Library Services for Young People

National Parents Council Primary (NPC) invite parents and children to participate in their summer book review.  The review is completed in two parts, the first by the child, who provides a review of the book , the second by the parent who provides more general information on the selection process for that book and the child’s general reading patterns.

The aim of the review is to enhance parental involvement in children’s reading.

All reviews received from the children that  are accompanied by the parents’ reviews will be entered into a prize draw (not based on merit) at the end of the summer. There will be one prize for each of the following age categories, namely 4-7 years, 8-10 years and 11-13 years of age.  Closing date for entries is the 27^th of August 2010. Download further details and application forms here.

The competition for capturing children’s attention is getting tougher all the time. Danish public libraries have accepted the challenge and together with the company Copenhagen Bombay and the Danish Agency for Libraries and Media they are now creating a national children’s library site.

The target group is tweens. Based on a humorous universe the site will highlight the libraries’ diversity of materials and competences.The site will also provide a framework where tweens can communicate with the library staff.

The name of the site is www.pallesgavebod.dk (Palle’s gift shop – a Danish figure of speech for everything being free of charge). The name is an ironic comment on the point that the children’s libraries with this site offer an enormous amount of experiences – for free. The site will focus on experiences rather than learning, a universe that presents books, films, music, games, mobile features, web sites and events in the physical library on equal terms. The universe will also include cartoons, smaller games, and music videos. There will be different themes that bring materials together in new contexts. Some of the themes are Records, The Other World, and Nerd.

Development of the platform for the site and the running of it are financed by means from the Coordination Group for Net Libraries. The site was launched in March 2010. (Scandinavian Public Library Journal, vol. 41, no.3, 2010)

This project features the provision of a library service to a rural community through a partnership with Clocha Rince National School. The main objective is to provide a template which can be easily replicated and adapted to provide a similar community resource via community partnerships and facility sharing approaches.
This initiative has provided an increase of 400% in opening hours (service had been the mobile library). Community services also provided include public access PCs, study facilities, parent and toddler groups, active age, social information evenings and other services targeted at specific groups.
The cost of the average standalone library of a similar size is €249,000 in the first year whereas Clocha Rinca has cost €60,000.

In an article published in The Irish Times on 13th July, top Irish writers, John Connolly, Joseph O’Connor and Siobhán Parkinson humorously recall their childhood summers in which they enjoyed reading and exploring the choices available at their local public library.  In turn they believe that the early fostering of reading in their homes greatly influenced their profound interest in literature and their careers as writers.

The article is interesting and insightful for all parents who are trying to nurture an interest in reading in their children.  Read more

South Dublin County Libraries are launching children into orbit for an intergalactical adventure that will keep them reading throughout the school summer holidays. Space Hop Summer Reading Challenge is simple – children are encouraged to read six or more books of their choice during the holidays with collectable incentives and rewards, plus a certificate for every child who completes the Challenge. This popular reading challenge is an important tool to inspire children to read in the long summer break from school when their reading skills can decline.