Terrill Taylor Final Project ILS 519 Dr. Bielefield December 7, 2007 Juvenile English Dictionary and World Language Collection for the Portsmouth Public Library This project will evaluate the language collection in the children’s room at Portsmouth Public Library. Portsmouth Public Library serves a town population of 17,149 with a collection of 64,666 total books. The children’s collection has 30,000 books and 350 CD’s, kits and DVD’s. The town is a growing suburban area with a rural base, so expectations for town services are rising. The collection to be examined for this project covers language titles in the Dewey range J 423 to J 499, and currently includes English language dictionaries, as well as the world language collection which includes instructional items in French, German, Spanish, Portuguese, Chinese and Japanese. The collection also includes picture books in Spanish, Japanese and Swahili. The 428 titles on English language usage were excluded from the evaluation (as there were 41 titles in this area alone) in order to be able to consider dictionaries and instructional items in the full range of languages from 438 to 499. Both Juvenile Easy (JE) and Juvenile (J) titles were examined. The children’s collection serves children through Grade 6. Selection tools for this project will include: the Texas State Library CREW Manual, The Children’s Catalog (19th Edition), Best Books for Children, A-Z, the Horn Book Guide Online, and School Library Journal. The CREW Manual noted several items to watch for that were added to this evaluation: “old-fashioned and unsightly textbooks and outdated school grammars” should be removed. 2 Several of the CREW criteria added to the evaluation were: format, reading level and current interest. The CREW recommendation for dictionary retention is 5 years past copyright. The Wesport Library Selection Policy which was used as Portsmouth Library does not have one, also recommended 3-5 years for language titles. Selection criteria from the Westport Public Library Collection Development Policy which seemed pertinent to the Portsmouth community included providing resources that: support local school curricula, support independent learning and relate to community activities. Specific objectives for the language area include providing a range of levels for children’s dictionaries, including audio material, and emphasizing picture books. These goals make sense for Portsmouth where there is a large preschool/early elementary population using the library. 423 JE Beginner Dictionaries and Thesauri / English Barron's first thesaurus / compiled by Andrew Delahunty ; illustrated by Steve Cox. Hauppauge, NY : Barron's Educational Series, Inc., c2005, c2002. Colorful introduction to the thesaurus concept for elementary school. Terms are followed by synonyms or related words with a sentence illustration for each. Bright and attractive and in excellent condition. Current circulation (2 year-to-date). The Children’s Catalog (19th) quotes A SLJ review: “an excellent, easy-to-use resource.” KEEP. The cat in the hat beginner book dictionary / by the Cat himself and P. D. Eastman. New York : Beginner Books, 1964. 3 This is still included in the Children’s Catalog (19th edition) and maintains its appeal. 423 J Elementary Dictionaries and Thesauri / English The American Heritage dictionary of the English language. Boston : Houghton Mifflin, c2006. This is an impressive dictionary which also includes biographical and geographical entries sufficient for quick reference, as well as countless illustrations. Word histories are included. There is a guide to charts in the table of contents. This is newly purchased and in perfect condition. Does not circulate. KEEP. The American Heritage Children’s Dictionary (2004) and the American Heritage Picture Dictionary (2003) are included in the Children’s Catalog. The American Heritage children's thesaurus / by Paul Hellweg with the editors of the American Heritage dictionaries. Boston : Houghton Mifflin Co., c1997. This copy is brand new and very attractive. Sentences are given only for the main entry and not for the synonyms which is a drawback. Access is by dictionary entry format (no index) with words selected for Grades 3-7. The Booklist (12/01/1997 review for this edition states that it “should serve well the needs of its intended audience.” KEEP. 4 In other words : a beginning thesaurus Andrew Schiller, William A. Jenkins. -- New York : Lothrop, Lee& Shephard 1978, c1977. This is a rather dated thesaurus by textbook publisher Scott, Foresman and is out-of-print. It does have discursive entries which explain the difference between various similar terms (which the American Heritage does not). Junior thesaurus : in other words / [by] W. Cabell Greet, William A. Jenkins [and] Andrew Schiller.