German Reading Award for KIBUM: Oldenburg's children's and young adult book fair has long been "synonymous with the promotion of reading and German-language children's and young adult literature", according to the jury. The KIBUM team from the city and university received the award yesterday in Berlin.
KIBUM took first place in the category Outstanding Commitment to Promoting Reading in the Community. The jury praised the supra-regional appeal of the fair - for example with the Oldenburg Children's and Youth Book Prize or the prominent patrons - as well as the free and barrier-free range of readings, whether at the fair, in schools or daycare centres: "This is how reading is given its place in our society and in the lives of the readers of tomorrow."
Lord Mayor Jürgen Krogmann and University President Prof. Dr Ralph Bruder accepted the 2,000 euro prize from the Stiftung Lesen foundation and the Commerzbank Foundation on behalf of the team of organisers from Oldenburg City Library, the Oldenburg Research Centre for Children's and Young Adult Literature (OlFoKi) and the university's library and information system, who had also travelled with them.
"Reading is one of the most important skills for social participation, in academic appointments and in everyday life. You can't start promoting reading early enough. The fact that we have taken the right path with KIBUM is proven by the high number of visitors for decades and the consistently enthusiastic young audience. We are therefore very pleased about this important recognition of our commitment by the Stiftung Lesen, which also encourages us in our goals for the future," says Lord Mayor Jürgen Krogmann.
"The joy of reading is the greatest joy, if the KIBUM team from the City of Oldenburg and the University of Oldenburg have their way," adds University President Prof Dr Ralph Bruder. "In this sense, the German Reading Award is a great honour for all those involved and for our joint commitment, which is already focused on the upcoming anniversary edition of KIBUM: Because to coincide with the university's 50th birthday celebrations, the 50th Children's and Young Adult Book Fair is also coming up this year. We're looking forward to it!"
Under the motto "KIBUM celebrates! 50 years of reading fun", the anniversary edition of KIBUM will take place from 9 to 19 November - with prominent support: the patron of the 50th KIBUM is the internationally most successful German children's and young adult book author Cornelia Funke. In addition to various events with Funke, her fans can also look forward to a story written exclusively for KIBUM. The programme for this year's KIBUM is expected to be announced in August.
A total of 50 projects and people from all over Germany were selected as nominees from 419 applications for the German Reading Prize. The German Reading Prize is awarded in six categories. In the "Outstanding Communal Commitment" category, the jury honours daycare centres, libraries, associations, companies, universities and other organisations and municipal bodies that have made an outstanding contribution to promoting reading locally. Special consideration is given to the formation of local networks in the sense of cross-institutional and mutually complementary project co-operation.
