Abstract
Children are complex individuals growing up in a rapidly changing world. Books and literacy are important for early development and lifelong learning, even in today's technological age. Early access to stories and to books is an essential part of the child's pre‐reading experience and needs reinforcing as they become sophisticated readers, learners and thinkers. The role of libraries is paramount in supporting the child's reading and ensuring equitable access to all, regardless of age, gender, race, wealth, physical or intellectual ability or geographical location. In addition to working with books, librarians are responding to the challenges brought about by the ‘information age’. Media and technology impact hugely on the development of the child and have had a significant impact on publishing for children. Provision of multimedia, audio‐visual and computer technology, in addition to the printed word, are the prerequisites for developing library services to children of the 21st century. Children's libraries now and in the future must have a remit to respond to established media and the emergence of new technologies both through its collections and its services. This article takes this as a starting point for a workshop on Children's libraries in Portugal, held during the Festival of Public Libraries in November 1998.
Published Version
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