy Award list was somewhat tricky because there are 3 CDs which were marked as not being in the
library system because they are not “children’s CDs.” In other words, they are not listed with the call number “JUV
CD,” but rather “CD” and are included with adult materials. Although the library system owns these three, I marked
them as “No” because this would not be an accurate representation of the “JUV CDs” the library owns. If it were
marked as “Yes,” then all CDs in the system would have to be analyzed, not just those with the call number of “JUV
CD.”
51
For more information about the Parent’s Choice Awards, see http://www.parents-choice.org/aboutawards.cfm.
14
CHILDREN’S MUSIC COLLECTIONS IN PUBLIC LIBRARIES
Best Buy, Family Fun, Top Pick, Gold Winner, and Honors Winner. Because of the plethora of
CD titles on these lists, the titles found on the Gold Winner list are the only titles included in this
study. The number of NAPPA award-winning titles used in this study is 245, ranging from 19942009.52
The next award list consulted is ALA Notable Recordings. This study includes 84 awardwinning titles, ranging from 1996-2010. The ALA Notable Recordings list includes children’s
musical recordings and talking books. For the purposes of this study, only children’s musical
recordings were included.53
Oppenheim Toy Portfolio is another award list used in this study. 110 titles were listed as
children’s award-winning titles, with the years ranging from 1992-2010. The categories
consulted for this study include the Platinum Award and Gold Award. 54
Kids & Family is another award list used in this study and is located on the Fids &
Kamily blog. Children and their families vote on their favorite children’s music albums on this
blog. The 75 award-winning titles included in this study range from 2006-2009.55
The final award list used in this study is Children’s Music Web. 245 award-winning titles
are included in this study, ranging from 2001-2008.56 The categories of winners used for this
study are Best Recording for Babies and Toddlers, Ages 0 to 3, Best Recording for Preschoolers,
Ages 3-5, and Best Recording for School Age Children, Ages 5-12.57 It was difficult to locate the
winning titles for each year. Only a few were accessible from the website. By performing a
52
For more information about the NAPPA Awards, see http://nappaawards.parenthood.com/index.php.
For more information on the ALA Notable Recordings, see
http://www.ala.org/ala/mgrps/divs/alsc/awardsgrants/notalists/ncr/index.cfm.
54
For more information on Oppenheim Toy Portfolio, see http://www.toyportfolio.com/.
55
For more information on Kids & Family, see http://fidsandkamily.blogspot.com/.
56
The 2009 winners could not be located on the site.
57
The Best Song categories were not used because this study only included albums, not individual tracks.
53
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CHILDREN’S MUSIC COLLECTIONS IN PUBLIC LIBRARIES
search for Children’s Music Web awards, a complete list of the winning titles from each year was
retrieved with the exception of 2003. The award-winning titles for older children were not
included in the list for 2003 winners.58
The best lists used in this study include those found in School Library Journal,
Children’s Jukebox, Edutaining Kids, and Best Children’s Music. School Library Journal’s best
list includes 22 titles; Children’s Jukebox best list includes 46 titles; Edutaining Kids includes 9
titles;59 and Best Children’s Music best list includes 60 titles.60
Each library, including the Bookmobile and a branch library in the Lackawanna County
Library System, was individually searched in Workflows to determine if a children’s music
collection existed in their library. All but one library house a children’s music collection. A
survey was sent to nine LCLS librarians in June 2010 as a secondary part to this study. The
survey consisted of ten questions, with the main emphasis on how they develop their children’s
music collections, including their usage of selection aids, collection development policies, and
their knowledge of children’s music awards (see appendix). The librarians were given two weeks
to partake in and return the survey. Seven of nine surveys distributed were completed and
returned.
Findings
There are 47 varying styles and descriptions for children’s music CDs found in the LCLS
collection. 167 CDs, or 22.8% of the collection, however, did not have a style or description
listed in the bibliographic record. The highest percentage of the collection fell into the “no style
For more information on Children’s Music Web, see http://www.childrensmusic.org/.
For more information on Edutaining Kids, see http://www.edutainingkids.com/.
