The International Youth Library (IYL) (Internationale Jugendbibliothek, IJB) in Munich is a library that specializes in the collection of children and youth literature from around the world in order to make them available to the public, focusing on the international community. This library is the largest of its kind worldwide, and has been operating since June 1983, in Blutenburg Castle in the Munich district Obermenzing, before this time the library was located in Schwabing.
The International Youth Library is a center for International Child and Youth literature, offering reading sessions, workshops, podium discussions, developmental programs, exhibitions and through the assistance of other literary establishments, a forum for international child and youth literature.
Since 2010, The International Youth Library has been hosting the White Ravens Festival [1] for International Child and Youth literature, held every 2 years, and in 2013 the first James Krüss prize [2] for international child and youth literature, to be awarded every 2 years, was handed out allowing a new author to be discovered and recognized for his accomplishments.
The White Ravens recommendation list and the yearbook "Das Bücherschloss" [3] (Castle of Books) assist in the discussions about international child and youth literature. With its "Arche Kinder Kalenders" (Arche Calendar for Children) the library broadens the cultural horizons for children.
Through readings, writing workshops and workshops for exhibitions, literature museums and children literary themes, the library has become a key partner for schools, and daycares. The children's library contains over 30.000 books and electronic media in over 20 different languages that is available free to borrow.
The Munich library was founded in 1949 by the journalist and author Jella Lepman. The idea was a huge success because of the youth book exhibition in 1946, from which the exhibition material became the basis for the library's collection. On 14 September 1949, the international youth library opened with a collection of over 8000 volumes. Jella Lepman's idea to promote tolerance, reconciliation and understanding of other life forms and cultures with the help of international child and youth books as influential material, was received by the public with great interest. The international youth library serves as an archive of the valuable and rare collection, as well as a place for children's gathering and interacting and to promote its objectives. [4]
The international book inventories and historical collections of the library are one of a kind and made available to researchers in a scientific reading room for studies. A scholarship program for foreign scientists, financed by the Foreign Office, pursues the goal of supporting the research in the area of the international child and youth literature, supporting the illustration, and promoting scientific exchange and international co-operation.
The collection covers more than 600,000 child and youth books in 150 languages, including valuable collections of historical children's books. Also the library has more than 30,000 titles of international research literature as well as about 150 current technical periodicals in many languages. The library's catalog of books can be found over the Internet; also you can find other recommendations list there.
The collection is also expanding with the addition of estates from authors such as James Krüss or Hans Baumann.
The library in Schloss Blutenburg serves home to several literature museums: The Michael-Ende-Museum (opened 1998), the James-Krüss-Tower, the Erich-Kästner-Room, and since July 2005 the Binette-Schroeder-Kabinett. Each showroom is filled with numerous books and illustrations and also letters, diaries and personal articles of the represented people.
The library also publishes an annual recommendation list for child and youth literature, White Ravens. The catalogue revealed each year at Bologna Children's Book Fair. [5] Its contents are selected by a jury of language specialists, [6] and include new releases from over 40 countries in more than 30 languages.
James Krüss was a German writer of children's and picture books, illustrator, poet, dramatist, scriptwriter, translator, and collector of children's poems and folk songs. For his contribution as a children's writer he received the Hans Christian Andersen Award in 1968.
The International Board on Books for Young People (IBBY) is an international non-profit organization committed to bringing books and children together. The headquarters of the IBBY are located in Basel, Switzerland.
David Elliot is a New Zealand illustrator and author, known internationally for his contributions to the Redwall fantasy series by British author, Brian Jacques.
