BIBIANA Library, Bratislava
BIBIANA library is a part of the international house of arts for children. It is a special library, which focuses on the area of arts and literature for children and youth.
The core of the library is represented by the book fund of the Biennial of Illustrations Bratislava, which is a worldwide unique collection of children's books from around the world. The library regularly enlarges its collection by obtaining books priced at competitions and events organized by BIBIANA as well as books awarded in other projects, in which BIBIANA participates ("The Most Beautiful Books of Slovakia", "Slovakia’s Most Beautiful and Best Children's Books of Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter", "IBBY Honor list", "BARFIE"). Due to the wide range of activities of the Slovak section of IBBY (International Board on Books for Young People), which operates in BIBIANA, the library collects a selection of Slovak children's books production. Apart from children's literature, the library is systematically building up a fund of specialist literature regarding theory, history and research on art concerning the literature for children and youth, book illustrations and book culture.
The Library Fund of BIBIANA currently includes about 20 thousand library units.
The library also serves the function of a documentary and information center. It provides documentation on BIBIANA within the entire scope of its activities, carries out monitoring of responses in the media, builds up files on children's book illustrators and provides information services for BIBIANA employees to help them out in preparation of exhibitions, projects and events.
Due to its specialist focus, the library serves mostly to experts in the field of theory and research on literature and arts for children, as well as to associated domestic and foreign institutions. The library makes available its funds to general public solely in the premises of the study.
Since 2009, the library is building up a library catalog under the KIS3G system, which is available on the portal of the Slovak National Library (SNK), Martin at: . The library has proposed and is gradually carrying out a project called "Digital BIBIANA". The project aims to build up a digital archive of BIBIANA publications, as well as to create a web presentation of an integrated information system on literature, book's culture and art for children and youth in relation to results of exhibitions, festivals and events organized by BIBIANA.
