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Public Libraries, Children and Young People and Social Exclusion

Vincent, John (2000) Public Libraries, Children and Young People and Social Exclusion, in Muddiman, Dave, Eds. Open to All? : the Public Library and Social Exclusion, chapter 8, Vol.3, pp. 144-177. London: Resource: The Council for Museums, Archives and Libraries.

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Abstract

The paper begins by considering the dimensions of the social exclusion of children and young people, including poverty and its relationship with exclusion from school. It then reviews central initiatives in the area of children’s literacy. The paper then considers children’s use of public libraries, including access to library services and the effect of local and national initiatives on library provision. Challenges facing library services to children and young people (including school libraries) are considered. Stock selection is specifically discussed as a key means of making an impact on social exclusion. The paper then traces the transition from the outreach approach pioneered in the 1970s to a focus on building based services, followed, in turn, by an increased emphasis on education from the change of Government in 1997. Various initiatives are detailed, but it is questioned whether there is sufficient emphasis on social exclusion. It is concluded that services to children are often marginalised, for reasons such as non-mainstream funding, and that libraries are still institutions serving primarily the privileged. Public libraries therefore need to tackle social exclusion as their main purpose, and recommendations towards this end are made(May 1999)

Keywords:children, public libraries, social exclusion, United Kingdom, young people
Subjects:C. Users, literacy and reading. > CF. Reading and story telling.
B. Information use and sociology of information. > BD. Information society.
C. Users, literacy and reading. > CC. User categories: children, young people, social groups.
C. Users, literacy and reading. > CE. Literacy.
ID Code:5472
Deposited By:Muela-Meza, Zapopan Martín
Deposited On:23 January 2006
Alternative Locations:http://www.seapn.org.uk/workingpapers/vol3wp8.rtf
All fields:Show all fields

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