Acknowledging Criteria: A Look at Research and Reality of Children’s Digital Libraries

by Waldman, Jennifer A

This paper examines the design of digital libraries for children as measured against studies done on children and web design, internet searching, and use of digital libraries. Eight “digital libraries” for children were evaluated and analyzed according to those features deemed most important by the researchers of the literature. Emphasis is given on navigation design and structure/arrangement of the literature in the collections, compared to the age ranges of children for whom they are intended. The International Children’s Digital Library is the only website that conforms to nearly all of the recommended criteria as it is the direct result of research. It and the other libraries are given ways on which they can improve.