Library Services For Children Research Articles

Early Literacy Learning for Future Library Paraprofessionals: Authentic Learning in Library Education

This article describes the professional learning around early literacy experienced by library paraprofessional students at a post-secondary institution in Canada. Students completed a survey to gauge their conceptions of early literacy at the beginning of a course on library services for children and young adults. These students then experienced hands-on, engaging course elements such as in-class discussions, guest speakers, and authentic assessments. At the conclusion of the course, students were again surveyed and were asked to identify course elements that contributed to their learning. Most students aligned with an emergent literacy approach to early literacy. While a comparison between the two surveys did not reveal a significant difference in terms of students’ conceptions of early literacy, multiple students identified the hands-on elements of the course as beneficial. The researchers conclude that providing authentic professional learning opportunities that include knowledge application reinforces learners’ conceptions about emergent literacy.

The Genesis and Development of Children’s Libraries in the Independent Republic of Latvia (1918−1940)

The article is dedicated to one of the “blank pages” in the historiography of Latvian libraries − the beginnings of children’s departments in public libraries and independent children’s libraries, from the idea, its implementation and the first twenty years of operation in the independent Republic of Latvia (1918−1940). As there are no academic or popular publications on this topic, the so-called historical method is used in the research, which allows the reconstruction of the emergence and development of Children’s departments in public libraries and children’s libraries in the context of the library sector’s development in Europe and the United States. The main base of the research: press articles and books of the respective period, as well as documents in the National Archives of Latvia on the children’s departments of Rīga public libraries.
 The study shows that the ideological justification for free children’s libraries in Latvia was the same as in Russia and Sweden: the public’s desire to protect children and young people from the harmful effects of “pulp” literature (at that time even the term “dirty” literature was used) and to offer them “good” books instead. However, at the beginning of the 20th century, Latvia lacked the main precondition – a network of free public libraries, within which children’s departments in public libraries or independent children’s libraries could be organised. The first children’s department in a public library was only opened in December 1919 in Liepāja (the largest city in Latvia’s Kurzeme region), thanks to the enthusiasm of publicist and politician, library manager Voldemārs Caune and his conviction of the need for such a service. Until the Soviet occupation, it was the only children’s department at a public library in the province.
 The situation in the capital Rīga was different. Here, the first children’s department aimed at reducing the “book famine” was established by the State Library of Latvia in February 1922, but soon other organisations became involved in the provision of library services to the younger gene­ration. During the first period of independence of the Republic of Latvia, ten Children’s departments were opened in the public library system and at least ten more children’s libraries were opened by charity organisations in different city districts. The encouragement of Caune and like-minded enthusiasts, mostly members of the Latvian Social Democratic Workers’ Party (Hermanis Kaupiņš, Teodors Līventāls, Emma Kalniņa, etc.) also played an important role in their establishment, as did the municipality’s readiness to provide the necessary financial support.
 Although the Liepāja and Rīga children’s libraries were used very actively, insufficient state and local government funding for libraries hindered the establishment of special library services for children in the rest of Latvia. Thus, until the Soviet occupation in 1940, a network of children’s departments at public libraries and children’s libraries was created only in Rīga. The Soviet occupation saw a new phase in the development of children’s library services, as the establishment of children’s departments at public libraries or separate children’s libraries became mandatory throughout Latvia.

Участие детей в принятии решений о развитии библиотек: опыт социологического анализа

