TEMPLATE FOR DESCRIBING GOOD PRACTICE in Literacy Policies for Children, Adolescents and Adults This template is intended to provide a common format for collecting and analysing examples of good practice in literacy policies for all age groups. As this template has to cover a wide variety of different fields and practices, some sections might not be suitable or necessary for the description of specific examples. In this case please leave them blank. Part I. Description Name / Title of intervention Zadar čita / Zadar Reads 1. Abstract Zadar Public Library organizes the manifestation Zadar čita / Zadar Reads since 2009 as a reading promotion programme. After the An abstract of a successful city project in 2009, the following year Zadar Reads maximum of 300 words expanded across the whole Zadar county. is useful to provide a summary description of The manifestation is being held during one week every spring from the practice 2009 to today. The main goal is to promote reading with special focus on Croatian literature and Croatian authors. Modeled on Austrian and German state reading projects, Zadar Reads transformed these Central European manifestations into a Mediterranean variant with a branchy interinstitutional cooperation. Zadar Public Library itself organizes numerous reading events and activities in the Central Library, in all the branches and bibliobuses. In addition, the Library offers the possibility to numerous institutions and individuals to participate with their own activities, in cooperation with the Library or with other institutions. The activities are wide in scope and formed according to ideas and possibilities of participants but always in coordination with the Library. The largest number of programmes is aimed at children. The most known programmes for wider adult audience are the evening meetings with famous Croatian authors in the Zadar Public Library. Long lasting effects of the Zadar Reads are the three continuous library programmes that have been established during the manifestation: free library card for all babies until first year of life, two reading clubs for teenagers and adults and a library branch storytime programme Together through the stories. Interinstitutional cooperation includes participants from the library system (public, research and special libraries), from the educational
system (kindergartens, elementary and high schools with its libraries, University of Zadar), from the health and social care system (hospitals, retreat homes) as well as the cultural and heritage institutions (museums, theatres, archives). Volunteers also engage in the realization of numerous activities. From the very beginning Zadar Reads has won a high reputation in major institutions in the Zadar County, Croatian librarian community and in local and state media. Zadar is the fifth largest city in Croatia, with a population of 75,000. It is situated on the Adriatic Sea and it is the centre of Zadar County.The Zadar County has population of 170,017, accounting for 4.0% of the total Croatia's population. Zadar is popular for its rich history, architecture and culture. Along with Split and Dubrovnik, it is one of the centers of the development of Croatian literature. Today, there are plenty of cultural institutions including the Croatian Theater House, the National Museum and the University of Zadar, which was established in 1396. 2. Nation Croatia 3. Website http://www.gkzd.hr/?q=hr/content/zadar-%c4%8dita-2015-programza-srijedu-25-o%c5%beujka 4. Lead organisation Zadar Public Library 5. Main partners Public and school libraries in Zadar County, Research Library Zadar, kindergartens, elementary and high schools in Zadar and Zadar County, University of Zadar, Zadar County Hospital, Archeological Museum Zadar, Museum of Ancient Glass Zadar, National Museum Zadar, State Archiv Zadar, Puppet Theater Zadar, Croatian National Theatre Zadar, Matica hrvatska (one of the oldest Croatian cultural institutions), Retreat homes for the elderly and disabled people, Nursing homes for mentally disabled persons, Volunteers Center Zadar, Croatian book editors, various associations 6. Period of activity It has been held 6 times from 2009. as a weekly manifestation in the spring 7. Language(s) Croatian 8. Conceptual basis of the good practice examples Zadar Reads is based on similar Austrian and German state reading promotions Österreich liest (http://www.oesterreichliest.at/) and Deutschland liest (http://www.treffpunkt-bibliothek.de/). Please give a short description, and references or links to important documents. The point of difference: Croatian version encompasses only City and County of Zadar. Its goal is not to attract people to visit libraries (as in Austria and Germany), on the contrary it is to promote reading outside libraries, in as many institutions as possible, including those
