Start with the Child calls for increased investment in children’s libraries
News 16/10/02
A radical new vision exploring the future of libraries for children and young people has been published today by CILIP: the Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals.
Start with the Child argues that children’s libraries need increased investment and must work in partnership with children themselves to deliver services more effectively in the future.
A specially commissioned piece of research (funded by Resource) was used to assess libraries’ current performance and recommendations for future. Child psychologists profiled the behaviour of young people at different stages in their development to allow libraries to better understand their needs.
Start with the Child recommends:
- libraries should use marketing strategies in all their activities with young people. The research shows the increasing sophistication of young people as consumers. All recent successful library promotions to young people (such as the Summer Reading Challenge which over 500,000 children participate annually) have addressed this trend
- projects - such as the Summer Reading Challenge, Bookstart and Out of School Hours Study Support - should be designated as core services which should be financed by government and delivered by all library authorities
- ICT must be used creatively to attract and deliver services to young library users
- increased partnership working is vital, between libraries, youth services and childcare providers and between school and Further Education libraries to support students whose time will increasingly be split between the establishments from fourteen upwards.
The report has already received widespread support. Baroness Tessa Blackstone, Minister for the Arts, writes in the Preface: “I welcome the findings of this report. It is vital that we constantly work to develop and refine the services which are on offer to young people in all our public libraries. This is part of the process”.
Professor Tim Brighouse states in the Foreword: “My vision of learning for children and young people in the future has the library, in all its forms, at its heart. We owe it to them to take note of the recommendations in this report.”
The working party for the report combined representatives from a diverse range of stakeholders - including senior library professionals, the Arts Council of England, the DCMS, the DfES, Ofsted, the National Literacy Trust and the Reading Agency. Individual experts, including the author Gillian Cross, were also members.
Jonathan Douglas, CILIP’s Adviser for Youth and Schools comments, “By commissioning, publishing and adopting Start with the Child, CILIP has demonstrated its commitment to library provision and its role in leading strategic thinking.”
Start with the Child is available on this website at: www.cilip.org.uk/startwiththechild
For further information contact:
Jonathan Douglas,
Youth and Schools Adviser
Tel: 020 7255 0500
Fax: 020 7255 0501
Email: jonathan.douglas@cilip.org.uk
Tim Owen,
Head of External Relations
Tel: 020 7255 0652
Fax: 020 7255 0651
Email: tim.owen@cilip.org.uk
Notes to Editors
- CILIP: the Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals is the major professional body for librarians and information managers, with around 23,000 members who work in all branches of the profession. Website: www.cilip.org.uk
- Resource is the government’s council for museums, archives and libraries.
- The Reading Agency administers the Summer Reading Challenge, which is currently run in 85% of public libraries.
- Bookstart is administered nationally by Booktrust. It gives free books and library information to babies when they visit the clinic for their 7-month check up.