— New York : Scott, Foresman and Co., 1969. Also a rather dated textbook format and also out-of-print, although the 1987 edition is still available. Discursive entries and an index has been added. (NOTE: these two are valuable for the word usage explanations, unless a more recent entry is added). Macmillan dictionary for children / William D. Halsey, editorial director. -- New York : Macmillan ; London : Collier Macmillan, 1982. Webster's beginning dictionary. Springfield, Mass. : G. & C. Merriam Co., c1980. Both of these dictionaries are too dated. The words “web” and “internet” do not yet exist. The list of US Presidents stops at Jimmy Carter. 5 The current equivalent for the Webster’s is the Merriam-Webster’s elementary dictionary (1994) which is an updated version with some of the same features: 32,000 entries; word histories incorporated throughout the text in color paragraphs, color-coded guide to dictionary usage at the beginning; and informational charts at the back (US Presidents, signs & symbols, etc.) The newer Macmillan dictionary for children (2001) is “highly recommended for all juvenile reference collections” by American Reference Books Annual and included in the Children’s Catalog, 19th Edition. The Macmillan also seems to have more pictures than the Webster’s. The young people's thesaurus dictionary / by Harriet Wittels [and] Joan Greisman ; edited and with an introduction by William Morris. New York : Grosset & Dunlap, 1971. Lists synonyms and antonyms (in greyscale) but no definitions or sentence examples. Arranged alphabetically. A newer version (2006) is available (The Clear and Simple Thesaurus Dictionary). 438 J World Language Titles / German The German titles are not circulating (0 in 3 years). The German language is not taught in local schools. Keep the dictionary and classic Fun with German, but do not add to this area. These are all J titles. There are no JE titles in this area, nor is there a need to add them. 6 Amery, Heather and Cornelie Tucking The first thousand words in German : with easy pronunciation guide ; illustrated by Stephen Cartwright ; pronunciation guide by Anne Koppel. London : Usborne Pub., c1979. This word book arranges items with names in German and in English around a coordinated theme on each page. The English names are in quite small print. Pronunciation and a glossary are at the end in order of the German words. Item is quite used but pictures are OK. KEEP if no other option. Cooper, Lee Fun with German. Illustrated by Elizabeth M. Githens. Boston : Little, Brown, [1965] Part of the entertaining series also available in Spanish and French. The German is a Little less accessible than the Spanish for English speakers. Excellent on pronunciation. Entertaining stories with black & white illustrations that age better than poorly tinted color. Condition is good if recovered. Children’s Catalog (16th & 17th) and Best Books (3rd edition). KEEP. Wilkes, Angela German for beginners ; illustrated by John Shackell ; designed by Roger Priddy. Lincolnwood, Ill. : National Textbook, 1987. This is a Passport Language Guide with a phrase book format and grammatical entries. The graphics are poor and the print is small. Busy pages distract from labeling. Does include colors, numbers, months. Out-of-print. No reviews. KEEP for homeschoolers. 7 443 J World Language Titles / French The following are J titles. There are currently no JE titles in French. Based on success of Spanish JE storybooks, perhaps a few French JE titles should be added. Amery, Heather and Katherine Folliot. The first thousand words in French : with easy pronunciation guide ; illustrated by Stephen Cartwright ; pronunciation guide by Anne Becker. -- London, England : Usborne, 1979. This is similar to the German entry in the same series, but the words illustrated on themed pages are in French only. The index must be used for English or pronunciation. Not a first choice. DISCARD if Firefly is purchased. Colyer, Penrose I can read French; my first English-French word book ; illustrated by Colin Mier and Wendy Lewis. New York : F. Watts, 1974 [c1972] This book is dated and in poor condition (dirty, binding gone). No circulation in 3 years. DISCARD. Cooper, Lee and Clifton McIntosh Fun with French ; illustrated by Ann Atene. Boston : Little, Brown, [1963] These entertaining stories start with usage of easily recognizable French words and move On. Out-of-print and worth keeping for readers with some French. Best Books (3rd Edition). KEEP. 8 Gemmell, Kathy and Jenny Tyler First French at school; illustrated by Sue Stitt ; designed by Diane Thistlethwaite. London : Usborne Publishing, 1994, c1993. First French at home ; illustrated by Sue Stitt ; designed by Diane Thistlethwaite ; consultants: Sarah-Lou Reekie and Kate Griffin. London, England : Usborne Pub. Ltd. ; Tulsa, Okla. : published in the USA by EDC Pub., c1993. These are wordbooks with vocabulary and activities built around themed pages. Pages are very busy with lots of text in small print. Activities have extensive directions. Condition is good. KEEP for homeschoolers. Hamann, Bente A friendly ABC French-English alphabet ; illustrated by Lorenz Froelich. New York : F. Warne, [1969]. This is an antique-looking, very old-fashioned title based on an 1883 French primer. The vocabulary is not basic (friendship, pheasant, moonflower) and would not be of Interest to elementary school audience. This is a state library discard with repaired pages and library pockets and stamps. Check with the Redwood Library in Newport to donate for historical interest. Joslin, Seslye La petite famille. Illustrated by John Alcorn. -- New York : Harcourt, Brace & World, [1964] This title uses a cumulative format with vocabulary. The story is entirely in French with a glossary at the end. There are stylized color illustrations. The book is in fair condition and out-of-print. KEEP. 9 Klein, Leonore. Huit enfants et un bebe = Eight children and one baby ; illustrations par Michael Foreman. London : Abelard-Schuman, c1966. This is an amusing story but not really accessible without French. English versions of the sentences are in the index at the end. No circulation in 3 years. Condition is old. Discarded library copies on sale on Amazon for less than $10. DISCARD (book sale?) Lyric language French/English [kit] = francais/anglais / [music composed and arranged by Bobby Crew] Carlsbad, CA : Penton Overseas, p1991. This kit in cassette form may still have appeal. KEEP. Seuss, Dr. Chat au chapeau . New York : Random House, 1967. An older title, but a classic. Condition is fair. KEEP. Wilkes, Angela French for beginners ; illustrated by John Shackell ; designed by RogerPriddy ; language consultant, Francoise Holmes. Lincolnwood, Ill. : National Textbook Co., 1987. This Passport Series title (see Spanish) does not have a lot of current appeal, but may Be kept for homeschoolers. 458 J World Language Titles / Italian I can read Italian : my first English-Italian word book / compiled by Penrose Colyer ; Italian by Adriana Giussani ; illustrated by Colin Meir and Wendy Lewis. 10 New York : F. Watts, 1983, c1972. The “I Can Read” titles are dated and in poor condition. DISCARD. Italian for beginners / Angela Wilkes ; illustrated by John Shackell ; designed by RogerPriddy. Lincolnwood, Ill. : National Textbook, 1987. Retain this series rather than the “I Can Read” series. It is crowded with text and not up To current appeal standards for children’s browsing, but may appeal to homeschoolers Specifically looking for language activites (too detailed for general use). 463/468 World Language Titles / Spanish JE The Juvenile Easy area of the collection in Spanish has the beginning of a good collection of bilingual picture books as well as several wordbooks. Spanish/English picture books are a current request. The titles owned have all received good reviews or are listed in standard bibliographies. Add in this area. Cisneros, Sandra Hairs = Pelitos / illustrated by Terry Ybanez. New York : Knopf, 1994. A bilingual storybook with bright pictures (no glossary), this entry is by a noted author. This book is in fair condition – the pages are still bright, but there are a few nicks and tears. Recommended by A-Z. KEEP. 11 Elya, Susan Middleton Eight animals bake a cake / illustrated by Lee Chapman. New York : Putnam, 2002. Say hola to Spanish ; illustrated by Loretta Lopez. New York : Lee & Low Books, c1996. Say hola to Spanish at the circus ; illustrated by Loretta Lopez. New York : Lee & Low Books, 2000. Elya’s books are colorful picture books in rhyme with Spanish words inserted throughout. There is a glossary at the end. Say hola to Spanish and Say hola to Spanish at the circus are the only entries for 463 in the Children’s Catalog (19th Edition) and are included in Best Books and A-Z as well. All three books are in good condition. The circulation rate for Eight Animals Bake a Cake (5 year-to-date) is the same as for Emberley’s books. KEEP. Emberley, Rebecca Let's go : a book in two languages = Vamos : un libro en dos lenguas . Boston : Little, Brown, c1993. My day : a book in two languages = Mi dia : un libro en dos lenguas. Boston : Little, Brown, c1993. These are picture books with bright collages well-labeled in English and Spanish. Both books are in good condition and still current and attractive. Booklist(11/01/1993) reviewed the pair and found them “strong additions to school and public libraries.” KEEP. 12 Let's speak Spanish : a first book of words / edited by Katherine Farris ; illustrated by Linda Hendry. New York, N.Y., U.S.A. : Viking, 1993. Children’s wordbook. Out-of-print. No reviews. Circulation current. Wordsworth's book of words : a bilingual book of words / by Julie Aigner-Clark ; illustrations by Nadeem Zaidi. New York : Hyperion Books for Children ; c2002. This is a toddler’s book with large appealing photographs of a few items per page with labels in English and Spanish. It is a book for naming items. Title is 5 years old and in excellent condition. No reviews. Baker & Taylor Opening Day Collection. KEEP. J My second Spanish book; mi segundo libro de español, by Robert Strumpen-Darrie, Charles and Valerie Berlitz, and the staff of the Berlitz Schools of Languages. Illus. by Bill and Bonnie Rutherford. New York, Grosset & Dunlap [c1965] This book is entirely in Spanish. There are teacher directions at the end, but this is not a self-educational book for a child. This is, in fact, a textbook which is not included in our selection policy. The book is in fair condition with yellowed pages. Illustrations are dated. This book is no longer part of the collection in any library in the system. It will not be worth donating or selling (worth $8.50 on Amazon). DISCARD. 13 I can read Spanish : my first English-Spanish word book / compiled by Penrose Colyer ; Spanish by Maria Dolores Garcia Moliner ; illustrated by Colin Mier and Wendy Lewis. New York : Watts, 1976. This title is out-of-print. It was included in Horn Book in 1994 and 1995. Fun phrases and situations, but print is small, illustrations dated and colors are dated (many pages not full color, just black and one color). Book is in poor condition – cover is filthy, scribbling inside. DISCARD. (This book cannot be sold or donated, cover condition is too poor.) Fun with Spanish. / Lee Cooper ; illustrated by Ann Atene. Boston : Little, Brown, [1960] This title is out of print. It was included in Best Books for Children, 3rd edition. More fun with Spanish. / Lee Cooper ; illustrated by Ann Atene. Boston : Little, Brown, [1967] This title is also out of print. It was included in Best Books for Children, 3rd edition and in the Children’s Catalog, 16th edition. KEEP. They are classics in good condition. Lyric language Spanish/English [kit] Carlsbad, CA : Penton Overseas, 1991. Cassette kit may still have appeal. Circulation is current. KEEP. Getting to know Spain and Spanish [kit] / Janet de Saules ; audio adaptation, Harriet Barnett ; [book] illustrated by Kim Woolley. Hauppauge, N.Y. : Barron's, 1993. This is another title that may not have general appeal but could be kept for Homeschoolers. 14 Guinness world records = Libro Guinness de los records. Buenos Aires, Argentina : Editorial Planeta Argentina S.A.I.C., c1999This Spanish version will not be accessible to children who are not already fluent in Spanish. It might be a welcome donation to a school with a Spanish program. La fiesta. / Sesyle Joslin ; illustrated by John Alcorn. -- New York : Harcourt, Brace & World, [1967] This title consists of threee stories in a cumulative format which adds words on each page. It is entirely in Spanish and has color illustrations. There is a glossary at the end. The illustrations are less contemporary than in the JE 463/468 titles. Condition is good. Circulation is equivalent (4 year-to-date) to the other titles mentioned as well. KEEP as an alternate picture book. There is a bull on my balcony= Hay un toro en mi balcon, and other useful phrases in Spanish and English for young ladies and gentlemen going abroad or staying at Home. / Sesyle