60
For more information on Best Children’s Music, see http://www.bestchildrensmusic.com/.
58
59
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CHILDREN’S MUSIC COLLECTIONS IN PUBLIC LIBRARIES
listed” category. This demonstrates the need for styles and descriptions to be included in
bibliographic records when CDs are being cataloged. Since such a significant portion of the
collection is not cataloged as such, then it may be difficult for patrons to find a CD of a particular
style or on a certain subject. The style/description that represented the largest percentage in the
LCLS catalog was music from a television series, which comprised 96 records or 13.15% of the
collection. Music from motion pictures (soundtracks), popular music, singing games, and holiday
music, along with music from a television series, make up the top 5 styles or types of children’s
music represented in the LCLS collection. The breakdown of children’s music styles and types in
the LCLS collection can be viewed in table 1.
TABLE 1. Breakdown of styles/types
Style/Description
No style listed
Television
Soundtrack
Popular
Singing Games
Holidays
Educational
Rock
Orchestra
Lullabies
Other Languages
Folk
Dance
Exercise
Nursery Rhymes
Gospel
Music Appreciation
Instrumental
Humorous
Monologues w/music
Sing-Alongs
Sound Effects
Action Songs/Activities
Jazz
Classical
Country
Musicals
Number of records
167
96
75
73
64
58
55
39
30
34
24
24
19
18
18
16
15
14
14
11
9
9
9
8
6
6
6
Percentage of the collection
22.87
13.15
10.27
10
8.76
7.94
7.53
5.34
4.10
4.65
3.28
3.28
2.6
2.46
2.46
2.19
2.05
1.91
1.91
1.50
1.23
1.23
1.23
1.09
0.82
0.82
0.82
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CHILDREN’S MUSIC COLLECTIONS IN PUBLIC LIBRARIES
Fingerplays
Karaoke
Poetry
Hip Hop/Rap
Music for Relaxation
Cognition in Infancy
Rhythm & Blues
Reggae
Seasons
Sign Language
Multicultural
Music Therapy/Physiological
Effects
Patriotic
Traditional
Operas
Chants
Psychological Effects
Ballets
Western
Swing
Samba
6
5
5
4
4
4
4
3
3
3
3
3
0.82
0.68
0.68
0.54
0.54
0.54
0.54
0.41
0.41
0.41
0.41
0.41
2
2
2
2
2
1
1
1
1
0.27
0.27
0.27
0.27
0.27
0.13
0.13
0.13
0.13
Among the 730 children’s music CDs, 119, or 16.3%, are award-winning titles. Each
award list was also analyzed to determine how many CD titles the library system owns are on the
list. LCLS owns more titles on certain award lists than others, which is most likely due to the
varying number of titles on each list, as well as the popularity and prestige of particular award
organizations. The following table is a breakdown of that analysis.
TABLE 2. CDs on individual award lists
Organization
Number of CDs in
the Collection on
Award List
Percentage of CDs in the
Collection on Award List
12/20
60
Parent’s Choice
41/216
18.98
NAPPA
40/243
16.4
23/84
27.3
Grammy
ALA Notable
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CHILDREN’S MUSIC COLLECTIONS IN PUBLIC LIBRARIES
Oppenheim Toy Portfolio
Kids & Family
Children’s Music Web
24/109
22
13/75
17.3
22/245
8.97
Note: Each award list varies as to how many winners the organization chooses per year. These
organizations were established at different times.
Among the 730 children’s music CDs, 34 titles, or 4.65%, are found on best lists. This
percentage is low, most likely because there were only 137 CD titles total on these lists, with
some being found on more than one list. The percentage of CDs in the collection on each best list
was rather impressive. For example, the library owns 31.8% of those titles found on the School
Library Journal best list and 31.6% of titles found on the Best Children’s Music list. The
following table is a breakdown of best list titles found in the LCLS catalog.
