Promoting children literature!

National Centre for Children’s Literature (NCCL) is a vibrant unit of National Book Trust, India, aimed towards promoting and creating children literature. Here, GS Jolly tells more about it.

Established in 1993 to promote, create, coordinate, monitor and, aid the publication of children’s literature in Indian languages, National Centre for Children’s Literature (NCCL) is a wing of National Book Trust, India. It also provides assistance and expertise to teachers, librarians, editors, writers and illustrators by arranging creative workshops across the country, especially in rural areas for promoting reading habits among children.

Readers’ Club Movement: NCCL runs the Readers’ Club Movement to promote the habit of reading at school level. The programme is considered to be one of the largest reading movements of the world. NCCL has been instrumental in establishing 35,000 Readers’ Clubs till date. A bilingual monthly magazine Readers’ Club Bulletin is also published to foster the Movement.

NCCL also organizes workshops, discussions, seminars, and exhibitions for children and professionals to explore new avenues in children’s literature and creative skills in children and participates in international book fairs to promote Indian children’s literature abroad.

Library-cum-Documentation Centre: An important component of NCCL is the Library-cum-Documentation Centre with a collection of over 15,000 books on children’s literature covering wide range of subjects in 44 languages of the world (18 Indian and 26 foreign languages). For the benefit of library users, over 50 periodicals of children’s literature in various Indian languages are also subscribed. The library has recently been re-modeled and made more user-friendly. It has a collection of over 600 rare reference books for the help of professionals, scholars and researchers. The library reading room facilities also include a large number of DVDs/videos on children’s literature. The Library is connected with over 4,000 Delnet member libraries through internet.

Interestingly anybody working in the field of children’s literature, established and budding writers, editors, librarians, illustrators researchers teachers, publishers, etc. can use these facilities provided by the NCCL library.

Becoming a member is very simple. One can fill up the membership form by paying Rs 100/- as one time membership fee with a refundable security of Rs 500/- for general members and Rs 250/- for budding writers. Free reading room facility is also available for outstation experts on visit to Delhi.

The NCCL is a vibrant unit of the National Book Trust, India always bubbling with activities like monthly lectures, storytelling sessions, and workshops for illustrators, etc.

(With inputs from NCCL)