R.R. Bowker Launches Web Resource for Children's Books

Posted on March 14, 2003

R.R. Bowker, a publisher of bibliographic information, has introduced a Web-based service that enables elementary and middle school media specialists to conduct searches for children's books and K-8 educational materials. The new site, located at childrensbooksinprint.com, which is primarily designed for libraries that serve students from Kindergarten through Middle School, allows librarians and their teachers to search 5,000 subject categories of more than 200,000 titles from 12,000 publishers and 175,000 different contributors.

There are multiple search criteria available on the site, including age, Lexile level, subject, title, keyword, publisher and favorite series. In addition, users can search titles listed in popular bibliographies (such as Best Books for Children), browse titles by "A to Zoo" subject headings, search titles that have been peer reviewed in 25 different sources (such as School Library Journal, VOYA and The Horn Book), and download, print or email lists of titles they found on the site.

"We've been hearing from elementary and middle school media specialists that they would like new tools and resources to enable them to do more for their students in the libraries," said Michael Cairns, president of New Providence, N.J.-based R.R. Bowker. "Childrensbooksinprint.com provides the K-8 market with the most robust database ever created for children's books and educational materials, and it also contains terrific links to other reading and educational sites that help librarians open up the world for children. It is a truly unique Web-based resource and we're proud to offer it to schools at an affordable price."