Situated in Munich,Germany, the International Youth Library or Internationale Jugendbibliothek was opened in 1949.The Library was established by Jella Lepman.She organised an international exhibition in Munich.That was immediately after the end of the Second World War.The purpose behind such an effort was to help people in regaining their hope and values after the horrors of war through providing them an insight into the inert peacefulness that is readily available in children’s and youth literature worldwide.
The International Youth Library is,since 1983,housed in the Blutenburg Castle in the Obermenzing quarter of Munich.This is a historical castle and the Leipzig graphic artist Egbert Herfurth has drawn a vignette depicting it as a “Book Castle”.Stiftung Internationale Jugendbibliothek, a foundation,is responsinble for its maintenance since 1996.The expenditure of the International Youth Library is financed by the Germany’ds Federal Ministry for Women and Youth,the Bavarian State Ministry for Education and Culture,the Bavarian Capital City of Munich,and the Stiftung Internationale Jugendbibliothek.It accompishes its mission of "promotion of international understanding by collecting ,cataloguing and facilitating communication about children's and youth literature published around the world" by collecting continuously international children’s and youth books,journals and other literarure in more than 130 languages;providing access to this large collection to the users in Germany and abroad;encouraging translation;organising various programmes and events.
The Library is the largest in the field of international children’s and youth literature in the world.At present,it holds about 470,000 children’s and youth books in over 130 languages.In addition to this large collection of primary literature,there is nearly 30,000 titles of secondary literature.It is the recipient of sample copies from 1,000 publishers from around the world.The Library catalogues every year approximately 9,000 books.It has language area specialists for Dutch,English,French,German,Greek,Hungarian,Italian,Japanese,Persian,Romanian,Turkish,Iberian,Scandinavian,and Slavic languages.
The Library has received some special collections:in 1969,for example,it received from the “Bureau International d’Education” of the League of Nations in Geneva its library of international children’s and youth literature.Besides,it has received the Schulz Collection,Mischke Collection,and collections from Michael Ende,Heinrich-Maria Denneborg,Erich Kastner and James Kruss.
One of these collections,the collection of Michael Ende, helped the Library in opening up the famous Michael Ende Museum.The Museum was opened in 1998.This Museum offers its visitors a new world of spirituality that is to be encountered only in fantastic tales.
The Library provides researchers and scholars a variety of reference service in the field of children’s and youth literature.Besides its collection of secondray information sources,the library has made its catalogue available through OPAC and internet.The library publishes “The White Ravens”, a list of an annual selection of notable new international children’s and youth literature.
Its lending facility offers 20,000 books in fifteen languages and a media collection in five languages for public lending.It holds regular programmes like story hours,language courses in English,French and Italian,art courses and a children’s choir;it arranges occassionaly events such as game and craft days,puppet theatre,book quizzes,stamp exchange etc.
The Library is well represented in the internet through its website:http://www.ijb.de.The site is written in German.The internet site offers access to two types of catalogue formats:WebOPAC and JOPAC.THE WHITE RAVENS :A Selection of International Children´s and Youth Literature is also available in web in English,right from 1996 to 2001.JOPAC is available for the years 1996 to 1999.The WHITE RAVENS gives us the name of the title,publisher,ISBN,pagination and an abstract.
The International youth Library organises seminars and symposia.In 1999,it held an international conference "Remembered Childhood in Autobiographical Novels for Children".
The Library also provides opportunities for non-German specialists in the field of children's and youth literature to undretake short term research residencies of upto three months.
Its publications include "Annual Program"a brochure detailing the programmes and events going to happen in near future;"IJB-Report",a newsletter;"Recommendation Lists","Exhibition Catalogs",etc.
The Libraray is an associated project of UNESCO since 1953.It is a member of UNESCO Network of Associated Libraries.The Library was a part of the project of the World Decade for Cultural Development(1998-1997)proclaimed by the United Nations and UNESCO.
The email address of the library is
Postal address:Internationale Jugendbibliothek,Schloss Blutenburg,D-81247,Munich.
Tel:+49-89-891211-0
Fax+49-89-8117553.
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