The nineteenth “Medveščak’s” conference for children’s librarians was held under the title “When Little Hands Come Together: Sustainable Children’s Library” on March 26th and 27th 2024 at the Zagreb City Libraries – City Library, at the National and University Library in Zagreb, and via the video conferencing platform Zoom.

The conference co-organisers were Croatian Library Association (Committee for Library Services for Children and Young Adults), the Zagreb City Libraries (Medveščak Public Library and City Library), the National and University Library in Zagreb and IFLA Libraries for Children and Young Adults Section.

Participants had the opportunity to learn about a diverse array of experiences of the Croatian children’s librarians as well as the colleagues from the United Kingdom, Slovenia, Germany, Mexico, Turkey, Canada, Singapore and the United States. Examples of work in public and school libraries ranged from positive ones, showcasing advanced, sustainable, and innovative forms of activities and services for children and young adults, to negative ones, addressing the issues of advocating for the inclusion of neglected user groups, providing quality services in times of climate changes and resource cuts, and combating censorship and discrimination.

Nearly 150 participants, including 64 via Zoom, were given four invited presentations, ten Croatian and ten foreign examples of good practice. This year’s diverse program provided insight into various aspects of sustainability in children’s and school librarianship in Croatia and around the world: from long-lasting programs and community engagement to user education for sustainable development and innovative services shaped in the face of negative climate and social changes. Presentations and recordings of individual presentations will be available on the Zagreb City Libraries’ YouTube channel.

IFLA Libraries for Children and Young Adults Section’s midyear meeting was being held in the National and University Library in Zagreb parallel to the conference. The members of the Standing Committee spent three days working on the plan for the next period, with the focus on the section’s working groups’ projects, discussing the achievements, existing challenges and new ideas.

More information

https://youtu.be/5c96b30GeAc?si=KcuoHRzg91pXYHhW