Children and indexes Available to Purchase

Discusses some of the findings of a British Library sponsored investigation of indexes to children’s information books with particular reference to the importance of book indexes, the impact of the National Curriculum on teaching index use, the benefits of book indexes, the impact of indexes on book selection and the usability of indexes. It is considered that the standards of many indexes to children’s books need to be improved and that, although the National Curriculum has had some impact on the use of book indexes by children at Key Stage 2 (children aged 7‐11, school years 3‐6), through making the teaching of index use a curriculum requirement, there is room for improvement in this area. It is recommended that all children’s information books should have indexes and that these indexes should be compiled by a professional indexer.