ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses the role of public libraries in stimulating, and responding to, demand for good children’s books. It investigates the development of designated children’s rooms, using the example of Eileen Colwell’s pioneering work at Hendon Public Library. The chapter also discusses the relationship between librarians and publishers, focussing on the influential reviewing journal The Junior Bookshelf, which was modelled on the famous American magazine, The Horn Book. The Junior Bookshelf provided a forum for editors, authors and librarians to discuss and promote the best of publishing for children as well as being a useful tool for librarians in navigating the selection of books for their readers. The chapter ends with a close examination of two reviews by Eleanor Graham, which appeared in The Junior Bookshelf.
