RSLYA works in close partnership with the Federal Agency for Youth Affairs, which coordinates the implementation of a state youth policy in Russia, with young people's associations and movements, and with representatives of various young people's subcultures. We also believe in the importance of improving library services for young people with special needs and collaborating with professionals who represent educational institutions.
In 2014, RSLYA began organizing interdepartmental seminars, workshops, and discussions (sometimes with foreign colleagues' participation) on the problems of state youth and cultural policies, and the various aspects of young people's lives. These events aim at consolidating the efforts of professionals from academic, educational, and cultural institutions in order to develop a state cultural youth policy, of which library services would be a crucial part. Some of the most important events were:
- interdepartmental seminar called State. Culture. Youth
- All-Russia interdepartmental seminar called Young people's slang in everyday culture
In December 2015, an interdepartmental seminar called Young people's cultural practices in the context of the state cultural policy took place.
The Laboratory cooperates with representatives of modern young people's culture and different subcultures. We work in close partnership with organizations that research subcultures.
In 2014, RSLYA hosted a seminar to discuss modern young people's subcultures in the context of an emerging cultural youth policy.
The Laboratory studies young people's subcultures and their representation among library users. One of RSLYA's many programmes is an experimental club called Hip Hop Union. In partnership with youth organizations, the Laboratory works on national and international projects aimed at supporting young people's initiatives.
The Laboratory also develops methodologies for inclusive library services for young people with disabilities.
The Russian Library Association's Draft Guidelines for Accessibility for People with Disabilities in Russian Libraries have a section about young adult services written by RSLYA. At the 18th annual conference of the RLA there was a joint session of two sections, Young Adult Library Services and Libraries for People with Disabilities. RLA's Guidelines for Young Adult Library Services in Russian Public Libraries contain a section entitled Serving Young People with Disabilities and Special Needs.
The topic was also discussed at an interdepartmental seminar called Open Doors (2014) and in a lecture (April 2015) that was part of the open online course called Effective Library.
RSLYA is a testing ground for new methodologies and services for young people with disabilities in public libraries. For example, we have partnered with several Moscow colleges to start a library-based inclusive communication club called No Barriers. At the club meetings, participants — hard of hearing young people as well as people with no hearing impairments — learn to use sign language to communicate. We are planning to launch a new project where young narrators will read popular books for hard of hearing readers; the audiobooks will then be distributed in public libraries around the country.
For young people with mobility impairments we run photography and book-making workshops. We also organize games and tours of the library that test the building's accessibility.
Today, the Laboratory — in partnership with specialized libraries, youth organizations, and educational institutions — is developing library services for young people with print disabilities (including autism and dyslexia). We are analyzing professional literature and working on a digest of publications about the subject, study foreign libraries' experience of serving this user category; library psychologists advise both young users with autism spectrum disorders and librarians who serve them.
Coordinators:
Ms. Margarita Dyomkina
Contact:
+7 (499) 161-50-02
[email protected]
