TV for babies

Libraries have expanded their collections to include plenty of visual media both for adults and children. Among the most controversial of these, are the television shows aimed at children under three. Heavy advertising has urged parents to buy DVD versions of these shows for their toddlers and librarians have responded by adding them to the collection. But is television good for young children? Many scientists and doctors tell us that it is not. Recently France banned TV programming aimed at children under three. Librarians are sure to hear repercussions from this. Some parents will reject the shows and tell libraries not to buy them, others will supply anecdotes about how much their children enjoy the shows and have learned from them. Here's one more topics children's librarians should be aware of and willing to discuss. Should libraries adopt policies about the age level of media products? It's an open question, but one worth talking about.