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Mesa Redonda I Brinquedotecas no mundo
Coordenação: Isilda Leonor da Silva Santos Marques
3079 - Toy Library: History and Present Prospects
Isilda Leonor da Silva Santos Marques; Renate Fuchs - Suíça Portugal ( p-r.fuchs@bluewin.ch )
After Australia, Europe is the second smallest continent. Europe has
about 740 million inhabitants which means the second biggest population
after Asia. There are around 40 independent countries with
many different languages. The different names for a toy library show
this very well:
Leisure Library Toy Library, Legeteket, Ludothek, Spielothek, Játéktár,
Ludothèque, Jucarioteca, Ludoteca, Ludotecà.
In 1959 the first Toy library was founded in Denmark. 1960 The UNES-
CO presents a plan to create toy libraries. From then on, toy libraries
were founded in many countries
Nowadays Europe has around 5500 toy libraries. In most of the countries
toy libraries are open to everybody, to children and adults, to different
groups and organisations.
In some countries like Sweden, Denmark and Greece toy libraries are
only dedicated to persons with special needs. Most of the countries
have a national organisation.
In most countries toys can be lent out for the use in families, schools
etc. and users can play on site. All toy libraries organize different play
activities during the year in order to create the awareness that play is
very important for the development of children.
Even if they are run in a very different way, the definition is the same
for all of them:
“”Toy Libraries provide resources for play, including toys, games, trained
staff and dedicated space”” This definition is in addition of the definition
of ITLA
The Group of European Toy Libraries (ETL)
During the 7th International Conference in 1996 in Zurich (Switzerland)
a survey was made among the European participants of the conference.
It was decided:
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• to create an informal group in order to exchange information, to
work together,
• to find common activities, to promote toy libraries.
Since 1996 more than 20 countries have joined ETL and a European
meeting is held every year in a different country, till now in Switzerland,
France, Portugal, Great Britain, Italy, Austria, Romania, Greece,
Spain, The Netherlands and Belgium.
ETL is an informal group of national associations of toy libraries or similar
organizations and is an active section of ITLA.
What has been achieved
• Regular meeting with exchange of information, a common definition
of a toy library, a common flyer, detailed information about
the structure and the training possibilities of the toy libraries in
the different countries, an active network among the European
countries.
Work in progress
A documentation for toy libraries is actually on the agenda of the meetings.
So far a paper with the following themes is in work:
1. Rational and legal framework, definition of a toy library
2. Competencies regarding management and strategy
3. Competencies for toy librarians (paid or not paid)
The next step will be a charter of quality andor standards.
What is on the agenda for the future:
• To support all efforts to help to create the new profession “”toy
librarian””
• To allow exchange of personal between the different countries
• To work for more recognition of the toy libraries
• To promote the cultural value of play and games