Joslin ; illustrated by Katharina Barry. New York : Harcourt, Brace & World, 1966. An unusual title that no longer appears in recommended bibliographies. KEEP for Graphic interest. Jorge el curioso (Curious George) / Rey, H. A. (Hans Augusto), 1898-1977 ; translated into Spanish for young readers by Pedro Villa Fernandez. Boston, Houghton, Mifflin [1961] A classic title in fair condition. KEEP. 15 469 World Languages / Portuguese Portuguese heritage is prevalent in the surrounding community and Portuguese is taught at the middle school and high school level at local schools. Portsmouth also has an exchange program with Cape Verde. Let's learn Portuguese picture dictionary / by the editors of Passport Books ; illustrated by Marlene Goodman. Lincolnwood, Ill., USA : Passport Books, c1993. The Passport Series will be kept although slightly dated as it is very difficult to find Portuguese titles. The Random House Portuguese dictionary : Portuguese-English, English-Portuguese = Português-Inglês, Inglês-Português / edited by Bobby J. Chamberlain. New York : Random House, c1991. This title is not circulating, probably because it is a tiny pocket edition and not very Accessible to children. Send to booksale and replace with a more standard format. Renyi picture dictionary : Portuguese and English / [Portuguese translation by Manuela Marujo ; illustrated by Kathryn Adams ... [et al.]. Toronto : Editions Renyi, c1990. This is not really a self-educational language title. The pictures are not grouped by Category, but just listed in English order. There is no pronunciation key or explanation. The index is Portuguese/English only. This title does circulate as there is not another 16 Similar option. KEEP. 495 World Languages / Japanese JE Carle, Eric and Kazuo Iwamura Where are you going? To see my friend! : [a story of friendship in two languages] New York : Orchard Books, 2003. This is a current picture book by the popular Eric Carle and his collaborator, Kazuo Iwamura. It reads in Japanese (transliterated for English speakers) and in English. Booklist (01/01/2003) calls it “an inviting celebration of social and cross-cultural connections.” Other reviews (School Library Journal – 03/01/2003, Publishers Weekly – 2/10/2003, Kirkus – 03/15/2003) laud its unusual format which conveys the feeling of Japanese by reading back to front and right-to-left in the Japanese section. Condition is good and circulation is current (4 year-to-date). KEEP. J Let's learn Japanese picture dictionary / by the editors of Passport Books ; illustrated by Marlene Goodman. Lincolnwood, Ill., USA : Passport Books, c1992. This does not have a lot of current appeal: dated humor (hippies at the barber), small Type, but may be retained as a basic reference. It has not circulated in several years. KEEP (not enough interest to replace at this time). 17 World Languages / Chinese J Long is a dragon : Chinese writing for children / by Peggy Goldstein. San Francisco : China Books & Periodicals, c1991. This is a quality title included in Best Books and the Children’s Catalog. Explains Chinese writing and has three color graphic interest. KEEP. 496 World Languages / Swahili JE Feelings, Muriel Moja means one; Swahili counting book ; pictures by Tom Feelings. New York, Dial Press [1971] This storybook counts items 1-10 on pages with both English and Swahili words. The illustrations are paintings with a timeless feel. There is good graphic interest With the Swahili and English word for the number in color on each page. Pronunciation is included on each page. Condition is good. No current circulation. Jambo means hello : Swahili alphabet book ; pictures by Tom Feelings. New York : Dial Press, [1974] This Reading Rainbow selection has the same timeless artwork and appeal and is in good condition. No current circulation, but books like this will be hard to find. KEEP. 18 499 Let's learn Hawaiian; a word picture book, by Sibyl Hancock & Doris Sadler. – Rutland, Vt. : C. E. Tuttle Co., [1969] This is a dated book in fair condition, but it does circulate. KEEP. RECOMMENDATIONS FOR ADDITIONS 423 This collection desperately needs to update its dictionaries. There are no entries in the JE beginner dictionary category, except for the Cat in the Hat Beginner Dictionary (1964) and a new thesaurus. Merriam-Webster’s Primary Dictionary. Merriam-Webster, 2005. This is a beginner’s dictionary with just 1,000 entries (versus around 30,000 for the elementary dictionaries already in