Literacy and Reading Programmes for Children and Young People: Case Studies from Around the Globe

Literacy and Reading Programmes for Children and Young People: Case Studies from Around the Globe presents interviews with over 40 librarians from around the world who tell of their library programs. The volumes are arranged geographically with Volume 1 offering interviews from library professionals from the USA and Europe, and with Volume 2 sharing programs from Asia, Africa, Australia, and the Middle East.

The volumes highlight the diversity of the types of programs catering to the varying needs of children and young adults throughout the world. Case studies featured in this book outline the details of programs, events, and activities provided by over 40 organizations in the context of social capital and social inclusion. Each interview chapter discusses the contributions made to literacy development and community building of children and teens. With the many variations and examples of best practice, librarians and educators can glean new ideas for their own programs.

The interviews reveal the challenges and issues faced and the work being achieved in vastly different environments, in many geographic areas, and in diverse economic, social, and cultural contexts. The programs include those of national and state libraries, public libraries, and mobile libraries carried out by public libraries, NGOs, and commercial organizations in both developed and developing countries. They also feature programs of multicultural libraries, libraries for indigenous people, and libraries for refugees.

This publication complements the range of initiatives and activities carried out by IFLA?s Libraries for Children and Young Adults Section that supports library services and reading promotion initiatives catering to children and young adults around the world. These volumes are rich in variety and will provide much food for thought for creating unique and successful library programs.

"A rare opportunity to encounter the daily experiences of numerous international school librarians in a published work. [The book] introduces readers to a wide range of librarians working in rural and urban schools. The various experiences of these diverse librarians are captured through a question and answer format that highlights the challenges and opportunities they encounter. Read collectively, these interviews showcase commonalities among the profiled librarians nationally and internationally, serving as windows into the experiences of other librarians and as mirrors of shared professional values. At the same time, these conversations provide a treasure trove of inspiring narratives sure to spark rich discussions about global issues facing contemporary school librarians. . . . Certainly, this collection of interviews provides a large window of experiences that teachers can explore to better understand their colleagues in the school library."

Jamie Campbell Naidoo, PhD, Pauline Foster-EBSCO Endowed Professor, School of Library and Information Studies, University of Alabama, International Journal of Education and Literacy Studies

"An indispensable compilation of the best practices in the library industry. Throughout my career, I have found watching, listening and learning from other people?s real-life experiences on the front line to be extremely enlightening and beneficial. I attribute all of my successes as a leader to the valuable lessons that I have learned from my peers. This exceptional compilation of case studies is sure to imbue the reader with sparks for a myriad of great ideas and at the same time, help mitigate the chances of falling into a hole. Library services for children and young people are among the most important services that libraries offer. These services are an investment in the future and are more critical now than ever. I invite you to be inspired to create your own programming vision, advancing the library industry even further and making it even more transformative."

Lance M. Werner, Executive Director of the Kent District Library, Michigan, USA