Children's departments in public libraries

Cilj ovog rada je bio dati pregled kvalitete i opremljenosti dječjih odjela u narodnim knjižnicama na području Republike Hrvatske, uzevši u obzir prostor, građu, korisnike, osoblje, usluge, ali i izazove s kojima se knjižničari susreću. Današnje narodne knjižnice građene su na dugoj povijesti pružanja slobodnog, pravednog i jednakog pristupa informacijama za sve ljude u zajednici kojoj služe. Kroz programe, usluge i događaje koje provode, dječji odjeli mogu stvoriti osjećaj pripadnosti i zajednice za djecu i obitelji iz različitih sredina. Rad je podijeljen kroz nekoliko poglavlja koja donose preglede definicija, zadaća, usluga, korisnika i djelatnika na dječjim odjelima narodnih knjižnica. Također rad daje detaljniji pregled korisnika dječjih odjela kroz raščlambu po dobnim skupinama koje uključuju bebe i djecu rane dobi, djecu i mladež. U zadnjem poglavlju prikazani su i analizirani rezultati dobiveni istraživanjem putem anketnog upitnika. Odgovori na svako pitanje su analizirani pomoću grafičkih prikaza koji su umetnuti radi lakše preglednosti.The goal of this paper was to provide an overview of the quality and equipment of children's departments in public libraries in the Republic of Croatia, taking into account the space, book fund, users, staff, services, as well as the challenges librarians are facing. Today's public libraries are built on a long history of providing free, fair and equal access to information for all people in the community they serve. Through the programs, services, and events they provide, children's departments can create a sense of belonging and community for children and families from diverse backgrounds. The work is divided into several chapters that provide an overview of definitions, tasks, services, users and employees in the children's departments of public libraries. The paper also provides a more detailed overview of the users of children's libraries through a breakdown by the age group, which includes babies and young children, children and young adults. In the last chapter, the results obtained from the research using a questionnaire are presented and analyzed. The answers to each question were analyzed using graphical representations that were inserted for ease of viewing