Children´s Libraries in Sweden

1. Children´s Libraries in Sweden Eva Fred and Katarina Dorbell Consultant librarians County Library of Västra Götaland

2. Introduction • Library Act 1997 • every municipality shall have a public library • loans must be free of charge • open, free access - no charge to use the libraries or its resources • priority groups: children, teens,disabled persons and immigrants

3. Library system • The public lending library- most widespread cultural institution in Sweden • 1400 main libraries and branches • 47 million library visitors (total 2002) • Trained Children´s librarian at every main library

4. Mobile Library “Book-bus”

5. Statistics • 18,5 loan per child and year age 0-14 • 9 out of 10 children age 3-8 visited the library during the last year • 1/3 of children age 3-8 has participated in storytelling hour at the library

7. Pre-school activities • Pre-school • Family day-care • Open pre-school

8. Pre-school (cont.) • An educational group activity for enrolled children between 1-5 • 77 % of all children age 1-5 attended pre-school and 10% family day-care (2001)

9. Pre-school has its own curriculum Marks the importance of the pre-school as a first step in life long learning Care and education going hand in hand Learning and development Importance of a rich language Pre-school curriculum

10. Compulsory School • All children between 7 and 16 must attend school • Education is compulsory and free of charge • Included in the compulsory schooling are special schools (deaf children) and schools for the learning disabled

11. Article 3best interests of the child shall be a primary consideration Article 12right to express views Article 13right to freedom of expression The Convention of the Rights of the Child

12. The Convention of the Rights of the Child • Article 17encourage production and dissemination of children´s books • Article 23disabled Children should enjoy a full and decent life • Article 31right of the child to rest and leisure

13. Network • Child health centers • Pre-schools • Schools • After school care • Children´s librarianslocal,regional,national,international levels

14. Co-operation with Child Health Centres importance of introducing books and reading to the baby A book-gift for all new-born´s Nurse-Librarian-Parent co-operation Parental education at the libraries Preschools and Open preschools Children age 0-5What do we do?

15. Library introduction Book-bags Storytelling hour Sing together Nursery rhymes Children age 0-5 (cont.)

16. Library card at age 6 Book gift (some libraries) Cooperation with teachers Organized guidance for school classes Working in themes Children do research-work Library knowledge,catalouge,findingyour way in the library Age 6-12

17. Reading tips ”Devour” Age 10-12 Book-talks /Reading circles Story telling Writing courses/”circles” Writing camps Summer Reading Clubs Age 6-12

18. Age 6-12 • Meet an author • Exhibitions • Internet/Chat/Info - search • Programs such as Literature, Theatre, Music, Dance, Cultural inheritance, Arts and Crafts

19. Internet, info-search Chat, email Magazines Comics Graphic novels Fantasy Science Fiction Reading tips Reading groups Writing groups Meet the Author Discussion groups Camps Young people age 13-18What do they want?

20. “Alfons, Ellen, Kotten and all the rest…” pre-schools with a literature profile OpenPreschool in multi-cultural areas Brämhult/Norrby Clever Fox in Rinkeby learning reading by reading Reading promotions

21. The Bookjury Catalogue of books for children´s and young people The Children´s Library on Internet A Reading North Nordic library week The National reading day The Children´s literature week Reading promotions - National projects

22. Library service for children with disabilities

23. The Apple Library • special department at the library • offers a wide range of media for disabled children • in collaboration with teachers at special schools

24. The Apple Library at Gothenburg

25. The Swedish Library of Talking Books and Braille: TPB • An important resource for the public library • government body • produce and lending central to public libraries • provide inter-urban loans • DAISY(Digital Accessible Information System)

26. All children need books • all public libraries have talking books for visually or print impaired children • for visually impaired children there are also Braille books • no special libraries for talking books – part of the public service

27. Who can borrow? • every child suffering from a print impairment such as • blindness • partial sight • mental retardation • dyslexia

28. Learning disabilities • special talking books for reading trainingDAISY (Digital Accessible Information System) • books are read at varying speed • listen to the book and simultaneously read the printed text

29. Easy to read • Printed books easy to read • Short sentences • Easy vocabulary • For children with reading and writing disabilities and children with special needs

30. Mentally retarded • special talking books with sound illustrations • sounds more pleasant • makes it easier to listen to • the text is short and easy • read clear and slow

31. Braille books • picture books available for Braille readers • interfoliated – picture books which has been interleaved with transparent plastic pages with Braille text • transparent page contains the text and short description of the pictures • enables visually impaired adults to read to sighted children

32. Tactile picture books • used by blind or partially sighted children • relief pictures • Braille text and printed text on the same page • trains the spatial ability such as consciousness of direction: right-left, over-under

33. Examples of media´s at an Apple Library

34. Sign Language • For deaf children the library offers videos with stories in sign language • Childrens Library on the Internet provides book reviews in sign language

35. Physical disabilities • Is the library building accessible for people in wheelchairs? • Narrow doors -wide doors • stairs-elevator • lending desk - to high or reachable

36. Alternative and augmentative communication • Pictogram symbols • Introduced to serve as an alternative method of communication for people with a limited ability to speak, read and write • Children books with pictogram symbols

37. Alternative and augmentative communication • Communication with Bliss symbols • Children´s books with Bliss symbols

38. Open Media/Open Learning • Specially adapted computers offered to blind, visual impaired and /or persons with reading disabilities

39. Open Media (cont.) • Reading station computer • Scanner • Magnifying camera • Different screen reading programmes • Braille display • Braille printer • Computer games to support children with special needs

40. Open Media (cont.) • Special trained staff “Reading and writing assistant”

41. Work tasks: • Marketing • Guidance and teaching • Technical maintenance • Introduction to and teaching DAISY

42. Promote Children´s books and reading • The Apple library: • Trying to initiate reading project to children with learning disabilities • Help the teachers and caregivers find books for all children • Books are fun for all children!

43. Thank you! • Katarina Dorbell • katarina@barnensbibliotek.se • Eva Fred • eva.fred@vgregion.se

44. Meeting our young library users • Children ask questions - can the library answer? • The Convention on the Child • Integrity • Feeling welcome - staff, library room,, quality?