Bookbabies, their parents and the library: an evaluation of a Flemish reading programme in families with young children

摘要

Bookbabies, an initiative from the Flemish Reading Association and the Flemish Centre for Public Libraries, is a pilot project organised in 10 Flemish cities where local public libraries worked together with 82 couples with young babies for two years to set up a programme called “having fun with books”. The objectives of the research linked to the pilot project were: (1) mapping the parents' experiences regarding the introduction of a reading promotion programme, and (2) presenting a wide range of good examples of practice. There was also a clear objective of including families who were more difficult to reach. Throughout the project, all families were surveyed three times in their own homes. The results of the study show, among other things, that parents particularly need more implicit support for reading to young children. The parents also greatly stress the affective side involved with reading, which resulted in the creation of reading rituals in the families.