TABLE 3. CDs on individual best lists
Best List
School Library Journal
Children’s Jukebox
Edutaining Kids
Best Children’s Music
Number of CDs in
the collection on the
Best List
Percentage of CDs in the
collection on the Best List
7/22
31.8
10/46
21.73
5/9
55.55
19/60
31.66
In order to understand the components to the LCLS children’s music collection, it is
important to evaluate how librarians make their selections. The survey administered to librarians
consisted of ten questions, with its intent to examine how librarians develop children’s music
collections. When the librarians were asked if they had a set criteria or guidelines for selecting
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CHILDREN’S MUSIC COLLECTIONS IN PUBLIC LIBRARIES
children’s music, 6 of 7 responded “no,” while 1 participant responded, “not sure.” This shows
the need for criteria and guidelines from collection development scholars and experts in the field
of children’s music to be shared with librarians for making music selections. Three librarians
have collection development policies in their libraries, while one responded “no,” and two others
were unsure. If more attention were given to developing music collections in the library field,
then it is more likely that these libraries would have policies in place. When asked how the
responsibility for collection development is handled in their library, the responses varied. Most
libraries have more than one person ordering materials, with librarians in separate departments
ordering for patrons of a particular age-group.
When the participants were asked which selection aids they use for choosing and
purchasing children’s music CDs, five responded that they use reviews and patron requests; three
responded that they look at award lists/winners, and two responded they look at best lists. Some
of the organizations that publish magazines, catalogs, award lists or review materials mentioned
by the participants include the following: Barnes and Noble, Nick TV, Disney TV, Grammy,
ERC, SLJ, ALA, Parent’s Choice, Amazon, Kimbo, and Baker & Taylor.61 Based on the
participants’ responses, it can be said that the majority of LCLS librarians base their selections
for children’s music on reviews of CDs and patron requests. Less than half of the participants
utilize award lists and best lists to make their selections. Titles found on these lists are
considered to represent the best in children’s music and should be referred to when librarians are
choosing music to add to their collections.
Librarians were asked to identify the children’s music awards that they were familiar
with. All participants are familiar with ALA Notable Recordings and 6 of 7 participants recognize
61
ERC, Education Record Center, is no longer in business. It closed its doors in May, 2010.
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CHILDREN’S MUSIC COLLECTIONS IN PUBLIC LIBRARIES
Parent’s Choice as a children’s music award. Five participants are aware that there is a Grammy
award for children’s music, while only three have heard of the Kids & Family music award.
NAPPA and Oppenheim Toy Portfolio awards were only recognized as children’s music awards
by one participant. Children’s Music Web award was not recognized by any of the participants.
Librarians were also asked if they preview music prior to purchasing, and two participants
responded that they preview music when they have the opportunity to do so.
Three participants offered their suggestions as to what kind of help they would like to
receive regarding collection development for children’s music CDs. One participant responded
that s/he would like to see patron feedback and suggestions. This could be encouraged through
surveys or a suggestion box. Another participant would like to see an inclusive subject guide to
children’s CDs and songs (i.e. farm animal songs; movement music). A third participant listed
five suggestions, including a list of recommended and best recording artists, a core collection of
interactive songs for story hours, children’s music that teach other languages, a core collection of
holiday and party songs, and a list of recording artists and groups for tweens. These suggestions
show the need for comprehensive subject guides for children’s music. This would make selecting
easier for librarians and provide a valuable source from which to choose materials. A lot of good
children’s music can go under the radar if it is not included in certain catalogs or review sources.
This would allow the librarians a bigger listing to choose from than those listed in printed
catalogs. By placing music into categories, librarians would be able to learn more about each
CD, including its style or description. For example, one of the categories could be folk music,
whereas other categories could be farm animals, educational, movement activities, etc. If this
guide included reviews of such CDs, as well as the possibility of playing tracks from the CDs,
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CHILDREN’S MUSIC COLLECTIONS IN PUBLIC LIBRARIES
then this would be an extremely helpful resource for librarians, as well as others who use music
with children, including parents, grandparents, and teachers.
