Meeting schedule 2019-2020:
Meeting schedule 2019-2020:- June 11, 2019 – Multilingual provision and Diversity
- Sept 12, 2019 – Using volunteers, and community invigoration
- Nov 20, 2019 – Best practice quality bookgifting
- Feb 13, 2020 – Maternity hospital and Health Clinic bookgifting
- May 4, 2020 – Impact evaluation
- June 18, 2020 – Supporting vulnerable and at risk families
- July 1, 2020 – Targeting the hard to reach
- Nov 17, 2020 – Progress and evaluations of new programmes
- Nov 19, 2020 – Book Selection
Meeting schedule 2021
- March 25, 2021 – Additional Needs
- May 4, 2021 – Health and Wellbeing
- Sept 8 2021 – Programmes in the Global South
- Nov 17 2021 – Advocacy and Communications
Meeting schedule 2022
- March 22, 2022 – Library-Health partnerships
- May 17, 2022 – Research updates
- June 14, 2022 – Programmes in Africa and the Middle East
- Sept 20, 2022 – Multilingual Digital Resources
- Oct 13, 2022 – The benefits of reading: impact now vs later in life – Researchers Network
- Nov 22, 2022 – Storyteller Training
Meeting schedule 2023
- March 21, 2023 – New pilot programmes in Norway and Spain
- May 10, 2023 – Pediatric care based programmes in USA and Italy
- June 20, 2023 – Early Years Bookgifting in Australia
Participants take responsibility for what they share, and are recommended to share information that is already or can become public. Nevertheless, we know the value of open sharing, and we aim to develop an environment where members feel able to share confidentially and can do so through agreed mechanisms.
Meeting details 2023
Tuesday 21 March 2023
Bookstart pilot programmes in Norway and Spain
Chair: Sabine Bonewitz, German Reading Foundation Stiftung Lesen
Presenters:
Natalia Kucirkova, Professor of Reading and Early Childhood Development, Stavanger University Norway, and Open University UK
“Norwegian Parents’ Attitudes Towards Shared Reading with Their Children – Findings from Evaluation of Bookstart in Norway”
Vibeke Røgler and Sigrun Feiring, Foreningen !les , Norway
A brief overview of the Bookstart Norway project.
Ana Molina, Presidente of Mestiza association, San Sebastian, Spain.
The implementation of the Bookstart Spain project and the power of networking.
Araya Goitia, the publishers association ¡ÂLBUM!, founder member of Leer Transforma, Spain.
READING TRANSFORMS: Leer Transforma: the creation of a new network in Spain to join literature promotion practices and programs.
Wednesday 10 May 2023
Pediatric care based programmes in the USA and Italy, Reach Out and Read, and Nati per Leggere
Chair: Lotte Baert, Boeskstart Flanders, Iedereen Leest
Presenters:
Perri Klass MD, National Medical Director, Reach Out and Read, USA
Professor of Journalism and Pediatrics, New York University, USA
Reach Out and Read: promoting positive language-rich interactions and supporting families
Stefania Manetti MD, National Coordination director, Nati Per Leggere, Italy
President of the Pediatricians’ Cultural Association (ACP), Italy
Valeria Balbinot: member of the national coordination of the programme
Nati per Leggere programme: the multidisciplinary network
Tuesday 20 June 2023
Early Years Bookgifting in Australia: Better Beginnings and Raising Literacy
Presenters:
Alison Underwood, Team Leader Better Beginnings, State Library of Western Australia, Perth
Julia Jones, Director Early Years, Raising Literacy Australia Inc, Norwood, South Australia
Meeting details 2022
Tuesday 22 March 2022
Library-health partnerships in Canada and Lithuania
Challenges and opportunities: informal and formal partnership agreements
Challenges in a pandemic: health partnerships, and unrolling a national programme
Chair: Lotte Baert, Iedereen Leest, Boekstart Flanders
Presenters:
Goda Baranauskaitė-Dangovienė: National Library of Lithuania
Bookstart in Lithuania: grow a generation with a book
Elaine Jones: Welcome Baby, Edmonton Public Library, Alberta, Canada
Beyond library lending: supporting the health and well-being of the community through bookgifting
Tuesday 17 May 2022
Research updates on programmes
Chair: Izumi Satou, Bookstart Japan
Presenters:
Emmi Jäkkö: Finnish Reading Centre, Lukukeskus, Finland
27% of families begin reading – results of Finland’s first book gifting programme
Marijke Bos and Jette van den Eijnden: Dutch Reading Foundation, Stichting Lezen, Netherlands
The long-term effects of BoekStart (Bookstart): a longitudinal study
Sabine Bonewitz: German Reading Foundation, Stiftung Lesen, Germany
Lesestart 1-2-3 and the effectiveness of early speech and reading development
Tuesday 14 June 2022
Changing society through reading
Chair: Julia Norrish, Executive Director, Book Dash, South Africa
Presenters:
Rana Dajani PhD: Founder and Director, We Love Reading, Jordan and International
Professor of Molecular Cell Biology, and President of the Society for the Advancement of Science and Technology in the Arab World
We Love Reading: Motivation is key
Miranda Beshara and Hend Badawy: Co-Founders, Hadi Badi, Egypt and worldwide
Author, Editor, and Translator; and Play Therapist and Child Psychiatrist
Bringing great Arabic books closer to young readers!