The article examines the functions that modern libraries perform and substantiates the need for transforming and modernizing the space of children’s libraries in order to make them more appealing, improve their image, and attract the interest of the general public to this type of institutions. The following key trends of information and library services for children are outlined: the coexistence of electronic and printed books in the life of a modern child; the evolution of practical reading skills in the modern world (associated with the use of smartphones, personal computers, tablets, etc.); new forms and methods of working with children and adolescents in the context of digital technology development; changes in the nature of library and information services, and the new competence requirements for librarians due to the introduction of new technologies, including Web 2.0; an increasing transfer of library services to the virtual space. The paper presents methodological approaches of participating sociology that are most suitable for studying children’s views on possible changes in libraries. The authors demonstrate the advantages of applying child-friendly methods (drawing method, unfinished sentence method) and conducting polls for adolescents. The methods presented in the article are used to collect and study the opinions of readers from different age groups. It is easy for groups of adolescents to fill out an anonymous questionnaire. The most suitable method for preschool-age readers is the drawing technique, which allows a child who has not yet mastered the skill of written language to give answers to the researcher’s questions in an accessible and understandable form. For primary school children, the drawing technique can be supplemented by the method of unfinished sentences. It is also noted that, when composing surveys for children and adolescents, the basic approaches and requirements to compiling questionnaires for minors should be observed.

The economic value of library services for children: The case of the Czech public libraries

Public support of library services must be targeted towards children because these services play a key role in their development. However, no prior research has investigated the value of public library services for children. Specifically, earlier studies evaluated the value of public libraries as a whole, without considering library services for different stakeholders. The fact that children are not autonomous economic agents is another problem to address. These barriers can be overcome by using the contingent valuation method with parents/caregivers as the subjects queried and children used as the objects in this study. Thus, the economic value of library services for children can be obtained to support managerial decisions on services specifically designed for children. More precisely, this study is unique in that it develops a contingent valuation methodology for estimating the value of children's library services based on adults' willingness to allocate a proportion of municipal budgets. Both users and non-users were surveyed to verify the proposed methodology empirically. The results show that the perceived effectiveness (ratio between perceived benefits and costs) of children's library services is 11.2 (11.2 units of benefits for each unit invested) in Czech public libraries compared with 4.3 for a library as a whole. This finding confirms the essential role of children's library services, implying that public libraries should offer a broader selection of children's books and other services. The study also shows that the value of children's library services depends on the age, education and economic structure of the adults queried. In addition, their satisfaction with library services is another important determinant, indicating that public libraries can influence the perceived benefits of children's library services.

Sharing Magic Tricks among Librarians as a Process of Knowledge Preservation in Children Library services, Perpustakaan Nasional RI

Sharing Magic Tricks among Librarians as a Process of Knowledge Preservation in Children Library services, Perpustakaan Nasional RI

「児童サービス論」教授内容の提案 : テキスト分析を通じて(グループ研究発表, 第51回研究大会)

「児童サービス論」教授内容の提案 : テキスト分析を通じて(グループ研究発表, 第51回研究大会)

RANKIN, Carolyn and BROCK, Avril (eds.) Library Services for Children and Young People: Challenges and Opportunities in the Digital Age. London: Facet. 2012.

RANKIN, Carolyn and BROCK, Avril (eds.) Library Services for Children and Young People: Challenges and Opportunities in the Digital Age. London: Facet. 2012.

Sources: Library Services for Children and Young Adults: Challenges and Opportunities in the Digital Age

Sources: Library Services for Children and Young Adults: Challenges and Opportunities in the Digital Age

The Mission of "Little Star": Juana Manrique de Lara's Contributions to Mexican Librarianship

