Excuse me? My child is too young to read books?!

Too bad you didn't get her name so you could report her to someone in charge! A child is never too young to learn to revere and appreciate books. Reading is one of my greatest pleasures. Going to the library and checking out the maximum number of books allowed every week was the highlight of my summers. I would guard the books carefully at home until it was time to take them back to the library. They needed to be protected from pets and little siblings. Try a different library.

No, I don't think it's too young at all. My son is a bit younger than yours, and also loves to read. We have a lot of books, and he'll just pick them up and look at the pictures, and sometimes babble as if he's reading out loud. I continue to buy a lot of books because all my kids love reading. Every holiday they get new books, and sometimes I'll buy them from the Salvation Army as well. My guess is the librarian meant your son was too young for a card. I know my children couldn't get their own card until they were old enough to write their name because they had to sign their card. But until then we could take books out for them on my card, or their older brother's card. It wasn't that they were too young to read books, or look at them, just too young to have their own card.

I cannot believe she said somehting like that! If I was a librarian and someone wanted to start their child out on reading at a young age, I would encourage her and find books to hold for her. I would have picked out books that would help with alphabet and other things that would his development...maybe look into a neighboring library. I would.

Wow that is pretty bad. I think he should be able to have his own card. Couldn't you just use your card and get the books for him? At least until he is old enough to have his own card. I would maybe call back and talk to someone else there though because as much of a big deal as they make about getting kids interesting in books and reading you would think they wouldn't turn anyone away.

That is a sad case, that somebody actually wants to spend time with their child and books but is discouraged from doing so. I understand that some children do not treat books kindly so perhaps there is a lowest age before they may have their own tickets. I do not know now what it is in England and can't remember how old my children were when they first had their own. Some very young children are in our library but perhaps not as young as three. The books are graded so as long as they borrow ones suitable and the parent still accepts responsibility it should not matter.

What a disappointing answer for a librarian to give. Of course no child is too young to start enjoying books. How ridiculous - and this at a time when we should be doing all we can to encourage children to turn off the screens and open a book. I think you should follow this up with the library and get things set straight. Our nation needs that kind of individual initiative. Go ethansmommy!

Could you not get him books under your name and ask the librarian if there were simple books that you could read to your preschool child? I would also suggest that you go to a second hand store or to Goodwill or the Salvation Army. I am sure they have books for tots. It is just that she thinks that maybe he is going to read them himself, and not you read them to him. Oh and he has to be able to sign the card, and I am sure no one will look at you crazy if you pick up "The Little Engine that Could," or a book of Mickey Mouse under your library card.

we have to keep encoraging our young ones to excell your son is not to young to read check this out. http://www.mylot.com/w/discussions/1833877 https://www.yourbabycanread.tv/index.asp

that is just wrong but my mom is a librarian and she says it is to protect the books so they do not get tore up. but my local library lets my 2 year old check out books. i guess it is just their own rules. my son loves books. he has tons here at home.

I could be wrong here, but maybe she's thinking he's too young to take the responsibility of caring for a library book. I totally agree with you here, no child is ever "too young" for a book, but I've seen some children just throw them and others correctly close it and put it back on the shelf. I think that has a lot to do with maturity. The library is a wonderful place to take your child - AND THE EARLIER THE AGE THE BETTER. The spark of knowledge, or having the passion to read can start in young children as soon as they can pick up a book. I completely get what you are saying and you are right. I totaly agree with you. I wonder if it was the library's policy when issuing a library card though for the children to be a certain age.

I think that is horrible, if anything you would think that they would be incouraging the child to read. I would have gotten pretty mad. In fact I would still go to the library and I would tell that women to mind her own business. You weren't asking her permission, if you are paying for the card, she shouldn't have anything to say about it. I would call a few others places and then ask to talk to her manager, I don't think it is right to deny your son, just because some old biddy decides that he can't read. Who cares? Every heard of looking at the pictures lady? I think that this is stupid and that that lady shouldn't be working ina library, hope you have better luck next time.

