Tips for Busy Parents to Find Books at the Library

By Stacy S. Jensen

Reading books with our children creates so many memories. And, we want them to be fun, not frazzled memories as we search for new books to read together.

When my son was little, we made a point to read 20 minutes a day. That’s 3-5 books. While I love buying books and supporting authors and illustrators, most of the books I read are from the public library. 

I personally read more than 300 picture books a year. Let’s say 275 of the picture books I read each year cost $18 each. My library card is free and it gives me access to books valued at $4,950! It’s my best entertainment investment. Thank you public libraries and librarians!

I’ve been visiting libraries weekly since my son attended toddler story time to his now middle school days. Here are some tips I use to take the stress out of discovering new books at the library.

1-Hold

An easy first step is to listen to your children and your friends. Ask them what they are reading and begin a list of books to find at the library. Reading Recommendations printable.

Once you have a list, visit your library’s online catalog and put them on hold. When the holds are available, you’ll get an email saying they are ready. Some libraries offer drive thru window pickups or lockers to allow after hour pickups. 

2- Visit

If you have time when you pick up your holds, visit the children’s section. My son and I would attend story time, browse for books, and play with toys and computer games during these trips. Libraries are cool places to hang out. 

3-Browse

The library has sections for juvenile fiction and nonfiction. You can walk around these shelves looking for books that catch your eye. Children love picking out their own books too. I remember the thrill of finding and checking out books. 

Librarians often highlight books on shelves by standing them up. Don’t be shy — grab the ones you like. They want you to check these books out.

Special collections and displays make it easy to find new books, language collections, and monthly and seasonal observances. Don’t forget to ask a librarian for help. They love talking about books.

4-Search

You can search your library’s online catalog from the comfort of your home. My most frequent search is for a specific title.

Other search ideas: 

• Books by topic — specific animals, emotions, themes
• Release dates — search through the recently added books
• Children’s books are available on any topic you can imagine. Search for something you love and introduce this topic to your children. 
• Books by an author and/or illustrator 

Once you see what your library has, put the titles you want on hold. 

If the book you want isn’t available at your library, you can search social media (especially publisher channels) or YouTube to find online readings. Watch the video and decide if it’s a book you want to add to your list.

Also, check your library’s policy for acquiring new material. My library allows patrons to suggest new material by providing information about the book. A request doesn’t mean they will purchase the book, but it doesn’t hurt to ask. 

As parents, we often forget about ourselves. Don’t. The library has great collections for adult readers too. The Libby app is a great library tool to find eBook and audiobook selections on the go too. 

Are you ready to make a list of books for your family? We’ve created a Reading Recommendations and a Reading Challenge printable to help you as you discover new books. (Click the image to download)

Happy Reading Together! — Stacy

Stacy S. Jensen is the author of BEFORE I LIVED HERE, illustrated by Victo Ngai, which releases in Spring 2025 from Neal Porter Books/Holiday House. She loves sharing book recommendations for children, getting lost in a good book, writing stories for children, and creating with paper quilling.