Conclusion and Recommendations
Libraries need to delve deeper into collection development concerning music, particularly
children’s music. Librarians do not have a set of criteria to go by, other than looking at suggested
selection aids like reviews and best lists. Considering the significance music plays in early
childhood on cognitive development and in teaching literacy and other subject areas, librarians
should focus their attention on developing meaningful music collections. In addition, music
education is being cut from public schools across America. Public libraries should aim to provide
collections that will help fill this void, including a music collection with a variety of styles. Some
libraries may even be able to offer other music materials, including sheet music for multiple
instruments.
Most of the literature on collection development deals primarily with print materials. The
library field should address this issue by publishing books and articles specifically for selecting
children’s music materials. A “how-to” manual on going about selecting a children’s music CD
would be a helpful resource to children’s librarians. Review sources give little attention to
children’s music. Currently, ALA’s Notable Children’s Recording list contains both notable
musical recordings and talking books. It may be beneficial to librarians if this list separated
children’s music from talking books.
This study has shown the need for cataloging of children’s music records to be more
detailed. Since the majority of children’s music CDs in this study did not have a particular style
listed in the catalog record, it makes it difficult to determine the actual makeup of the LCLS
22
CHILDREN’S MUSIC COLLECTIONS IN PUBLIC LIBRARIES
collection. In the initial stage of this study, only styles were to be applied to each title. However,
many records did not have a particular style listed, and therefore, other descriptions or types of
music found in the record were put in its place, i.e. cognition in infants. Copy cataloging is a
common form of cataloging today. Bibliographic records that are created, which are shared
among other libraries, should contain more detail including the style and description of each
item. With more detail applied to the record, librarians can get a better understanding of the
make-up of the collection, as well as patrons, who will retrieve relevant results when searching
for a particular musical style within a children’s music collection.
Aside from the large portion of the LCLS collection containing no musical style or
description in the bibliographic record, it is not surprising that the top 3 musical styles in the
collection include music from a television series, soundtracks, and popular music. Children are
exposed to these types of music daily, from watching television, movies, or listening to the radio.
Other musical styles should be included in the library system’s collection to introduce children
and their parents, as well as educators and librarians, to different types of music.
In conclusion, the results from the survey were helpful in identifying the need for criteria
and guidelines for selecting children’s music. As some of the collection development authors
have mentioned, libraries are not just in the book business, but rather the information business.62
To better serve library users, criteria and guidelines should be established for developing
children’s music collections. Selection aids, such as catalogs and review sources should also give
more attention to children’s music.
62
Evans and Saponaro, Developing Library, 203.
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CHILDREN’S MUSIC COLLECTIONS IN PUBLIC LIBRARIES
BIBLIOGRAPHY
de Vries, Peter A. “Parental Perceptions of Music in Storytelling Sessions in a Public Library.”
Early Childhood Education Journal 35, no.5 (2008): 473-478. doi: 10.1007/s10643-0070221-4.
Evans, G.E., and Margaret Z. Saponaro. Developing Library and Information Center Collections.
Westport, Conn.: Libraries Unlimited, 2005.
Fairtile, Linda B., and Karen M. Burke. “Music Collections in American Public Libraries.”
Fontes Artis Musicae 48, no.4 (2001): 327-341. Academic Search Complete (AAT
9059667).
Flohr, John W. “Enriching Music and Language Arts Experiences.” General Music Today 19,
no. 2 (2006): 12-16. Academic Search Complete (AAT 21106412).
Foley, Mary B. Review of “The Music, Movement, and Learning Connection,” by Hap Palmer.
Childhood Education 82, no.3 (2006): 175-176. ERIC (AAT EJ754759).
Hughes-Hassell, Sandra, and Jacqueline C. Mancall. Collection Management for Youth:
Responding to the Needs of Learners. Chicago: American Library Association, 2005.
Jemtegaard, Kristi. “I Know It When I Hear It: Evaluating Children’s Music CDs.” Booklist 103,
no.5 (2006): 78. Education Research Complete (AAT 23320273).
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CHILDREN’S MUSIC COLLECTIONS IN PUBLIC LIBRARIES
Jensen, Eric. Music with the Brain in Mind. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press, 2000.
