El día de los niños/El día de los libros - (Day of the Child/ Day of the Book)
El día de los niños/El día de los libros is celebrated every April 30
The Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC), a division of the American Library Association (ALA), is now the national center for the El día de los niños/El día de los libros (Día) project celebration. El día de los niños/El día de los libros brings together children, books, languages and cultures. It is both a daily commitment and an annual celebration, on April 30, of the joys and wonders of childhood and the importance of literacy in the lives of families.
El día de los niños/El día de los libros is an enhancement of Children’s Day, which began in 1925 as a result of the first "World Conference for the Well Being of Children" in Geneva, Switzerland. Children’s Day was designated as a day to bring attention to the importance and well being of children. It was then designated by the United Nations for November 20, by UNICEF for April 23 and by Mexico for April 30 (Día del Niño), to name a few. In 1996, Pat Mora, nationally acclaimed author of books for children and adults, proposed linking the celebration of childhood and children with literacy. Her proposal was endorsed by REFORMA, the National Association to Promote Library and Information Services to Latinos and the Spanish-Speaking in 1997. Subsequently, the National Association of Bilingual Education (NABE) endorsed the observance.
In 2001 and 2002, the W.K. Kellogg Foundation awarded grants to ALSC to promote the Día concept nationally to children and their parents. Other Kellogg grants were awarded in North Carolina to a Latino advocacy group, and to the Texas Library Association to produce a statewide model. Please see http://www.texasdia.org. The resources on the site include a tool kit for librarians, teachers, parents, students and community organizations. The tool kit features downloadable material that is easily used, and affordable for the user.
In 2003, the W.K. Kellogg Foundation awarded a grant to the University of Arizona School of Information Resources and Library Science. The grant enabled the university to host a meeting of a National Advisory Committee (NAC), to support Día celebrations.
The Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC) develops and supports the profession of children's librarianship by enabling and encouraging its practitioners to provide the best library service to our nation's children. ALSC provides leadership to the profession and public on behalf of high quality library services that support children in becoming lifelong learners. To these ends, the ALSC mission expands on the vision and mission of Día.
Día’s vision is to spread "bookjoy" every day by linking children from all languages and cultures with books, and celebrating together across the country on April 30. The Día mission is for every community to celebrate El día de los niños/El día de los libros. Its goals are to honor children, their languages and culture; to encourage reading and literacy; and to promote library collections and programs that reflect our plurality.
ALSC is committed to institutionalizing Día and disseminating information across the country about the importance of programming in libraries, schools, childcare centers, community centers and all venues.
Currently, the National Advisory Committee (NAC) Chair is Oralia Garza de Cortes, Latino Children’s Literacy Consultant. Members are: Pat Mora, author; Dr. Malore I. Brown, Library Consultant; Rose Treviño, Youth Services Coordinator, Houston Public Library, Chair of the Texas Library Association’s ad hoc Kellogg Advisory Committee; Kathleen T. Horning, Director of the Cooperative Children’s Book Center; and Kathryn Toon, Program Manager, State Library of Florida.
Prior to the Día 2005 celebration on April 30, ALSC distributed brochures (printed in English and Spanish) that were developed and printed through previous grants received from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation. These brochures contain useful information and resources for librarians and parents, including a suggested reading list. The brochures may be found at http://www.ala.org/ala/alsc/alscresources/eldiadelosnios/eldadelosnios.htm
For further information, contact Linda Mays at 312-280-1398 or lmays@ala.org.
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