What does "Target Audience" refer to?

After performing a seach in the Polaris PowerPAC, a series of facets on the left side allows users to refine their search results further.  One of these facets is the "Target Audience, which helps separate material based on the intended reader.

The Audience facet has several broad categories, based on Library of Congress standards:

• Pre-School (0-5 years old)
  
• Primary (6-8 years old)
• Juvenile (8-13 years old)
• Adolescent (14-17 years old)
• Adult (18+)
• General (for everyone)

This information comes from the bibliographic records (the 008 field) in our database. When cataloging materials, library staff will select an audience level appropriate for the material based on the item's Collection. The PinTech committee has compiled a list of Collections in our database that correspond to Library of Congress Audience options:

• Pre-School (0-5 years old)
  
  • Picture Books Fiction
  • Picture Books Nonfiction
  • Spanish Picture Books Fiction
  • Spanish Picture Books Nonfiction
    
• Primary (6-8 years old)
  • Beginning Readers
    
• Juvenile (8-13 years old)
  • Juvenile Audiobooks
  • Juvenile Fiction
  • Juvenile Graphic Novels
  • Juvenile Large Print
  • Juvenile Magazines
  • Juvenile Music
  • Juvenile Nonfiction
  • Juvenile Reference
  • Juvenile Video Games
  • Spanish Juvenile Audiobooks
  • Spanish Juvenile Fiction
  • Spanish Juvenile Graphic Novels
  • Spanish Juvenile Nonfiction
  • World Languages Juvenile Fiction
  • World Languages Juvenile Nonfiction
• Adolescent (14-17 years old)
  • Young Adult Audiobooks
  • Young Adult Equipment
  • Young Adult Fiction
  • Young Adult Graphic Novels
  • Young Adult Kits
  • Young Adult Large Print
  • Young Adult Magazines
  • Young Adult Music
  • Young Adult Nonfiction
  • Young Adult Reference
  • Young Adult Video Games
  • Spanish Young Adult Fiction
  • Spanish Young Adult Graphic Novels
  • Spanish Young Adult Nonfiction
  • World Languages Young Adult Fiction
  • World Languages Young Adult Nonfiction
• Adult (18+)
  • Adult Audiobooks
  • Adult Education
  • Adult Equipment
  • Adult Fiction
  • Adult Graphic Novels
  • Adult Kit
  • Adult Large Print
  • Adult Magazines
  • Adult Music
  • Adult Nonfiction
  • Adult Reference
  • Adult Video Games
  • Book Discussion Kits
  • Local History and Genealogy
  • Spanish Adult Audiobooks
  • Spanish Adult Fiction
  • Spanish Adult Graphic Novels
  • Spanish Adult Magazines
  • Spanish Adult Nonfiction
  • Studio Equipment
  • World Languages Adult Fiction
  • World Languages Adult Nonfiction
• General
  • Intended for PG-13 movies (R-Rated movies should have "Adult")

Some materials may fall between two audience levels.  In those cases, the younger audience of the two is the preferred option.