BCALA NEWS Volume 41, Issue 3

Summer 2014

53

This One’s For the Children: An Interview with Bu Colectio

Alan R. Bailey l BY THE BCALA PUBLICATIONS COMMITTEE

Editor’s note: The following is an interview with Alan R. Bailey regarding his work, ‘‘Building a Core Print Collection for Preschoolers.” Bailey’s work is available at http://www. alastore.ala.org/detail.aspx?ID=10986 or through Amazon or Barnes & Noble. Bailey is the head of the Teaching Resource Center at East Carolina University.

Publication Committee: So before anything else, let’s talk about the book. What purpose does this book serve and why was a title like this needed?

Alan Bailey: I am thrilled Building a Core Print Collection for Preschoolers was published in June, and I would love to talk about it. For years, research has shown that early exposure to books improves reading skills and lifelong literacy. Reading aloud to children from birth to age five also enhances the foundations essential to kindergarten readiness. As recently as June 2014, the American Academy of Pediatrics recommended reading aloud to children from birth since an important part of brain development occurs within the first three years of a child’s life. Very often, however, librarians, early childhood professionals, parents, child- care providers and others working with preschoolers do not know which books effectively enhance reading and other crucial skills. My book provides more than 300 titles selected specifically to develop these essential skills.

P.C.: What will someone who purchases this work be able to accomplish with it?

A.B.: For librarians and other educators, it is the starting point for establishing a preschool collection and a resource for those wishing to enhance an existing collection. Of course the same is true for parents who are building or expanding home libraries. For others, it recommends hundreds of the most essential titles for preschoolers.

P.C.: And the book covers more than 300 titles. How were these titles selected and vetted for quality?

A.B.: After researching literacy skills and kindergarten readiness, I identified baseline characteristics of books essential to preschoolers. Once the baseline was established, I read reviews in professional journals, consulted with librarians, parents, teachers, children, and others involved in children’s literature, referred to recommended reading lists, compiled a list of preschool books I had used throughout my professional career, and researched titles held in children’s libraries. This process produced the initial list of titles considered for the book. While reading each title, I evaluated them based on thirteen questions. Only titles receiving outstanding ratings in each area were selected for the book. Examples of questions included, is

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PHOTO: ALAN R. BAILEY

PHOTO: BOOK COVER