IFLA Children and Young Adults Section + IFLA Strategy
11 February 2021
Closely aligned to the IFLA Key Initiative 2.2 “Deliver high quality campaigns, information and other communications products on a regular basis to engage and energise libraries” IFLA’s Section on Libraries for Children and Young Adults (IFLA C&YA) has been leading two excellent projects, a brand-new project, the Safer Internet Day survey and the ongoing project World Through Picture Books.
Every day, libraries work to protect the security, privacy and wellbeing of their young patrons online — inside and outside of library walls! The IFLA C&YA Section released a Safer Internet Survey to celebrate the Internet Safety Day, asking libraries and librarians to share their experiences.
Jorun Systad, Chair of the IFLA C&YA Section shared a bit of the background how this project got started:
The Safer Internet Survey started with a conversation between Valensiya Dresvyannikova, IFLA’s Policy and Research Officer and the C&YA Officers at IFLA WLIC Athens. Our brand-new working group consists of 12 Section members from 11 countries and includes practicing librarians from a range of different types of libraries for children and young adults, library consultants, and researchers in the field.
Our task was to create “something” from our section in conjunction with the Safer Internet Day (February 9, 2021), and we quickly decided on a survey. A survey would allow us to see how librarians around the world contribute to making the internet a safer and better place for children and young adults.
Our initial survey features general questions that should provide a snapshot of international internet practices. Future surveys might be more specific, looking at training, privacy, bullying, cyber-security, or perhaps about something that we don’t yet know exists. For now, we hope many people take our survey and look forward to looking at – and sharing — the results!”
The survey results will contribute to the development of research-based tools, as well as webinars, presentations, and much more to raise awareness and share best practices with the wider IFLA community and the library field. Stay tuned!
Share your experiences in the new Safer Internet survey made by the IFLA Libraries for Children and Young Adults Section here.
The aim of The World through Picture Books program is to create an annotated list of picture books from around the world, recommended by librarians.
This is how it works:
Country coordinators submit ten favourite children’s picture books, selected by librarians in that country, against a set criterion. The online catalogue that is currently being developed by the Section allows librarians everywhere to identify and access quality titles for their own collections. The books provide new connections for children and families through literature, culture, and language.
The program was launched in 2011 and in August 2012 the first results were published with booklists from 30 countries. The 1st edition of the multilingual catalogue was published with an expanded 2nd edition in 2015. The latest version of this multilingual catalogue contained selections in 37 languages from 52 countries. Two exhibitions of the collection were created in the National Library of Japan and France and have been hosted in many countries.
Countries that have already submitted lists are currently being invited to review or revise their book selection in 2021. If your country has not yet participated, please contact the coordinators: Marianne Martens and Claire Stuckey.
The IFLA Section on Libraries for Children and Young Adults is currently seeking submissions for the 3rd edition of The World through Pictures Books. Submit your suggestions here.
Read more about the IFLA Strategy 2019-2024
How is your library or library association engaging with the IFLA Strategy? Let us know! Post on your social media, using the hashtag #IFLAStrategy and #WeAreIFLA or send an email to Despina Gerasimidou, IFLA’s Strategic Development Officer at despina.gerasimidou@ifla.org.