whose primary area is not connected with reading at all. 9. Objectives Its goal is not to attract people to visit libraries (as in Austria and Germany), on the contrary,it is to promote reading outside libraries, in as many institutions as possible, including those whose primary area is not connected with reading at all. 10. Target group(s) (Please indicate which age groups or school grades are specifically targeted by the intervention) All age groups: the babies, preschool and elementary school children, children in hospitals, teenagers, university students, adults, seniors, people with mental or/and physical dissabilities 11. Number of people involved (e.g. % of the total population of the country or of the total target population, if a specific target has been set) 12. Methods for recruiting participants (target group) (if applicable) A librarian from the Zadar Public Library, the coordinator of the manifestation, invites the potential participants personaly or sends post and email invitations. Then the assemblies with various groups of participants are held (e.g. with school librarians, with the representatives of all the major Zadar institutions as health and social care institutions, cultural institutions and so on). For specific types of programmes such as literary quiz show Knjigoteka or competition for the best photography on a reading topic, there is a public invitation through all kinds of media (daily papers, portals, library web-site, TV and radio stations ) 13. Professionals Librarians, writers, editors, educators, teachers, cultural workers, involved (e.g. teachers, health care professionals, social workers, volunteers, actors, librarians, volunteers, politicians. health care professionals, social workers, artists, ) 14. Role of each professional Describe briefly The role of each professional is to promote reading in his institution according to his own creative ideas and financial possibilities, but the timing and programme must be coordinated with the Zadar Public Library. During the initial meetings in the library, everyone can make a proposition of the programme contribution. When it is necessary or asked for, the manifestation coordinator (a librarian from Zadar Public Library) can give an advice or recommendation and offer practical support (by reading materials, requisites, staff...) 15. Main activities There are numerous programmes for children and teenagers: various
(Please describe briefly, types of reading aloud programmes as storytimes in libraries, schools, referring to time lines kindergartens, hospitals, nature and so on; creative workshops linked or sequences if with reading, storytimes with people from public life; small dramatic applicable) performances, book exhibitions, meetings with the authors of children books etc. 16. Implementation process Please describe any phases of implementation related to progressive scalingup or addressing different topics For adults and seniors: daily literary meeting with the most known Croatian authors, finale of a literary quiz Knjigoteka, reading meetings for seniors, book exhibitions, Round Tables etc. 17. Resources and materials The translation of materials is in progress List / describe the main resources used in your programme, and give links for accessing them, if applicable 18. Financing - Where do the funds for the intervention come from? How much per year / for the whole time? - Who makes decisions about budget allocation? 19. Evaluation - Is there currently an evaluation of the ongoing intervention? Who is conducting it (external or internal entity)? Which methodology is being used? (Indicators, periodicity, design, sample / control group, quantitative and In the years 2009, 2010 and 2011 Zadar Reads has been funded exclusively by the Zadar Public Library, with the exception of one minor donation by the Bank of Zagreb. From 2012 on the manifestation has been included in the programme Days of County Zadar, and accordingly funded by a County of Zadar with a small amount of money. From 2012 on the Ministry of Culture of Republic Croatia has included Zadar Reads in the cultural programmes funded by the Ministry. Every year evaluation is internal and made by a Development Team in Zadar Public Library, with the goal of organizational improvement. In autumn 2014 a coordinator librarian from Development Team, who is responsible for the organization of Zadar Reads, has made an evaluation of participation of school libraries (quantitative method). The results have been presented on a State Conference of Croatian Association of School Libraries in October 2014.
