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Whether you are a new parent, caring for school-age children or have teenagers in your life, we can provide information and support that we hope will answer your questions about the Library and give you information you can count on about literacy, reading and picking great print books and eBooks.

Our library staff can help you with book recommendations, choosing books for every kind of reader and talking about literacy.

Babies and Toddlers

• Very young children are attracted by brightly colored pictures of simple objects.
• They are good listeners who react well to books with simple texts and good rhythms.
• Wordless books stimulate them visually and mentally and encourage them to create their own stories.
• They are delighted with board books, which are strong enough for them to explore.

Preschool

• Nursery Rhymes and other books depicting familiar objects and experiences are enjoyable to children in this age group.
• These children like listening to slightly complex texts with good rhythm and effective word repetition.
• They are also coordinated enough to have constructive fun with toy-like books that may pop up, move, or provide other surprises.

Early Primary School Years

• Some children may learn to read before they are in the first grade. Most learn during first grade. Many learn even later.
• For reading with children, select picture books with strong storylines and character development.
• For the child who is reading independently, choose a book with a straightforward story employing words that will be familiar from everyday use. You might like to use our Junior Reader Collection
• Third-graders are often able to handle stories of some complexity. The vocabulary should be relatively familiar while including some challenging words.
• A lot of informational books have been published for the early grades. These non-fiction books encourage children to read about topics that interest them and to satisfy their curiosity about complex subjects.

Older Primary School Children

• Consider who the child is his or her personality traits and personal preferences when choosing a book.
• Make a selection with the child in mind; choose an informational book or a novel in an area of specific interest.

Our collections are laid out so you can find the right books for your child for every age and stage.

• Board Books. Our board book collection are durable books made from cardboard and designed for our very first readers, from birth.
• Picture Books. Our picture book collection contain stories in which the illustrations and the text together tell the story.
• Junior Readers. Our Junior Reader Collection contains books that systematically introduce all basic letter sounds along with several essential special words.
• Early Junior Fiction. This collection is for those in early primary school
• Junior Fiction. This collection is for those in primary school

For Educators, our Library Team can:

• Arrange an institutional membership for your school or kindergarten so you can borrow items for your classroom
• Put together materials on subjects that you request for you to collect from the library
• Provide library tours for your students
• Visit your classroom or Maternal Child Health Centre to talk about library literacy, and much more!

Contact Our Youth Services Staff 

Bayside libraries were the second library service in Australia to reach eSmart status; having achieved this in September 2014. An eSmart library is a library in which the smart, safe and responsible use of digital technologies is the norm, and all members of the library community are equipped to embrace the best these technologies can offer, while being perceptive and proactive about the pitfalls.

Protecting your personal information is a very important aspect of staying safe online. So do you know what you need to protect and how?

Some quick steps to take to keep you safe online:

• Keep your profile set to private and check your settings regularly.
• Don't share personal information, and protect yourself from strangers online.
• Think about your personal safety before you 'check in' or use location-based services.
• Manage your digital reputation responsibly.
• Respect others and look after each other online.
• Think about subscribing to the Australian Government's free Stay Smart Online alert service to keep up to date with online threats and scams, security information and tips to protect your online safety and privacy.

Dealing with online bullying

• Block the cyberbully.
• Take a screenshot as evidence of the cyberbullying.
• Report offensive material to the website administrator or service provider.
• Talk to a friend or trusted adult.
• For more help, call the Kids Helpline on1800 55 1800, or contact the police on (03) 8530 5100 for non-urgent matters or 000 for emergencies.

Tips for parents and carers
Parental controls are useful when children have access to mobile phones, tablets and computers. They can allow you to restrict what content can be accessed on these devices. Placing parental controls on devices can ensure that your children are only able to access age-appropriate material. Guides on the parental control options for several popular devices are available from ThinkUKnow.

Useful websites
eSafety Get Help
Little Black Book of Scams
Settings to protect your privacy on social media sites
Do you need password practice? Tips for passwords
Keep up-to-date with the latest security alerts
How to keep kids safe on YouTube
Staying safe online