Mine has rooms to park your kids in with cartoons playing on a TV. I want my kids to be interested in reading, not watching cartoons. When I discussed this with them, their answer was "Well, kids aren't that interested in books anymore."

Oof, that's too bad. The libraries near me are great for my toddler. They do story time and play time, and it's a good chance for my kid to play with other kids. My kiddo always checks out a book (or three) when we visit.

Mine has 3d printers and laser cutters. I don't have kids but if I did I wouldn't mind having a place to park them while my print finished.

Ideally they'd be interested in more enriching activities, but I'm sympathetic to the idea that that's maybe harder than it sounds.

That’s a parenting problem. Can’t blame the library. They need to meet people where the are.

When I had a kid I made a vow that I would immediately buy them any book they showed interest in. Any other toy or game would be a discussion but books, anytime anywhere.

And we put up bookshelves, so they would always have books nearby. There was a study I read where just the existence of books was beneficial, regardless of how much reading was done.

https://www.jcfs.org/blog/importance-having-books-your-home

Finally, I read to them every night I could. Just 10 minutes a night.

Then you just put limits on screens. Let them get bored. They will start reading on their own, and when they do it’s just amazing.

Well, as a parent, I’d prefer my kids not be exposed to screens at the library of all places.

We have a great deal of books in our house including ones for children but I’d like them to grow up with the curiosity had to explore the library. It’s a real pain in the neck when they have a room with cartoons in it, which kids will especially gravitate to if you limit their screen time at home (which we do).

Yeah that blows my mind. Of all places I'd not expect a cartoon to be. There are so many books kids could read. I don't see how a librarian can view a screen as anything they'd allow in their building.

My kids daycare added a TV. The "teachers" said it was allowed by law. I said sure and pulled them out. Sucked because they'd just replaced most of the staff and the new staff was pro-tv while the old staff had never once turned on a TV.

One thing I appreciate at (some) YMCAs is that their childwatch is TV screen free, including my one locally and the one that's next door to my doctor's office. (We like to combine doctor visits or checkups with a trip to the YMCA if we're well enough to go.)

I avoid the childwatch at the YMCA that has a couple of screens, although it's otherwise excellent.

A trend in (some) libraries is to put technology everywhere - iPads for example (which I consider a very clunky way to search the library catalog). I'm assuming these things get bought via grants. If I go to the library, I want to deal with books, not computers which access the exact same stuff I could get at home. A separate computer room with actual, real, desktop computers available for people to use is fine.

The "thing you can get at home" is why the iPad is at the library. Because it is becoming a community center, and also partly because it functions as an extremely understaffed daycare.

I loved this. Though I did start with the any book any time, I faltered later when they'd pick a graphic novel for 20$, that the'd finish in the car ride home. I had to stop.. It got too expensive. (great problem to have) I had to insist on what we call "chapter books", for money reasons alone. I love graphic-novels/comics but when your kid reads 50$ of books in one sitting you've got to draw a line. Now they're both on KU.

I really loved the "let them get bored."

Still not there yet, but my 8 year old will munch 2 no-graphics books in two days (prices are much lower though, 5 to 10 eur/usd a book).

But as we are on the topic of librarians, his two library cards will see more use :)

Weird. Our libraries have dedicated rooms for kids to read. And to study. It’s incredibly convenient.

What I haven’t seen is TV’s.