The CBI Story
Children's Books Ireland was founded on March 1st, 1997 as a result of the merger of The Irish Children's Book Trust (ICBT) and The Children's Literature Association of Ireland (CLAI).
Both of these organisations had developed during the late eighties and nineties, a time of significant progress in Ireland for publishing and writing for children. CLAI was founded in 1986 and formally constituted in 1987 with John Killeen elected as its first president. ICBT was officially launched in May 1989 with Clodagh Corcoran as chairperson. CLAI's principle aim was the promotion through lectures, seminars and publications of quality reading for the young, while ICBT was concerned with the initiation of a national children's book foundation.
The merger brought major challenges as well as opportunities for those involved. The initial challenge, for those actively managing the change was adapting to a new structure with a new legal status. ICBT was a charitable trust with memorandum and articles of association and managed by a board. CLAI was an association managed by a committee and governed by a constitution. The new organisation, Children's Books Ireland, set up as a company limited by guarantee, obtained charitable status and adopted a memorandum and articles which were later amended in 2003. Both ICBT and CLAI were membership organisations and CBI continues to have a combined Irish and international membership of approximately 600.
Since the opening of the Irish Writers Centre in 1993, ICBT had occupied office and meeting space in the centre. This location continued as the CBI office until 2001 when more space was needed for its staff and its expanding resource library and archive. The collection of books by Irish authors, illustrators and publishers was begun by ICBT, following encouragement from Eilís Dillon and is now maintained by CBI. It currently comprises approximately 3500 volumes (1550 titles). In 1996, CBI appointed a part-time administrator. Now, in 2008, there are three full-time members of staff - a director, a programme officer and an administration and communications officer.
CBI's primary source of funding is The Arts Council which has always recognised the importance of our remit for children in Ireland. CBI first received Arts Council funding, both revenue and capital, in 1997. Revenue funding has been received annually since, enabling continued development and growth. Additional funding is actively sought from a variety of sources which currently include membership, subscriptions, The Library Council, Foras Na Gaeilge and commercial sponsors.
Following the merger, many existing activities of both organisations were retained and enhanced by CBI. The Bisto Book of the Year Award originated by ICBT in 1990 was retained and developed, including the addition of the Éilís Dillon Award in 1995 for an outstanding first children's book. In 2005, CBI set up a countrywide ‘shadowing scheme' in order to involve groups of young readers and schools in the awards. This has proved a very valuable and successful innovation.
A summer school on children's literature was jointly presented by the two organisations in June 1991. This is now an annual event with a diverse range of Irish and international speakers and delegates. CLAI's Children's Books In Ireland has been renamed Inis and it continues to be the leading publication dedicated to children's books in Ireland and a flagship activity of CBI. A complete print archive of CBI's publications is housed in the CBI resource space along with a growing audio archive. In 2006, Robert Dunbar very generously gifted his audio archive of radio interviews with and about children's writers to CBI.
The magazine was first published in December 1989 drawing together news, reviews and opinion in a regular publication. Following a redesign in 2002, it was relaunched as the quarterly magazine that it operates as presently.
An involvement in Children's Book Week was instigated in 1990 when the Booksellers Association of Ireland invited CLAI to contribute a recommended reading guide. By 1997, CBI was an integral part of what had become the Children's Book Festival. By working with each library authority and the Youth Libraries Group, CBI was able to spearhead this celebration of books for young people throughout the country. With related events in Northern Ireland, the Children's Book Festival has now become an all-Ireland event. The idea of a recommended reading guide has also been retained and Book Fest - CBI's Recommended Reading Guide - is published every October to coincide with the festival.
The National Reading Initiative in 2001 provided additional funding and resources for a range of publications and activities. CBI commissioned and published What's the Story? which was the first large-scale comprehensive survey of the leisure time reading choices of young people in Ireland. The study confirmed that the majority of young people in Ireland - 94% in primary education and 98% in post-primary education - enjoy reading of some kind, and that the books Irish children read come from both Irish and international publishers. It is worth noting here that as a matter of policy, CBI has a special commitment to the support of Irish published books because they both form and express crucial aspects of our culture and identity.
Between 2001 and 2003, in response to requests, CBI also published recommended reading guides for schools and teachers: Book Choice for Primary School (2001) and Book Choice for Post Primary Schools (2003). Three special Inis supplements called Chalk Talk were also published between 2000 and 2002. In 1996 ICBT published a more general work, The Big Guide to Irish Children's Books and in 2000 CBI produced The Big Guide 2: Irish Children's Books. Both of these books were edited by Celia Keenan and Valerie Coghlan.
Throughout its ten-year history, CBI has also been involved in a number of other special initiatives for both adults and for children and with a host of partners - Dublin City Libraries, