Children’s Libraries: Uses And Rights
In addition to school and home, there are many other activities that are important in promoting children’s development. Among them are sports, games, music, theater, and of course, children’s libraries. Although it may sound strange, taking children to the library can have a very positive influence on various aspects of their development.
It is advisable that parents go to these cultural centers accompanied by the little ones so that they know the place, acquire the habit of visiting it and enjoy the activities that have been specially designed for them.
In many cities, there are many libraries exclusively for children. Next, we will see some elements to know more about children’s libraries.
Reasons to take children to the library
One of the main reasons for taking children to the library from a young age is that it will stimulate their interest in reading. If they have a wide variety of books at their fingertips that can entertain them, they will be highly motivated to look at them. It will be a very fun activity for them and they will probably want to go very often.
The environment of children’s libraries is the most suitable for children to want to read. The place is cozy, you can sit quietly and read in silence and very comfortably. The books are usually strategically located so that they can be easily reached.
Having children regularly visit a library is also a way of generating a very enriching habit in them on a cultural level. In addition , this will encourage them to stop being sedentary, as they will have to leave the house and walk there.
The library helps the little ones to learn the rules of coexistence
In addition to the above reasons, taking children to the library will also help them learn to respect certain rules of coexistence and, in general, to respect others.
The fact, for example, that other people are silent, will also make children remain silent so as not to disturb. It can also be used to teach them the importance of taking care of books so that others can also enjoy them.
The little ones will also learn that there are rules of coexistence in public places and that they must be observed. In addition to the silence and the care of the books, they must also learn to deliver the books on time.
Visits to the library will also teach children to value the public services they can use and to feel lucky to be able to do so. They will discover that there are free spaces specially designed for them where all the resources they need have been made available to them.
A little history of children’s libraries
One of the best known children’s libraries is the one that opened its doors in 1965 in the French town of Clamart. This library was called La joie des Libres and it was not the children’s section of a public library like any other. It was a space specially conceived for children and adolescents.
Although it was not the first children’s library in Europe, it had a great impact. This place had as a precedent another famous children’s library that opened its doors in Paris in 1924: L’heure joyeuse .
It was a library created at the initiative of an American institution as part of a plan to help rebuild the countries of Europe after the First World War. The most remarkable thing about this place was, without a doubt, the respectful welcome given to all children, regardless of their social or cultural origin. Something that was not common at that time.
This library had the particularity of having created a very bright and welcoming reading space, with furniture specially designed for children. The selection of the books was very rigorous and all were on shelves within the reach of the little ones.
The famous Parisian library was a truly revolutionary place that was very popular with the youngest readers and with the young, who found there a pleasant and welcoming space. The work of librarians was remembered for a long time.