Solomon Ifeanyi Nathaniel: Head of Organisation, Unique Foundation The Gambia
A Social Worker, an advocate for right to quality education and education access for all
Tuesday 20 Sept 2022
Digital media & storybooks for young children – resources, opportunities and challenges
Chair: Emmi Jäkkö: Finnish Reading Centre, Lukukeskus, Finland
Presenters:
Marijke Bos: Dutch Reading Foundation, Stichting Lezen, Netherlands
Using digital picture books in childcare centers for multilingual and non-Dutch speaking parents
Lotte Baert: Boekstart Flanders, Iedereen Leest, Belgium
‘A multilingual library for babies and toddlers’ – an online tool for libraries on Iedereen Leest’s new learning platform.
Julia Norrish and Zanri Kritzinger: Book Dash, South Africa
Open-license storybook platforms & free online multilingual resources
Thursday 13 Oct 2022 – Researchers Network
The benefits of reading: impact now vs later in life
Chair: Roshni Modhvadia: BookTrust
Presenters:
Betty Becker-Kurz: German Reading Foundation (Stiftung Lesen)
Reading Aloud and Mental Health: Insights from Neuroscience and Psychology
Niels Bakker: Dutch Reading Foundation (Stichting Lezen)
Reading fiction and empathy: in search of the relation
Giorgio Tamburlini: Nati Per Leggere (Born to Read), Italy
Assessing the impact of the Nati per Leggere program in Italy: results and challenges
Tuesday 22 November 2022
Training storytellers and reading aloud ambassadors & animators
Chair: Marijke Bos: Dutch Reading Foundation, Stichting Lezen, Netherlands
Presenters:
Rana Dajani PhD: Founder and Director, We Love Reading, Jordan and International
Professor of Molecular Cell Biology, and President of the Society for the Advancement of Science and Technology in the Arab World
Training Storytellers and Reading Ambassadors – https://welovereading.org/training-portal/
Miriam Schembri: Senior Manager, Reading for Pleasure Programmes, National Literacy Agency, Malta
Training Reading Animators, Storytellers and Educators
Meeting details 2021
Thursday 25 March 2021 – 2pm-3.30pm CET
Additional Needs
Chair: Daan Beeke, Stichting Lezen (Boekstart Netherlands)
Presenters
Kirsty Sinclair: Scottish Book Trust, Bookbug, Scotland
‘Work for children and families with additional support needs, including: accessible books and symbol sheets; British Sign Language content and functionality for the Bookbug app and website; Accessible Bookbug Sessions for children with complex additional needs (eg using Makaton); Sensory Storytelling project for older children.’
Izumi Satou: Bookstart Japan
‘Supporting visually / hearing impaired babies and parents, including creating books and materials for visually impaired parents.’
Tuesday 4 May 2021 – 2pm-3.30pm CET
Health & Wellbeing benefits of early years bookgifting and shared reading
Chair: Carol McDougall, Global Network Working Group, Canada
Presenters:
Emmi Jäkkö: Lukukeskus (Finnish Reading Centre)
Lukulahja lapselle, a Book Bag for every baby: feedback from health care officials and families from the second round of evaluation
Izumi Satou: Bookstart Japan
The Health and Wellbeing rationale for the founding of Bookstart Japan, and the qualitative approach to evaluating parent-child relationships.
Reinhard Ehgartner: Buchstart Österreich, (Österreichisches Bibliothekswerk, Austria)
Books and reading aloud on prescription: a new project for Austria
Wednesday 8 September 2021 – 4pm-5.30pm CET
Bookgifting Programmes in the Global South
Chair: Julia Norrish, Executive Director, Book Dash, South Africa
Presenters:
Dorette Louw: Director, Book Dash, South Africa
The Book Dash book-production/publishing model as one way of creating appropriate content needed to start a book-gifting programme; case-studies of other organisations using & adapting the model to create their own books; Book Dash’s adaptation for online events.
Diana Rey: Executive Director FundaLectura, Colombia
The FundaLectura model, and constraints and challenges and how they were overcome.
Melissa Kelly: Early Years Fellowship Coordinator, World Bank
Introduction to the Read@Home initiative and the Materials Guidance produced to support book distribution efforts.
