On 27th November on the occasion of the “Day for the rights of children and teenagers” The public Library System of Milan received a very special present : a suitcase to travel in the world of he book . Read more The gift came form The Arnaldo & Alberto Mondadori foundation , which is a section of the internationally renowned Italian Publisher “ Mondadori” The suitcase has been devised as an interactive laboratory for activities and games for children to get to know the actors and the activities which enable to produce and achieve a book. In this way children will find out how a book is made, how it ac bused, how to choose it , how to preserve it , how to read , since there are different ways of reading and interpreting a text and each child can freely discover his or her own just like a traveler moving across the world of book . The suitcase is valid to be used together by librarian and teachers. Teachers Take their classes to the library witnessing actively to the the initiatives carried out by librarians who divide classes into small groups simulating a special trip into some aspects of the books thank to the various educational games contained in the compartments of the suitcase, for instance the reproduction of the tools used by a printer. The rules of the games from as special handbook which can be read on different levels and become an instrument for further in-depth by the teacher. This handbook can also be used as an individual diary for each child to be kept as evidence of this trip in the world of the book . The project was first tested at the beginning of 2008 in one branch library where it met with considerable enthusiasm . Therefore that it was decides to extend it to various libraries for three years involving several groups for a period of three years . The data for the evaluation of the project will be available by the end of 2010.
REMARKS AND COMMENTARIES
The main scope of the project is the creation of an emotional imprinting as well as a different approach to books in children, something that might remain their mind and in their heart. In this way children will perceive a book as a kind of familiar object, which, in turn, will help librarians in their task to put children in contact with books . Conversely children are going to perceive libraries as an attractive, pleasant and stimulating place for them to stay. Bearing in mind that reading is for life one can easily understand the importance of a strategically designed approach to books, approach significant for the life of a person as well as for the future f libraries. After being tested in libraries the “ suitcase” can be used for a larger set of implementations , involving teachers, publishers, booksellers involved to put a vaster network of contacts together in order to foster book and reading with the contribution of all these actors…that is a mostly welcome side effect of this project.
