A toddler in the library. The history and perspectives of service development in Poland

Abstract

Public libraries for children have a special place in the history of Polish librarianship. For years they have been trying to adapt to the needs of an increasingly demanding readers of the digital age. Until early 90s of the 20th century little was mentioned in the national peer-reviewed literature about the presence of children aged 0–3 in libraries. Since then the situation has improved considerably. The article introduces the issue of services for the youngest children and their parents implemented in Polish libraries, characterizing both the history and the uniqueness of this age group in libraries of the world. It also presents results of research on availability and repertoire of services offered to children aged 0–3 in Polish libraries.

Keywords

• biblioteka dla dzieci
• dzieci w wieku 0–3 lat
• wczesna inicjacja czytelnicza