Library services for the early years: Policy, practice, and the politics of the age

Rankin, Carolynn

Permalink

https://hdl.handle.net/2142/94946 Copy

Description

Title

Library services for the early years: Policy, practice, and the politics of the age

Author(s)

Rankin, Carolynn

Issue Date

2016

Keyword(s)

Library services

Abstract

Children’s services have a high profile today, as policymakers are concerned about effective education and the level of reading skills. Political policies influence and shape what is offered to our communities, and it is important for practitioners to be effective in developing and delivering a range of services to meet local needs. The political dimension relating to issues around the child and the family is complex, and this paper discusses, often with reference to the UK, some of the challenges associated with the provision of public library services for the early years and young children. Librarians have a valuable contribution to make to the early years by providing activities that support the development of language, communication, and literacy skills. Working as partners with other agencies enables proactive library services to develop and customize services specifically for their local communities, and librarians are successfully building partnerships based on bookgifting and early intervention literacy programs. The library has a role to play in helping to generate social capital at the individual level by providing support for families and parenting activities. Funding, sustainability, and accountability are at the center of most initiatives and programs, but many practitioners may not be aware of the complex political landscape in which library services for the early years are delivered.

Publisher

Johns Hopkins University Press and the Illinois School of Information Sciences, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

Type of Resource

text

Language

en

Permalink

http://hdl.handle.net/2142/94946

DOI

https://doi.org/10.1353/lib.2016.0022

Copyright and License Information

Copyright 2016 Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois

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