The Mission of "Little Star":Juana Manrique de Lara's Contributions to Mexican Librarianship Phillip Jones (bio) In the wake of the Mexican Revolution and after a year studying library science in the United States, Juana Manrique de Lara returned to Mexico City to begin work as library inspector for the Federal District. The story of her life and career in public and children's library service and library education is an historical narrative of both her emerging profession and her nation. This study focuses on Manrique de Lara's formative years (1899–1925) as she acquired an education and began her life's work in the midst of Mexico's prolonged civil war and subsequent reconstruction. Foremost, this study is a tribute, intended to share what too few librarians, even in Mexico, know: Juana Manrique de Lara helped establish librarianship in Mexico and passed her enthusiasm for the profession to a generation of librarians. Every society of the West today needs a certain number of doctors, magistrates, soldiers, and librarians—to cure their citizens when sick, to administer justice to them, to defend them, and to make them read. —José Ortega y Gasset, "Misión del bibliotecario" You have no idea of the enthusiasm I had, the love I felt for my profession. Indeed, it was my life, and they paid me. —Estela Morales Campos, "Entrevista: Juana Manrique de Lara" In the summer of 1924 and in the wake of the Mexican Revolution, twenty-seven-year-old Juana Manrique de Lara returned to Mexico City fresh from a year of study at the Library School of the New York Public Library to begin work as inspectora de bibliotecas (library inspector) for the Federal District. Manrique de Lara's mission, so well articulated over the course of her nearly forty-year career, was to recognize and respond to the needs of Mexicans of all ages for reading and for public libraries. In the midst of civil war she acquired an education, forged a career, and [End Page 469] Click for larger view View full resolution Figure 1. Juana Manrique de Lara, first professional librarian of the Departamento de Bibliotecas. In Estela Morales Campos, Educación bibliotecológica en México, 1915–1954 (Mexico City: UNAM, 1988), 97. made lasting contributions to librarianship in her homeland. The depth and reach of Manrique de Lara's work are reflected in her professional passions, which first encompassed children's library service, expanded to public library management, and then found tandem expression in teaching library education and as a government-appointed library consultant. Remarkably, as a young professional she succeeded by both conforming to and defying bureaucratic practice to bring children's library service, public libraries, and library education to the federal government's attention in the midst of and following the Mexican Revolution. There is very little scholarship that mentions Manrique de Lara and even less that examines her life and work in any depth. Accordingly, piecing together Manrique de Lara's early life and career is a challenging task. To do so, one must draw from a limited number of articles or sections of monographs, a single interview, contemporaneous government sources, and Manrique de Lara's own writings, almost all of which are Spanish-language materials published in Mexico and found in few public, university, or research libraries across North America. The foremost scholarship on Manrique de Lara is the work of Mexican library historian Martha Alicia Añorve Guillén, whose master's thesis led to two published articles on Manrique de Lara's contributions to the federal [End Page 470] government's library programs and to children's library services during the 1920s. Her conclusion, based on close comparisons of Manrique de Lara's early articles and Secretaría de Educación Pública (SEP) documents, is that although no official attribution was ever made, we can infer that the SEP heard and incorporated Manrique de Lara's suggestions into its now-landmark library planning between 1920 and 1924.1 Ample, yet not abundant in number, Manrique de Lara's own writings comprise the most compelling testament to her life, work, and ideas. With the exception of children's stories...

Bunko, the Home and Community Library in Japan: a qualitative study

Presents an account of bunko libraries in Japan. Bunko are home libraries or community-based libraries. The bunko movement, developed and managed by Japanese women on a voluntary basis, is aimed towards creating a better reading environment for children and filling the gaps in the provision of public library services. A bunko can be located in a house or any place where quality books can be made conveniently accessible to children. Services offered include free voluntary reading, book loans, storytelling, singing, reciting nursery rhymes, paper folding, and making toys and handicrafts. The bunko plays an important role in cultivating the reading habit in children at an early age in a homely and nurturing environment. Adults who are involved in bunko activities enjoy friendships forged among themselves and derive fulfilment from their participation and contribution. This unique library service is one of the models that are globally applicable for children's library services.

Library Directors' Perceptions of the Desirable LIS Education for Library Service to Schoolchildren

This study identified the professional knowledge and skills deemed necessary for the education and training of library and information science (LIS) specialists who provide services to school students, both in school and public libraries. Fifty-six directors of public and high school libraries in central Israel were surveyed by mail. The respondents stressed information technology (IT) skills and familiarity with information sources. Most of the directors held that general courses such as organization of information and library management as well as library services for children should be required of all LIS students during their basic education. However, there were important differences between the directors of school and public libraries in a number of areas.