It does not shock me at all that they did that. They are always fussing about something. I guess I kinda see where they are coming from by protecting their books, but they should just discuss that with you after you rent the book. You would think they would love to see little kids reading.

I think that is so dumb. Children should be encouraged to read from the very beginning to me! Even if you are the one reading to him, the books are for him and the card should be for him. The woman who works there should not have been so rude and should have realized that even if he can't read he would still like to be able to experience the joys of being told stories. I would try to find another library or call again and hopefully get someone else to pick up the phone. Good luck!

What I think is that you need to contact your local library service (main branch, head librarian, even the state offcials) and politely let them know you didn't appreciate how this woman treated you. I could go on and on about libraries and why they exist and literacy rates but that's another discussion. Secondly, I don't know about your son, but the average 3 year old doesn't take that good care of their belongings and little kids have trouble turning pages resulting in ripped books. They also like to mark books with crayons and so forth so maybe this is the reason for the library policy. There is an opportunity here though because the younger children are introduced to reading the more they will enjoy it an continue to do so. You might consider contacting the friends of the library group and if there isn't one you should start one that will make it a point to have books for preschoolers that are laminated and so forth. I applaud you for wanting your child to appreciate both reading and the library.

Actually, no child is too young to read. Once that child turns two, he or she can learn to read.

I think that is ridiculous! My nieces are the same way; they like to look at books, and based off the pictures tell their own stories...and I think thats great! A great way too start them off. I really don't see why you should have any problems getting a library card for him--I would have been sure that libraries CAN NOT deny someone a card like that. Maybe you could talk to someone higher up and see whats going on? Well, one thing I am defeniatly sure about is they could not kick your out of the library because your son is too young. So even if you can't get him a card maybe you coudl still take him there and let him sit and look at all the books he wants!

Oh my goodness. I would complain! Libraries are meant to encourage reading and promote books to children of all ages. My daughters playschool... which takes children at the age of two... has a mobile library that calls once a week and the children take books home. They also do regular visits to the local library for story telling afternoons. All of my children had library cards from about a year old. The earlier children are encouraged to look at books the better.

Wow, so much for encouraging people of all ages to pick up a book...even if they can't read. You see all these commercials encouraging parents to read to their children. Maybe the parents aren't the problem...maybe it's crazy librarians! I would have just checked out books on my own library card for him. If you lost yours, the library can issue you a new one with your same library account. I would have told that lady something about her comment about if you can't write your name, you can't read because my son can read letters, can read words with help and can write his name, but he can't read by himself yet.

whoah... that woman doesn't know what she was doing? what you were doing was right, introducing the library to your kid coz it's one way of encouraging them to read books and to learn new things... just do and keep up what you think your child needs, and just don't let anyone who doesn't know anything about nurturing kids stop you from doing so. i have 2 kids, and i do what i think is best for them. whenever my kids wants to buy some books and if i have spare funds, i do buy it. and i let them tell me about what they've read.

All I have to say is WOW! I was taking my son to story time at the Library at the age of 1. He is now five with is own card of course I am the one responsible for it but it has his name on it. We didn't borrow books back then because we had such an abundance at home but now I have a daughter who is one and when I go to our library I check out baby books for her. You know the chunky board kind. They even have those and I would bet just about every other library would too. I don't know what side of the bed that lady woke up on but she needs to be put in check. I would defiantly go into the library with your son and talk to the supervisor. He may be too young to get a library card in under the rules in your area but you should not be told that he is to young for books. You are doing the right thing by reading to him it will pay off in the long run. We read to my son since he was about 1 1/2 when he would be calm enough to listen. We would read every night three books before bed. Of course it turned into two and then one once he got older and the books became bigger. But anyway I know this was very beneficial to him because he is now five and is reading at a third grade lever all on his own. No one taught him!!! I even had to put him in private school because the public school would not support a gifted child in kindergarten. So seeing that makes me believe what we did with reading to him is the reason he turned out the way he did. And I'm thankful we did because he has a love for books more than I ever did. So even if the library (the one place that should support what you're doing) is not a good resource for you look on ebay I got a bunch of books real cheap and even on craigslist. Save yourself the trouble.