Module Information

Module Identifier
DSM8810
Module Title
Focus on the Child : Reading and Libraries
Academic Year
2024/2025
Co-ordinator
Semester
Distance Learning
Reading List
Other Staff

Course Delivery

 

Assessment

Assessment Type Assessment length / details Proportion
Semester Assessment Essay  not more than 3,000 words  100%
Supplementary Assessment Essay  not more than 3,000 words  100%

Learning Outcomes

At the end of this module you should be able to:

  • describe the major influences on the development of the child;
  • explain the meaning, forms and value of literacy;
  • demonstrate an understanding of the acquisition of reading skills and the reading habits of young people;
  • summarise the influence which technology and the media have on the development of the child, children's book publishing and library provision;
  • describe the role of the British children's public library service and associated organisations in supporting the social, educational and cultural needs of the young;
  • outline the principles of managing the collection of a children's library;
  • discuss the value and range of promotional activities currently offered by children's libraries.

Brief description

Library services to children and young people have long constituted one of the most important branches of the public library profession. Collections and services have evolved to support the social, cultural, educational and recreational needs of young people as well as the fundamental requirement for literacy in its many variant forms. In creating library provision for the young, the profession has recognised that children and young people do not constitute a homogeneous group. Increasingly, children's librarians have also recognised the need to extend their services to those adults who are concerned with young people, and collections on topics such as parenting, child development, even adult fiction are being established in many children's libraries. Central to the success of provision is the need for a cadre of librarians who possess the requisite specialist skills, a coherent national policy for children's librarianship, and management structures which facilitate comprehensive services to the young.

Content

Library services to children and young people have long constituted one of the most important branches of the public library profession. Collections and services have evolved to support the social, cultural, educational and recreational needs of young people as well as the fundamental requirement for literacy in its many variant forms. In creating library provision for the young, the profession has recognised that children and young people do not constitute a homogeneous group. Increasingly, children's librarians have also recognised the need to extend their services to those adults who are concerned with young people, and collections on topics such as parenting, child development, even adult fiction are being established in many children's libraries. Central to the success of provision is the need for a cadre of librarians who possess the requisite specialist skills, a coherent national policy for children's librarianship, and management structures which facilitate comprehensive services to the young.

Module Skills

Skills Type Skills details
Subject Specific Skills Evaluation of print and e-resources for children; management of print and e-resource collections; developing promotional strategies for children’s libraries and skills for working in partnership with library and non-library institutions.

Notes

This module is at CQFW Level 7