Wednesday 17 November 2021 – 2pm-3.30pm CET
Advocacy and Communications
Chair: Emmi Jäkkö, Development Manager, Finnish Reading Centre, Finland
Presenters:
Emmi Jäkkö, Finnish Reading Centre: survey results
Jennie Albone: Vice President, Business Operations Global Support, First Book, USA. Interview: International Advocacy and Communications
Ana Molina, Director, Mestiza, San Sebastian, Spain; and Daan Beeke, Dutch Reading Foundation and EURead. Lessons from the Europe Reads campaign.
Daan Beeke, Dutch Reading Foundation and EURead: A logo for the Global Network
Carol McDougall, Global Network Working Group, Nova Scotia, Canada: Global Network Onward planning
Meeting details 2020 and extra meetings
Thursday 13 Feb 2020 – 2pm-3.30pm CET
Maternity Hospital and Health Clinic bookgifting
Chair: Lotte Baert, Iedereen Leest (Everyone Reads, Belgium), Boekstart Flanders
Presenters
Gabriela Dul: The Polish Book Institute.
“Mała książka – wielki człowiek” (“Small book – great human”): working with Poland’s 360 hospitals (and 2/3 of the 5,200 public libraries)
Shanda LaRamee-Jones: Read to Me, Nova Scotia, Canada
Read to Me: Delivering a Bookgift Program at the Hospital Bedside.
Emmi Jäkkö: Lukukeskus (Finnish Reading Centre)
Lukulahja lapselle, a Book Bag for every baby: ‘winning over’ health care officials to gift to families.
Thursday 23 April 2020 – 3pm-4pm CET
Programme responses during Covid 19 lockdown
Monday 4 May 2020 – 4pm-5.30pm CET
Impact evaluation
Chair: Carol McDougall, Global Network Working Group, Canada
Presenters
Prof. Dr. Simone C. Ehmig, Head, Institute for Research on Reading and Media, Stiftung Lesen, Germany
Brian Gallagher MPA, Chief Executive Officer, Reach Out and Read, USA
Thurs 18 June 2020 – 10am-11.30am CET
Supporting vulnerable or ‘at risk’ families
Chair: Marijke Bos, Dutch Reading Foundation, Stichting Lezen, Netherlands
Presenters
Sue Hill and Julia Jones, Raising Literacy Australia Inc, South Australia
Building Parental Capacity/Home Libraries, and Universal Book Gifting
Miriam Schembri, National Literacy Agency, Malta
Home Libraries: providing a literacy environment in the homes of vulnerable families
Wed 1 July 2020 – 4pm-5.30pm CET
Targeting the ‘Hard to Reach’
Chair: Lotte Baert: Iedereen Leest, Boekstart Flanders, Belgium
Presenters
Anna Hällgren and Nina Suatan: Swedish Arts Council, Kulturradet, Sweden
‘Testing different methods suited to specific local and regional needs’
Julia Norrish: BookDash, South Africa
‘Flooding the country with books: Using innovative channels to access the hard to reach’
Catriona Wallace and Celia Richards – Scottish Book Trust, Scotland
‘Bookbug for the Home: Bookbug isn’t just a literacy programme, Bookbug builds families’
Mon 19 Oct 2020 – 2pm-3.30pm CET
Planning our Future
Chair: Lotte Baert: Iedereen Leest, Boekstart Flanders, Belgium
Presenter: Professor Sakakihara, President of the Japanese Society of Child Science; Director of the Child Research Net(CRN); Former President of The Asian and Oceanian Child Neurology Association (AOCNA)
Tue 17 Nov 2020 – 10am-11.30am CET
Progress of new programmes
Chair: Izumi Satou, Project Manager, Bookstart Japan
Presenters
Sabine Bonewitz, German Reading Foundation, Stiftung Lesen, Germany
Lesestart 123: changes from Lesestart (2011-19) and evaluation of year one.
Daiden O’Regan, Childrens Books Ireland
Book Seed: the pilot in Limerick and its end of first year evaluation
Anna Hällgren and Nina Suatan: Swedish Arts Council, Kulturradet, Sweden
Evaluation design, and feedback on 5 years of programmes across Sweden
Thurs 19 Nov 2020 – 4pm-5.30pm CET
Book Selection
Chair: Lotte Baert: Iedereen Leest, Boekstart Flanders, Belgium
Presenters
Barbara Jakob: Schweizerisches Institut für Kinder-und Jugendmedien, SIKJM, Switzerland
Buchstart Schweiz – Selecting 2 Boardbooks for 1 Nation with 4 official languages and many cultural backgrounds
Nancy Edgar: Read to Me, Nova Scotia, Canada
Selecting Books for A Newborn Book Gifting Program
Caroline Hill-Trevor: BookTrust, UK
Book Selection at BookTrust