Kestutis Kasparavicius was born on 2 June 1954 Aukstadvaris, Lithuania. In 1962- 1972 studied at M.K.Ciurlionis Art School, a choir conducting class. In 1972- 1981 studied at the Academy of Fine Arts in Vilnius, a graphic design class. Since 1984 he has been working as a children's books illustrator and author and has completed 65 books. Kestutis favorite technology is watercolour. His books have published in 22 languages: Lithuanian, German, English, Spanish, Catalan, Portuguese, Italian, Estonian, Latvian, Bulgarian, Polish, Russian, Ukrainian, Croatian, Turkish, Chinese(Mandarin, Chinese, Korean, Hungarian, Slovenian, Romanian, Albanian. In 1993 he was honored as Illustrator of the Year by Bologna Children's Book Fair, 2003 Bologna Illustrators Exhibition Award for Excellence and his illustrations have selected for fair's illustrators exhibition 13 times. Kestutis was also awarded the Golden Pen of Belgrade, 1990, the II Diploma Premi International Catalonia d`Illustracio, Barcelona, 1994, Diploma, Tallinn Illustrations Triennial, 2006; The Best Lithuanian Children's Book, 2005, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2012; Lithuanian Children's Literary Award, 2008; The Gold Sign of Lithuanian Artists Assotiation, 2010; Baltic Sea Region Jānis Baltvilks International Prize in Children's Literature and Book Art, Riga, 2010; Atrapallibres Award for Children's Literature, Barcelona, 2011; The White Ravens list, Internationale Jugendbibliothek, München, 2013; Premio Vittoria Samarelli, Associazione Giuseppe Acerbi, Castel Goffredo, 2013; "Außergewöhnliches Buch 2015", Internationalen Literaturfestival in Berlin, 2015; German and European Garden Book Award, 2018; Kęstutis was nomined for The Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award, 2005, 2006, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2017, and 2022 also for The Hans Christian Andersen Award, 2008, 2010 and 2018.
Jin Goto is a Japanese nihonga and picture book painter.
Caperucita Roja (tal como se lo contaron a Jorge) [Little Red Riding Hood (as was told to Jorge)] is a book written by Luis Pescetti, Argentine writer and musician.
Bookbird: A Journal of International Children's Literature is the official refereed journal of the International Board on Books for Young People (IBBY). It is published quarterly and distributed by Johns Hopkins University Press.
Alenka Sottler is a Slovene painter and illustrator. She lives and works in Ljubljana as a freelance illustrator and is a member of New York Society of Illustrators. She has illustrated over 50 books for children and adults, for which she received numerous awards and honours including her second nomination for the Hans Christian Andersen Award in 2014.
Maria Teresa Andruetto is an Argentine writer. She has written poems, novels, drama and children's books. For her "lasting contribution to children's literature" she received the biennial Hans Christian Andersen Medal in 2012.
Angie Westhoff is a German writer of children's literature.
Bárður Oskarsson is a Faroese children's writer, illustrator and artist, who has won several literary awards. His books have been translated into Danish, Norwegian, Icelandic, French, German and Czech.
Jella Lepman was a German journalist, author and translator who founded the International Youth Library in Munich.
The Center for Art, New Ventures and Sustainable Development (CANVAS) is a nonprofit organization that works with the creative community to promote children's literacy, explore national identity, and deepen public appreciation for Philippine art, culture, and the environment.
Frida Nilsson is a Swedish children’s writer whose first book was published in 2004. She has won numerous international shortlistings and prizes, including the August Prize, the German Youth Literature Prize, Expressens Heffaklump (2015) and the Astrid Lindgren Prize. She was recently chosen as one of the best emerging writers in Europe under 39. Nilsson’s writing is characterised by playfulness and sincerity. She has been compared to Roald Dahl and Barbro Lindgren.
Jared Thomas is an Australian author of children's fiction, playwright and museum curator. Several of his books have been shortlisted for awards, and he has been awarded three writing fellowships.
Maria Papayanni is a Greek author. She writes books for children and young adults.
The Jella Lepman medal is an award made to individuals and institutions that have made lasting contributions to children's literature. It is named after Jella Lepman (1891-1970), founder of the International Board on Books for Young People (IBBY) and the International Youth Library (IYL) in Munich. It was created in 1991 to celebrate her 100th birthday. It was reinstated in 2005.
The White Ravens is a catalog published annually in English by the International Youth Library as a recommendation list for international children's and youth literature. The most recent White Ravens catalog is presented each year in October at the Frankfurt Book Fair and the following spring at the Bologna Children's Book Fair in Italy. The first catalog was issued in 1986.
Anders Holmer is a Swedish visual artist, architect, and children's books author.
Jung Jinho, a South Korean architect, author and illustrator. His picture book Look Up! won a mention in the Opera prima category at the 2015 Bologna Ragazzi Awards, and was selected as an IBBY Outstanding Book for Young People With Disabilities in 2017. He received a Special Mention in the Art - Architecture & Design category at the 2018 Bologna Ragazzi Awards with his book Wall. His best known works include Look Up!, Wall,Me and the Stars,3-Second Diving, and The Fox Goblin.