Public Library Services to the Young in Sierra Leone

Running a children's library is one of the most satisfying jobs a librarian can perform. The children's librarian should be able to develop children's love for books and encourage them to read. These efforts, in turn, will improve their literacy skills and have continuing impact long after their school. In Sierra Leone, where the Sierra Leone Library Board (SLLB) has engaged in children's library services for a considerable period, concern has been raised over the effectiveness of these services. This article explores the problems the public library is facing in running the children's library.

Building with Three Pillars, or Lessons from a Two-Legged Stool

ABSTRACT There are three visions of public library services for children. One vision is that of the child as reader. The second is the child of the Information Age. The third is the child in the community. This paper looks at each one of those visions, drawing upon the author's own experience as child, mother, and librarian.

The development and present state of library services to children in Japan

Provides a general description of the movement for library services for children and children’s libraries, together with the modern public library movement in post‐war Japan. The Bunko as a home library, or a community‐based small library, is quite characteristic of Japan. The Bunko movement played an important role in improving the reading environment of children and the library service for children. The Chusho‐report (1963) and Shimin‐no‐Toshokan (1970) changed the concept of the public library in Japan. They contributed to an increase in reading facilities for children and the establishment of new public libraries. Children’s libraries at the national, public and private level are also described.

Electronic books for children in UK public libraries

This article describes a survey investigating the opinions of children’s librarians on the subject of electronic books. A questionnaire was sent by post to those responsible for public library services for children at each of the 208 local government authorities in the UK. The response rate was 77 per cent. Notable conclusions include the fact that there was a positive attitude towards including electronic books as part of the children’s library service, and a high proportion of libraries offered access to them, the majority through main libraries. A small majority of libraries were offering electronic books for reference use within the library, rather than lending them out like printed books. Many of the librarians believed that electronic books can attract new members to the library, and that offering electronic books will change their role. Respondents believed that electronic books are durable, and can exist alongside the printed items within the library.

Library services for children in the UK

The Library and Information Statistics Unit at Loughborough University has carried out annual surveys of library services to schools and children for a number of years. The historical background to these surveys is described. The detail in the information collected has increased over the years, and the response rates to the surveys are high. There has been a common core of questions, and some of these are used to demonstrate trends in provision and use of these services over the last five years. The overall picture for schools library services is encouraging. Despite many organisational and funding changes over the period, the majority of services which have survived appear to be rising to the challenge of providing continuing support to schools, with levels of provision and use maintained. For public library services to children, the picture is rather bleak, with cuts in both provision and use. It is little comfort to realise that the children's service is faring better than adult service provision in many areas, with the proportion of materials expenditure on children increasing, albeit slowly.

Managing Library Services for Children and Young People: A Practical Handbook

Managing Library Services for Children and Young People: A Practical Handbook

Book Review: Managing library services for children and young people: a practical handbook

Book Review: Managing library services for children and young people: a practical handbook

Informal programmes to support reading and libraries in developing countries

A post‐IFLA seminar, held at Srinakharinwirot University, Bangkok, Thailand in 1999 brought together 25 delegates from 20 different countries to discuss informal programmes to support reading and libraries for children and young people in developing and marginalised communities. The emphasis was deliberately on communities rather than countries, recognising that this was not necessarily only an issue for Third World countries. The seminar looked at how new strategies might be identified and shared, and effective innovative and informal initiatives disseminated. In the field of children's reading and children's library services, informal initiatives have often proved to be effective when they involve active participation from families and young people. This article analyses success factors of informal programmes and identifies a framework for successful replication and sustainability. It also shares ideas from the seminar and presents some selected examples of inspirational initiatives from around the world.

Library power for children

Summarizes the results of research by the Library Association into library services for children in the United Kingdom. Presents summary statistical findings on resourcing and operational aspects of school and public libraries, and outlines policy recommendations made by the Library Association on the basis of these findings. The picture of library services for children is worrying, as statistics gathered indicate. Describes activities during the Library Association’s “library power” programme and offers a rationale for the programme. Summarizes favourite reading of children and parents and highlights some events.