Journal
World Literacy Day on September 8th
„Zeit Punkt Lesen“ actively combats functional illiteracy in Lower Austria
The „Zeit Punkt Lesen“ initiative in Lower Austria has launched many projects to support reading, fostering reading competencies in children and young people. The reading jigsaw puzzle „Achtung, Fertig, Lies!“, (Ready, Steady, Read), „Leos Lesepass“ (Leo’s reading passport) and „Ansichtssache“ (a matter of perspective) are just a few projects that aim to prevent functional illiteracy in Lower Austria.
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International Student Competition: »lyrix«
Talented poets from all over the world were awarded in Berlin
Young poets from Bosnia-Herzegovina, Brazil, Kyrgyzstan, Croatia, Poland and Portugal, from Slovakia and Germany were awarded in the Berlin House of World Cultures on June 4th, 2010. German language learners had entered more than 1500 poems into the competition. The jury selected 25 award winners and invited them to a literary and intercultural exchange held in Berlin.
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Cellphone novels
A reading phenomenon made in Japan
Cellphone novels are a significant and cutting-edge example of the increasing popularity of works that do not originate from paper-based manuscripts, but from online formats. They illustrate the strong reciprocal effects of technical developments with literary formats. In her article, Johanna Mauermann discusses the position cellphone novels hold in Japanese literature, and whether they should be viewed as an indicator of a changing concept of literature.
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Euregio Young People Literature Award 2010
Young people from the European region Maas-Rhine honour Laurent Gaudé
The Euregio Young People Literature Award focuses on intercultural encounters of young people from Belgium, the Netherlands and Germany. For six months, 15 to 20-year old students investigated contemporary literature from their own and the neighbouring countries, they discussed and attended public readings held by the nominated authors, in order to reach a decision on the jurors’ day. “Eldorado“ by Laurent Gaudé reached the highest score of votes.
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2010 IBBY-Asahi Reading Promotion Award
Awards for reading promotion projects in Ghana and Colombia
The IBBY-Asahi Reading Promotion Award, initiated by the International Board on Books for Young People and sponsored by the Japanese newspaper company the Asahi Shimbun, is presented to projects run by groups or institutions that are judged to be making a lasting contribution to reading promotion for children and young people. The IBBY-Asahi Awards for 2010 go to Osu Children´s Library Fund, Ghana and Convenio de Cooperación al Plan de Lectura, Medellín, Colombia.
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World Book and Copyright Day 23 April 2010
World Book and Copyright Day 23 April 2010
In 1995, the UNESCO announced the World Book and Copyright Day on April 23, the date of death of both Shakespeare and Cervantes. Worldwide, reading festivals are organised on this date. The idea for a world day of books is rooted in a Catalonian tradition where on 23 April, Saint George`s Day, a rose is traditionally given as a gift for each book sold. In her message, Irina Bokova appeals to readers worldwide to celebrate books as cultural heritage.
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What does the EU spend money on?
Reporting and video filming competition by the European Union
Roughly 140 thousand million Euros of the EU budget are invested each year in all of Europe. Few people know, however, how this money is spent in their neighbourhood. The Directorate- General for the EU Budgets, on behalf of the EU Commission, now offers young people from Germany and Austria an opportunity to critically reflect upon the subject of the EU budget, by contributing a journalistic article or video-film. The closing date is June 30, 2010.
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Hans Christian Andersen Award 2010 for Jutta Bauer and David Almond
International Board on Books for Young People (IBBY) awards winners
This year, the renowned international children and youth literature award, the Hans Christian Andersen Medal, will be presented to Jutta Bauer, the illustrator from Hamburg, and British author David Almond. The international jury recognises Bauer’s ability to communicate with young readers, and Almond is awarded as the creator of a magic realism for children. The awards will be presented on September 11th, 2010, in Santiago de Compostela.
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Books unite people
Reading initiative Steiermark, Austria
„Exciting rather than educating!“ -this is the motto behind the „Leseoffensive Steiermark“, a reading initiative that was launched in autumn 2008, supported by the education department of the regional government of Steiermark. It intends to motivate children to read, promote a joy of books and engage parents in reading aloud and telling stories. Particularly with parents and educators alike, an awareness of the high significance of early reading for education is thus to be inspired.
