On the following day, I checked the ACT Public Library holdings for these books and found that of the 30 titles, 13 were not held (although one was an audiobook).

As all of these books are Australian and some of them have been published as long ago as 12 months, it would be reasonable to expect that the public library would hold all of them as a matter of course.

There is also no copy of the books which won the Guardian Children's Fiction Award or the Caldecott Award, both major international children's book awards.

These omissions raise the question of just who is choosing books for the children of Canberra.

I understand that there is no longer a dedicated children's librarian with the responsibility of choosing a quality collection for the children of Canberra.

No doubt, after the release of the short list, someone will scurry to order these books, but the children of the ACT should have already had access to these through their public library.

C. Hamilton, Chisholm

Value for money?

We're told (''Green light to fix black spots'', April 3, p1) that it will cost $524,000 to install traffic lights at the junction of Mawson and Yamba drives.

Seems very generous.

If you or I were to hazard a guess based on real-life experience, how much would you think?

Perhaps: six traffic lights (three lights on a pole) at say $10,000 each, one control unit with six sets of road plates at $100,000, six tradesmen for five days at $2000 a day each, electrical connection $10,000, hire of plant for five days at $10,000, and resurface roads let's allow $25,000.

A rough figure of $265,000. Are we really getting value for our dollars?

Roger Dace, Googong, NSW

Crime seems to pay

Picture this: you are a professional person, gainfully employed, with a good marriage and stable lifestyle.

You go out to enjoy yourself on Australia Day and in an unprovoked attack, three men punch you to the ground and then kick you so badly you need to be hospitalised.