According to librarians, starting around 2005, there has been an increase in attendance at public libraries. More and more people are writing as regular readers. What are the requirements for design and arrangement of libraries, especially for young readers, what is a children's corner in a children's library and how to create it? We find out what's new in the organization of leading children's libraries in the country and abroad.
Portrait of readers of the new time
Many modern institutions of this profile are able to break the stereotypes that the library is boring, and apart from dust and dissatisfied librarians there is nothing to look for.
In fact, contrary to the era of the popularization of electronic books, more and more readers are drawn to paper publications, go to reading rooms, while away their free evening or night time in the library. And this is not surprising, because more and more people from the working outskirts go to the library. What attracts them? Firstly, it is the pleasure of communicating with the same readers. Secondly, pleasure is free. Thirdly, the development of the intellectual level has not bothered anyone.
A special attention of readers deserves a children's corner in the children's library. After all, the most frequent visitors today are parents with children. A child reads a book, and parents go to a club of interests, right there in the library.
Of course, not all institutions have halls for adults and children at the same time. But, for example, you can even create a special, fairy-tale, or simply non-standard and creative corner to attract children, even in a small library. In the photo - a children's corner in the library, the design of the reading room with the organization of the play area, a place to listen to music or reading.
Children are the main owners of libraries
In children's libraries, of course, the main visitors are children. The time they spend in the walls of this institution can be turned into an interesting and entertaining event. Some libraries arrange small makeshift theater stages with weekly shows of short fairy tales, performances or the presentation of new products and receipts that are most interesting and necessary.
How to arrange a children's corner in the library? There is no general order, and this is perhaps a plus, because there is scope for imagination, creativity. However, most often they organize a corner of emotional and rational reading. The emotional zone includes the most interesting books, the child can immediately read and choose a book for home reading. The corner of rational reading will not do without publications included in the school curriculum, including additional literature for in-depth study of school subjects.
In the photo you see an option on how to arrange a children's corner in the children's library.
Tiered order
The multi-level model of children's libraries is especially in demand. When the reading space is organized according to the following principles:
- availability of books;
- visualization of decorated stands and corners;
- An originally organized space for information and interest.
For each age group of the children's corner, a certain zone is allocated in the children's library, but without “hard boundaries” so that the reader can freely change levels if he wants.
At the same time, study tours to libraries are recommended for the smallest. During them, readers are shown how a library card is issued, how books are issued, how long it takes to read them, when and in what form they need to be returned.
Libraries tailored to different reader interests are always full of visitors. In the photo you see an example of successful zoning, which allows you to have fun in the children's library not only for children but also for adults.
Single library space, or how libraries are arranged in Finland
Speaking about the multi-level space and the free transition of readers from one level to another, one cannot but recall that readers come to the children's library for various reasons:
- Someone wants to usefully spend time with a child.
- Others are looking for school curriculum textbooks.
- Parents come with their children to the children's library before the holidays to find something to read for themselves and the child.
One can advise organizing in such cases a futuristic tree on which ready-made sets in bags for reading on the road, on vacation, at home “grow”.
In the photo there is a library tree with ready-made sets of books.
Perhaps every library can collect such a tree or a shelf for the exchange of books. This trend has become very popular lately. You bring your book (detective story, romance novel, children's literature), leave it on the library shelf for free, and in exchange take what you like and is free to read, left by other readers. A kind of brotherhood of bookworms.
The main thing for the children's library today is not to stay away from the reader, because reading is the future.