Johnson, Peggy. Fundamentals of Collection Development & Management. Chicago: American
Library Association, 2004.
Kolb, Gayla R. “Read with a Beat: Developing Literacy through Music and Song.” Reading
Teacher 50, no.1 (1996): 76. Education Research Complete (AAT 9706160258).
Luttmann, Stephen. “Selection of Music Materials.” The Acquisitions Librarian 16, no.31/32
(2004): 11-25. http://www.informaworld.com/openurl?genre=article&id=doi:10.1300
/J101v16n31_02.
McIntire, Jean M. “Developing Literacy through Music.” Teaching Music 15, no.1 (2007): 4448. Academic Search Complete (AAT 26026921).
Paquette, Kelli R. and Sue A. Rieg. “Using Music to Support the Literacy Development of
Young English Learners.” Early Childhood Education Journal 36, no.3 (2008):227-232.
doi: 10.1007/s10643-008-0277-9.
Parent’s Choice. “Parent’s Choice Award Levels.” Accessed October 17, 2010.
http://www.parents-choice.org/awardlevels.cfm.
Reid, Rob. Children’s Jukebox: The Select Guide to Children’s Musical Recordings. Chicago:
American Library Association, 2007.
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CHILDREN’S MUSIC COLLECTIONS IN PUBLIC LIBRARIES
Review Corner. “Software Evaluation Form: How We Rate Products.” Accessed October 17,
2010. http://www.reviewcorner.com/softwareevaluation.html#music.
Schellenberg, E.G. “Music and Cognitive Abilities.” Current Directions in Psychological
Science 14, no.6 (2005): 317-320. Academic Search Complete (AAT 8380567).
Schlaug, Gottfried, Andrea Norton, Katie Overy, and Ellen Winner. “Effects of Music Training
on the Child’s Brain and Cognitive Development.” Annals of The New York Academy of
Sciences (2005): 219-230. doi: 10.1196/annals.1360.015.
Simons, Gene M. “A Rationale for Music in Early Childhood.” Education 99, no. 2 (1978): 141144. Academic Search Complete (AAT 4709480).
Truitt, Warren. “12 Kids’ Albums You Can’t Live Without.” School library Journal 53, no.7
(2007): 30-35. Academic Search Complete (AAT 25655172).
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CHILDREN’S MUSIC COLLECTIONS IN PUBLIC LIBRARIES
APPENDIX
Children’s Music Collections in Public Libraries
A Survey
IRB#: 141-09-10
This survey is part of a research project through Clarion University by MLIS student, Amy
Buntz. Your participation and completion of this survey is voluntary, and will take
approximately 10-20 minutes to finish. You may skip over any questions that you do not feel
comfortable answering. Your identity will remain confidential. The return of this survey implies
consent for the use of the data in a research study. Please return this survey within 2 weeks of
receiving it. Thank you in advance for your participation.
1. Does your library have a collection development policy? (Please circle) YES
NO
2. Does your library have a set criteria or guidelines for selecting children’s music? (Please
circle)
YES
NO
If YES, then please list the criteria your library uses for purchasing children’s music:
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
3. How is the responsibility for collection development handled in your library? (Please do
not use personal names in the answer).
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
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CHILDREN’S MUSIC COLLECTIONS IN PUBLIC LIBRARIES
4. What selection aids do you use for selecting and purchasing children’s music CDs? (i.e.
award lists, best lists, reviews, etc.)
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
5. Which Children’s Music Awards are you familiar with? (Circle all that apply):
Grammy
ALA Notable
Parent’s Choice
NAPPA (National Parenting)
Children’s Music Web
Oppenheim Toy Portfolio
6. Do you have a musical background? (Please circle) YES
7. Do you have a degree in education? (Please circle) YES
Kids & Family
NO
NO
8. Do you preview children’s music prior to purchasing? (Please circle) YES NO
9. How often do you add to your children’s music collection? (Please circle)
Monthly
Quarterly
Yearly
What kind of help would you like to have in collection development for children’s CDs?
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
28