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Residence scholarship for German school librarians in the United States of America
Librarian in Residence 2010
The "Librarian in Residence" program offers two German librarians an opportunity to experience the conditions and operations of US-American school libraries in a residence scholarship covering several weeks. The program is organised by the Goethe Institute New York in close collaboration with the American Association of School Librarians (AASL) and Bibliothek & Information International. Applications will be accepted until February 28, 2010.
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Sister Libraries for Children`s and Young Adult`s Reading
A programme of IFLA Section Libraries for Children and Young Adults
In a new programme of IFLA Section Libraries for Children and Young Adults, children’s libraries build a partnership, exchange views and experiences, collaborate and develop joint programmes for promoting children’s and YA`s reading.
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Sustainable language promotion through action-oriented reading
Reading plays turn reading into fun for poor readers
Numerous children find reading arduous once they have learned the alphabet. They perceive reading as boring, difficult and too demanding. Their motivation to read outside the classroom sinks. The Swiss teacher, author, trainer and book reviewer Willy Germann describes how action-oriented reading promotion supports a holistic promotion of language and reading.
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The favourite book of Lower Austrian readers
The initiative „Zeit Punkt Lesen“ is looking for the favourite book
For the second time, the initiative "Zeit Punkt Lesen" is looking for the favourite book of readers in Lower Austria. From November 1st until December 1st, 2009, all readers in Lower Austria are invited to vote for their favourite book. Video contributions can now be sent in for the first time, thus youths in particular are inspired to participate. The list of most popular titles will be continuously updated and is accessible at www.zeitpunktlesen.at.
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The Tamer Institute in Ramallah
Promoting Reading in in the West Bank and Gaza
With perseverance, audacity and resourcefulness, the Tamer Institute for Community Education has, for two decades, stimulated Palestinian children’s and young adults’ love of reading – and their creativity. For promoting reading under difficult circumstances the institute was awarded the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award on 2 June 2009 in the Stockholm Concert Hall.
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Interview with Jean Williams
Managing director of Biblionef South Africa
Reading promotion in South African schools is normally subject to teaching languages and literacy. The teaching of reading ideally takes place in the child’s local indigenous language and after three years, the English language will be added to this. Biblionef donates books for children who are are unable to purchase books, provides funds for the printing of books in African languages and prepares Braille and large print books for visually impaired children.
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32. Congress of the International Board on Books for Young People
8 to 12 September 2010 in Santiago de Compostela
September 2010 will be dedicated to child and youth literature in Santiago de Compostela: the Galician capital will be hosting the 32nd International Board on Books for Young People (IBBY) congress from September 8 to 12. Several hundreds of participants are expected to meet in workshops, attend lectures and seminars on the topic, ”the strength of minorities”.
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Interview with Miyoko Hida
Characters Culture Promotion Organization, Japan
Ms. Miyoko Hida is the Managing Director of the Characters Culture Promotion Organization. The Organization was established to perform operations to support reading activities in schools and local communities and to promote type-culture in local communities. Ms. Hida reports of the “Law to Promote Children’s Reading” and of an educational guidance that prioritizes language-related activities throughout all subjects.
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The Reading Revolution on Merseyside, UK
A project with a large social outreach
The Reader Organisation, based on Merseyside, UK, wants to bring about a Reading Revolution. It works to maximise access to books and enjoyable shared reading to ensure that books do not remain on shelves, unread and ineffective but get into the hands of people who can really benefit from them. The leading social outreach project ‘Get Into Reading’ delivers weekly reading groups aiming to improve wellbeing, build community and extend reading enjoyment.
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Interview with Dr Helga Hofmann
South Tyrolean Reading Forum, Office for Libraries and Reading
The framework regulations for primary and general secondary schools in South Tyrol highlight the special role of libraries as a learning sphere. A special training for teachers contributes to anchoring the school library and reading promotion activities in lessons. The Lese Forum Südtirol (South Tyrolean Reading Forum) provides an open platform for sharing projects and networking activities from institutions and organisations engaging in reading promotion.