the collection). Reviews note that it has enough dictionary features (parts of speech, synonyms, usage, word histories) for early readers to learn how to use a dictionary, but also enough visual interest and humor to keep them entertained (Booklist, June 2005). The “Children’s Dictionary Roundup” (Booklist, 5/15/2007) calls it “a charming work, put together with care and purpose.” For 3rd grade and up, another dictionary purchase is recommended, as the American Heritage in the collection is not really a children’s dictionary. The Macmillan Dictionary for Children. New York : Simon & Schuster, 2007 with 35,000 entries and 3,000 illustrations is very tempting. It has a wealth of reference material as well (US presidents, countries, climate, solar system). Reviews find that it is not quite as easy to 19 use as the American Heritage Children’s Dictionary (2003), but for the older elementary group it will also serve for quick reference. Barron’s junior rhyming Dictionary. Barron’s, 2006. $12.99 This title is recommended as the existing rhyming dictionary is a pocket edition arranged by the rhyming roots which may be difficult for children to use. The Barron’s title uses a key word entry and then details the various roots and rhyming words in the “rhyming family” (School Library Journal, 08/01/2006). It is recommended for grades 3-5. This title is also an entry in the Children’s Catalog 2007 Supplement. 463/468 The collection also does not have French or Spanish dictionaries. The wordbooks available do not have access by the English word which is a serious drawback. The collection needs resources that have access both ways. The new Firefly My First Visual dictionaries have the appeal of the wordbooks but also have separate indexes in both languages. There are about 1,300 terms with pictures labeled in both languages as well as indexed. These dictionaries appear in the Children’s Catalog 2007 Supplement and Booklist (03/01/2007) also finds that “public libraries with a large primary-grade audience … will find these attractive and useful additions.” They are also reasonably priced. My First French/English Visual Dictionary. / by Jean-Claude Corbeil and Ariane Archambault. Firefly. 2006. $14.95 My First Spanish/English Visual Dictionary. / by Jean-Claude Corbeil and Ariane Archambault. Firefly. 2006. $14.95 20 Several recommendations for picture books are included to augment this collection which already contains some classics which are circulating. Costales, Amy Hola Noche / Hello Night. ; illustrated by Mercedes McDonald. U.S. : Luna Rising. 2007. $14.95 This is a bilingual bedtime story recommended for libraries by Criticas (Fall, 2007), Where it is noted that: “in the vein of Goodnight Moon, this is a perfect bilingual book to Rock a child to sleep.” Harris, Jay M. The Moon is La Luna: Silly Rhymes in English and Spanish. ; illustrated by Matthew Cordell. Boston : Houghton Mifflin Company, 2007. $15.00 Entertaining rhymes teach Spanish words in a bilingual picture book that School Library Journal (10/01/2007) calls “fun and educational.” 21 Sources Consulted ALSC Bilingual Books for Children Book List http://www.ala.org/ala/alsc/alscresources/booklists/bilingualbooks.htm Book Wholesalers, Inc. BWI Titletales Core Bibliographies. http://bwibooks.com/login.php Booklist Online http://www.booklistonline.com/default.aspx?page=home Children’s Catalog. 19th Edition. New York : H.W. Wilson Co., 2006. CREW Manual – Texas State Library and Archives. 04 April 2005 Texas State Library And Archives Commission. Accessed 18 Nov. 2007. http://www.tsl.state.tx.us/ld/pubs/crew/guidelines.html Criticas : An English Speaker’s Guide to the Latest Spanish Language Titles. Fall 2007. Reed Business Information. Gillespie, John T. Best Books for Children: Preschool through Grade 6 . 7th edition, Westport, CT : Libraries Unlimited, 2001. The Horn Book Guide Online. http://www.hornbookguide.com/cgi-bin/hbonline.pl?s=28110&a=home Lima, Carolyn W. A to Zoo : Subject Access to Children’s Picture Books. Westport, CT : Libraries Unlimited, 2006. Quinn, Mary Ellen. “Children’s Dictionary Round-Up.” May 15, 2007. Booklist Online. School Library Journal. “Reference Book Reviews.” http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/article/CA6484393.html?industryid=47076 22 SUNLINK Weed of the Month – Archive. March 2005. Florida Department of Education, School Library Media Services Office. http://www.sunlink.ucf.edu/weed/archive/languages.html