qualitative methods, etc.) 20. Results of the evaluation Report data and give a brief statement summarising the results of the evaluation; provide references if published results are available 21. Benefit incidence (Proportion of the resources and benefits of the programme that go to the most disadvantaged 20% of the population. This indicator has been developed to evaluate development projects and their ability to produce a redistribution / equity effect. It is a crucial indicator to be proposed, taking into account that equity is one of the key dimensions proposed by the High Level Group.) In general, the number of institutions-participants in Zadar Reads has increased from 15 participants in the beginning (2009) to 67 (2013). One half of all the school libraries in the County also participated in Zadar Reads (29 school libraries). Zadar Reads in numbers (from 2009-2014): a. Multi-day programmes (as exhibitions, organized multi-day visits of children ): 51 b. Individual activities held by the Zadar Public Library, other public libraries and other participants - without school libraries (meetings with authors, reading promotion activities ): 290 c. Activities of reading stories in Zadar County Hospital: 52 d. Activities in school libraries: 179 All-together: 572 There are numerous articles about Zadar Reads in local newspapers and e-resources. About the manifestation in article Zadar Public Library : reading promotion in local community : Zadar Reads in Proceedings Library - communicational and multicultural centre of the local community, Zagreb : Nacionalna i sveučilišna knjižnica, 2012, p. 225-252. (author H. Novak Penga). There are several types of reading programmes for disadvantaged population: reading of hummoristic prose for the seniors in the Retreat Home for the Elderly and Disabled People in Zadar (from 2010) and for the patrons of the Retreat Home for Adults in Zemunik (easy mentally disadvantaged people, from 2014), various reading programmes for the patrons in the Retreat Home for Mentally Disadvantaged People St. Francis in Zadar (from 2011), poetry reading programme for the patrons of the Psychiatric Hospital on the island Ugljan in cooperation with the Volunteers Centre Zadar (from 2014). For the ill children in the County Hospital Zadar (Department of Pediatrics) numerous storytelling programmes have been held by volunteers (highschool pupils) and local famous people (actors, journalists and so on). 22. Anything else you This year's programme is already online and it includes various
think we should know... activities such us: 1. Presenting material and reading stories about space for students of the first classes of elementary school. 2. Literary meeting for children with ZeljkoHorvatVukelja (famous Croatian writer) 3. Reading poetry and prose about traveling with popular Croatian poets in a house for elderly and disabled people 4. Workshops for children about how to read and understand geography 5. Exhibition Travel on Zadar and Dalmatia in the National Archives in Zadar. The exhibition will be displayed in Dalmatia travel books from the 18th to 20th centuries that belong to the State Archive in Zadar. The authors are Croatian, Italian, German, French and English travel writers. 6. A quiz night in the Central Library
Part 2: Stengths/weaknesses 23. SWOT analyses Indicate strengths and weaknesses (usually internal), and opportunities and threats (usually external) of the programme Strengths: creativity and ideas variety of programmes for all structures of users: no one is excluded! a very positive image and good reputation of Zadar Reads in the eyes of both the local and the librarian community, a great number of participants (institutions, volunteers, etc.) the intrinsic motivation of the librarians in Zadar Public Library finding the ways of creating interesting programmes who don t need a lot of money integrated marketing communication - PR of Zadar Public Library and vivid communication with media Weaknesses: the scope of manifestation has become too big for a too small number of librarians in Zadar Public Library who are responsible for Zadar Reads the meetings with famous authors are not always good visited satiation: six years of manifestation, perhaps the programme needs a refreshing Opportunities: interested people, who want to participate especially volunteers, youth and students, a growing number of institutions-participants spreading of programmes in new directions
24. Political impact and policies - Has the intervention led to concrete changes in policies or government plans, legislation, funding? Briefly describe. Has it produced any crosssector/departmental policymaking and programme development? - Transferability: Has the programme / intervention been transferred to another region/nation? Has it been modified during this transfer? 25. Your personal evaluation By what criteria do you consider the intervention to be good practice? In which respects do you consider the intervention to be in need of further improvements / developments? 26. Anything else you Threats: unstable and insufficient funding caused by a recession a great number of other cultural programmes in the same time and in the same geographical area numerous new programmes of reading promotion, some completely non-institutional (outside institutions like public libraries) who can take away the audience From the first Zadar reads the Zadar politicians have been invited to participate in reading promotion for children: and Zadar vice mayors have positively answered and two times participated and read aloud to children. But, Zadar reads has not yet been funded by the City of Zadar as a founder of Zadar Public Library. The cross-sector-identity of Zadar Reads and its huge development in the number of participants and forms of programmes of reading promotion, has - during the years - positively influenced policies on local and national level. Although not funded in its very beginnings, since 2012 in the manifestation has been included the programmedays of County Zadar, and accordingly funded by a County of Zadar with a smaller amount of money. Since 2012, the Ministry of Culture of Republic Croatia has included Zadar reads in the cultural programmes funded by the Ministry. In spite of that, the funding remains the ongoing problem. Manifestation has been recognized as a valuable cultural manifestation not only in Zadar County, but on a national level too, and it is mentioned in national cultural media as an example of good practice. In Bosnia and Herzegovina, there was, in year 2009, a local reading campaign under title Tešanj reads. It has been led by its local public library as a result of communication with the leadership of Zadar Public Library in 2008 (the year of preparation of Zadar reads), when it has been suggested to make a similar action as Zadar reads. The more stable financing of manifestation is the primary field in which the intervention is welcomed without it, further development is not to be expected.
think we should know...