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Interview with Gerhard Falschlehner
Managing director of the Austrian book club
The Austrian book club is a socially active, non-profit network for promoting reading as well as a publishing house for issuing and disseminating youth media and reading promotion products. Gerhard Falschlehner reports about practice materials the book club has prepared for primary and secondary school education, and talks about “knowledge suitcases” packed with prized books, which provide an incentive for fact-based reading in all school subjects.
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LESEDOCKS for young patients in the reading country of Lower Austria
Reading stations promote creativity and health
The initiative “Zeit Punkt Lesen – Leseland Niederösterreich“ and the district hospitals holding corporation in Lower Austria offer a diversified alternative to the usual TV programmes in the children and youth hospital wards. Reading wards with books, language and signing games add entertainment to hospital routine.
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The USA – "a nation of avid readers"?
An essay
The American Way of Life and a lively reading culture – do these go together? Annette Zerpner’s travel report from daily life in the United States of America proves that these often go along very well indeed. The author was awarded the first prize of the Dietrich Oppenberg media award 2008 for her enlightening positioning of book culture in a society marked by social and political antagonisms.
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German Language Poetry Slam Championship in Zurich
Festival for stage literature in Zurich, 19- 22 November 2008
Approximately 250 slam poets from Austria, Germany and Switzerland competed against one another at the 2008 Slam in Zurich. Each of the participants was granted five minutes to fight for the audience’s approval. Bleu Broode from Bremen won the contest for the under 20-year olds, the solo contest was won by Sebastian23 from Bochum and Volker Strübing and Micha Ebeling from Berlin succeeded in the team contest.
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Interview with Isabel Alçada
National Reading Plan - Portugal
The National Reading Plan was launched in June 2006 by the Portuguese Government – Ministries of Education, Culture and Minister of Parliamentary Affairs - to promote reading in schools, as well as in public libraries and other social organizations. The main goals are the development of skills in reading and writing, as well as the broadening and deepening of reading habits.
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Alpha Award 2008 for the Swiss Institute for Child and Youth Media SIKJM
Project “Schenk mir eine Geschichte – Family Literacy“
The Swiss committee for the prevention of functional illiteracy has awarded the Alpha award 2008 to a project supporting reading promotion in families with migrant backggrounds. Intercultural mediators organise parent and child meetings on a regular basis. Reading animations in different languages encourage and enable parents to contribute to the reading of their children in their own native languages in a considerable way.
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Interview with Aad Meinderts
Managing Director of the Stichting Lezen of the Netherlands
The Dutch Reading Foundation aims to foster a "strong reading culture" and it accordingly endorses the concept of a continuous reading pathway. Hence, it organises and supports (educational) activities for children and youths of all age groups (0 to 18 years). Aad Meinderts, director of the foundation, talks about the objectives and particularly successful projects and initiatives, such as the national reading competition, with more than 85,000 participant children each year.
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Interview with Majo de Saedeleer
Director of Stichting Lezen, Belgium
All matters concerning reading promotion are given into the care of Stichting Lezen. The Ministry of Culture set out the mission of Stichting Lezen when it started (modelled after the Dutch Stichting Lezen). Recent policy stresses the attention for specific target groups: handicaped, young families, prisoners, low income groups, etc. Not only for reading of course but for all matters concerning participation in culture.
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Interview with Prof. Dr. phil. Gudrun Marci-Boehncke
Professor for German Literature and Didactics at the Pedagogical University of Ludwigsburg
Professor Marci-Boehncke would wish for considering reading promotion against the background of a conjunction of media right from the start. In her view, reading promotion should set in right after birth. Parents should provide their children with opportunities to come into contact with diverse reading media and first and foremost, they should talk to their children about what they have read.
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Interview with Dr Roland Marden
Booktrust Research and Development Manager
Diverse activities organised by Booktrust aim to establish a contact to books and to kindle a motivation for reading by this and other means. Dr. Roland Marden, the research and development director, talks about book donation campaigns and a project for eleven-year-old children who can choose a book amongst a selection and keep it.
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