"At the end of the day, it's all about getting children to love reading"

Teaching Kids To Treasure Books In A Changing Landscape. (Hartford Courant 'Mommy Minute' blog, 3/14/2011)

Excerpt:   "It's our job to scoop up kids and families with our enthusiasm and show them how vital books are and how much fun the shared experience is," says Lynn Hidek, children's librarian and assistant director at Clinton's Henry Carter Hull Library, which has just acquired four Barnes and Noble Nooks. Hidek believes the future of books is permanently changing, as textbooks become increasingly available on e-readers. She says libraries have a long, tough road ahead.

Even though Hidek owns a Kindle, which she says is an expensive yet superb traveling companion, she doesn't believe the traditional book will ever become extinct.

"Because that turn of the page is more physical than the digital sweep of the finger," she says, "opening a real book is like opening a treasure chest or a magic box. What's going to happen next?"

At the end of the day, it's all about getting children to love reading.

"What we want is for our kids to be curious, talented, savvy readers so they can ignite their imagination," says Hidek.