Professional paper
Young Adult Department – Research of the Current Situation in Croatia
Žozefina Žentil Barić
; Gradska knjižnica Zadar
Tina Mihić
; Gradska knjižnica Zadar
Iva Uskok Breulj
; Gradska knjižnica Zadar
Abstract
The paper presents results of a research whose purpose was to find out the number of Young Adult Departments in public libraries in Croatian large cities, to examine in what ways public libraries of large cities try to meet the needs of young people and to find contemporary examples of good practice. The survey research was conducted from April to June 2020 through an online questionnaire. The appropriate sample consisted of public libraries from a total of 24 large Croatian cities. There were 20 responses received from libraries in 16 cities. It was found that many libraries in Croatia do not have separate departments for young people and that the concept of a combined Department for Children and Youth still prevails. The three Croatian libraries that have Young Adult Departments have focused their various programs, activities and services on the free time and interests of young people, offering materials that are most likely to interest them for reading and lending, arranging spaces that stand out from the rest of the library and equipping them with new technologies. The biggest issue librarians face in working with young people is their lack of interest in cultural events. The paper provides an overview of the current situation in working with young people in Croatian public libraries, which fills the gap that exists in the literature in this area and contributes to monitoring the development of the library profession.
Keywords
research, young adults, public library, young adult department
Hrčak ID:
284514
URI
Publication date:
20.10.2022.
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