For a number of years IBBY has been supporting a small children’s library on the Mediterranean island of Lampedusa. Our members have donated books with no words – the Silent Books – that have been used on the island by the children arriving as refugees. The books have also toured different venues around the world.
Over these years the library has been temporary, but nevertheless been of huge benefit to the local young people and to the young people arriving by sea. Now is the time to urge the local municipality to follow up on their promise to open the official IBBY Library on Lampedusa.
IBBY Italia has written an open letter to the Mayor urging her to make the library official, which you can read in Italian, French at the end of these links and in English in the document below . Linked to the letter is a petition: right now there are 877 signatures!
To add your name and support, please sign the petition at the bottom of the letter in Italian. Just put your name and position (this is voluntary), and submit by clicking the SUBMIT button.
With a stable environment the children from the refugee camps will be able to visit the library more often and thus benefit from the wonderful books available to them.
Sign today and make a difference.
Thank you!