The Effect of Reading Programmes on Turkish School Libraries

Abstract

Reading programmes - everyone talks about them, but few Turkish school libraries provide enough of them. The literature consistently points to improved use of them in school libraries, but less than quarter of the librarians feel well prepared to use reading programmes. Many school library collections have insufficient foreign literature and limited representation of different cultures. In order to explore this problem this presentation will include: the history of Turkish children's literature; the children's literature products in Turkish school libraries; the current profile of Turkish school libraries related to reading programmes; and the evaluation of changing needs and increasing demands for books and information. A combination of comprehensive literature review and original research on Turkish children's literature, reading programmes and Turkish school libraries provides the basis for a fresh and in-depth discussion of the increasingly complex relationships between these factors and children's needs.