[GlenBarrington]

I can remember walking to our neighborhood branch library at 10 by myself in the dead of Winter (yes, uphill both ways in snow drifts higher than me) to find something to read. But that was 53 years ago, so that initial connection came even earlier and is an even dimmer memory.

That was before Springfield closed the branches and forced everyone to go to the central downtown facility. I feel sorry for kids, now. They have to wait for someone to take them to the library. And if they don't, then, Oh well, kids don't need the feeling of being able to take destiny into their own hands anyway.

Maybe, the high availability of free ebooks available for download makes up for it a bit. Kids CAN find stuff to read for free but this system lacks the basic filtering I think we want children's reading material to have.

Also, it seems a shame to place this burden on the backs of authors while allowing our institutions to skirt this traditional obligation.

Maybe Mobileread could have a download section exclusively for young people. Made up of Public Domain and author donated books for non adults? Lots of logistical issues to resolve, but what better place to try and instill a love for books and ideas in children than here?