Welcome to the Caldwell Public Library! We are happy you are here, and we would love to help you navigate our collection. As a public library, we strive to provide books and materials that reflect the diversity of our community. It is our hope that there is always something for everyone to enjoy.
With so many items to choose from, it can sometimes be overwhelming to find the books that are right for you and/or your family. This guide is filled with tips, tricks, and tools to help you select materials that are perfect for your family’s needs, interests, and values. You can download a printable version of this guide here.
Rights & Responsibilities
-
As a parent or guardian, you are your child’s first and best teacher. You should feel empowered to set parameters that are right for your family. It is your role to discuss with your child what is and is not appropriate for them to read, view, and listen to.
-
As a public library, it is our responsibility to include materials in our collection that meet the needs of all the different people in our community. We strive to have something for everyone! With that in mind, every family is different. What is just right for some community members and some families may not be appropriate for others.
Personalized Recommendations
Our trained and experienced library staff are here to help you navigate the library’s collection so that you may find something that is just right for you, your child, or your teen. Our staff wants to make sure you have the information you need to select the materials you want. We can talk with you about your family’s reading, viewing, and listening values. This is also an opportunity for you to tell us about any subject matter you would like to avoid. This will help us identify items in the collection that specifically meet your family’s needs, interests, and standards.
You can visit the library, call, or email us. We love talking about books and other materials, and we would be happy to work with you to find exactly what you are looking for.
Tips, Tricks, and Tools for Finding the Book for You
How can you tell if a library book will meet your expectations? There are several resources available to you for free.
Library Resources
-
NoveList Plus: Use this database to find books that are like books you’ve read in the past. They also have a K-8 version with only kid and teen books. Idaho residents can access NoveList Plus for free on lili.org. You may be required to enter your zip code to access this resource.
-
Ask a librarian! We love to help patrons find their next favorite read. Stop by or give us a call at 208-459-3242.
Review Websites
-
Common Sense Media: This website reviews movies, books, and games for violence, sex, swearing, positive role models, positive messages, educational value, and more.
-
Does the Dog Die: This website contains crowdsourced warnings about emotional spoilers (like the dog dying at the end) for movies, TV shows, and books.
-
Goodreads: This website allows users to search its database of books, annotations, quotes, and reviews. Users can also ask each other questions about a book’s content.
-
Amazon.com: Use the Look Inside feature on most print (not digital) books to search how many times certain words occur in a book. For example, you could search for swear words, body parts you might find in a sex scene, etc.
Genre Tips
-
Graphic Novels: Some graphic novels will have a rating (like what you would see on a video game) on the back or inside cover. Graphic novels are sometimes confused with comic books because they both use artwork to tell a story. Graphic novels, however, are similar to chapter books in that they tell complex stories from start to finish. Alternatively, comic books tell many short stories rather than one long story.
-
Romance Novels: Try the 2/3 trick. Many romance novels will have a sexually explicit scene about 2/3 of the way through a book, if they’re going to have one at all.
-
Mysteries: Cozy mysteries are light and generally have a funny title and an animated cover. Noir (dark) mysteries are generally violent/scary and usually have dark covers with few pictures. Everything else in between has a cover that looks a lot like any other fiction book.
Navigating the Library Collection
Our collection is organized into three age groups. The Kids’ Room contains juvenile materials with content generally geared toward ages 0-12. The Teen Area contains young adult materials with content generally geared toward ages 13-18. The Main Library contains materials generally geared toward adults.
The difference between books for older kids and teens:
-
Books in the teen area do not necessarily have a higher reading level than books in the kids’ room. Reading levels are not determined by age and can vary from person to person.
-
Books in the teen section generally have content that middle- or high-school-aged kids might experience. Books for older teens may contain content of sexual nature. You would be less likely to find explicit language and sexual content in the juvenile fiction collection.
Managing Your Child's Account
Every member of your family is welcome to have their own library card! As a parent/ guardian, you can select how you wish to set up and monitor your child’s account:
-
You can log into your child’s account at caldwellpubliclibrary.org using their library card number and the pin you set up when you opened the account.
-
You can add your email address to your child’s account so that you receive notifications for items checked out or placed on hold.
-
You can link your child’s account to your account. This allows you to pick up items on hold under your child’s account. Unless you are using the Ida App, you will still need to log into your child’s account separately to see items they have checked out.
-
You can choose not to monitor your child’s library account. However, a parent or guardian will still need to be listed on the account. That person is financially responsible if there are charges for damaged items.