Support Plan for the Promotion of Children's Reading Activities 2015 (2019 revised edition)

1. Background and Purpose

The International Library of Children's Literature (ILCL) was established in 2000 as a branch of the National Diet Library (NDL) dedicated to children's books. Since then, the ILCL has provided a variety of services in cooperation with related organizations.

The Act on Promotion of Children's Reading (Act No. 154 of 2001) was enacted in December 2001. The Cabinet also approved a Basic Plan for the Promotion of Children's Reading Activities in order to promote children's reading at the national and municipal level. In light of the principles set forth in this act, the ILCL, as a national library dedicated to children's books, developed the Support Plan for the Promotion of Children's Reading Activities 2010, which was designed to help promote children's reading activities in libraries across Japan.

Based on this plan, the ILCL has worked on providing more information through the Internet, building networks of people who are involved in services for children, and conducting survey research on promoting children's reading activities. In FY2014, the ILCL developed a new plan, the Support Plan for the Promotion of Children's Reading Activities 2015 (hereafter Support Plan 2015), in which the ILCL listed services which will be provided after its renewal in 2015.

However, the ILCL has been providing not just those listed services but also new ones which were not mentioned in the Support Plan 2015.

The circumstances around the ILCL have also changed: the National Diet Library Midterm Vision "Universal Access 2020" and the National Diet Library Milestone Goals 2017–2020 were formulated, and the Fourth Basic Plan Concerning the Promotion of Reading Activities by Children was approved at a Cabinet Meeting.

The ILCL decided to review the Support Plan 2015 and revise it based on these changes. In the new edition, the ILCL reflected the changes after 2015 and extended the period of the plan to 2020 in keeping with other NDL plans.

In cooperation with related organizations, the ILCL will continue to provide various services that lead to children continuing to read and use available libraries. Also, the ILCL will enrich the training programs and dissemination of information on children's books and reading, to support children's reading activities.

2. Implementation period

Six years from FY2015 to FY2020

3. Subjects of the plan

People involved in providing children's services at public libraries, school libraries, private collections, and other places throughout Japan

4. Implementation Policy

As a branch of the NDL, the ILCL, acquires, preserves, and makes available a wide range of Japanese and foreign children's books and related materials. At the same time, the ILCL provides various support for these subjects in accordance with the following four policies on using various information resources including our collection and in collaboration with related organizations.

Providing information on children's reading
Developing human resources and building networks
Implementation at the ILCL
Providing information by using library materials, etc.

5. ILCL Activities

Providing information on children's reading

1.1

Providing easy-to-understand information on children's books and children's reading activities on the ILCL website.

1.2

Distributing newsletters via email to subscribers and providing up-to-date information through a variety of media.
Developing human resources and building networks

2.1

Holding an Exchange Meeting on Children's Library Services every fiscal year for people who are involved in providing services for children: as basic group training about library services for children, this meeting will be an opportunity to present case studies, exchange ideas, and communicate with each other.

2.2

Holding lectures on children's literature to cultivate knowledge on children's books. Releasing lectures on basic subjects as remote training programs as well as enriching open lectures.

2.3

Dispatching instructors for basic training on books and services for children under the framework of the National Diet Library's Remote Training Programs.

2.4

Conducting basic surveys on the publishing of children's books and research studies into the promotion of reading activities.
Implementation at the ILCL

3.1

Holding research practice programs and lectures for teenagers, nursery rhymes and picture book readings, and story hour for children.

3.2

Introducing lists of materials available in the Teens' Research Room, Children's Library, and Meet the World to serve as examples of acquiring materials for children.

3.3

Providing content which encourages children to use the ILCL, including a kid's website, OPAC for kids, and digital exhibitions for junior high and high school students.

3.4

Continuing the book sets lending service to school libraries and showing material selection procedures and usage examples for reference. Also introducing a new set of science books.
Providing information by using library materials, etc.

4.1

Adding subjects and summaries to bibliographies of children's literature provided through NDL Online, etc. to improve the usefulness of the search function.

4.2

Continuing to provide various libraries with reference services on children's books, interlibrary loan services, and remote copying services.

4.3

Providing a search guide on books and services for children, and introducing case studies through the Collaborative Reference Database System.

4.4

Promoting and supporting children's reading activities via a permanent exhibition in the Researchers' Reading Room to provide domestic and foreign materials and information.

4.5

Holding exhibitions in the Museum and Gallery of Children's Literature, which will be completed in 2015, to provide children with opportunities to learn the pleasure of reading and become familiar with books, as well as small exhibitions in each reading room, and provide lists of exhibited materials.