Czytelnictwo dzieci i młodzieży (na przykładzie bibliotek szkolnych)

Abstract

The contents of the article was based on MA theses written at the Institute of Library Management and Scientific Information at the Pedagogical University named after the National Education Commission in Cracow. The article discussed the reading habits of pupils from grades five to eight of elementary schools in Brzeszcze, Jaćmierz, Kunów, Zarszyn and Cracow, and it presented reading activities, home book collections and pupils' reading preferences concerning authors, titles, subject matters and values attached to particular books. The following conclusions were formulated: pupils from grades five to eight of elementary schools treat reading as an important form of participation in culture and a recognised value. The condition of reading among children and teenagers would be worse if not for the obligatory nature of reading lists. An optimistic phenomenon is the fact that all pupils acquire home collections of books. Active readers have no problems with school education and they are usually high achievers. There are no big discrepancies between reading preferences of pupils from great urban centres, small towns or rural areas, whereas the differentiating factors are sex and age. In spite of the mass media competition, the book continues to stimulate a considerable interest among pupils, and it fulfils many functions for them.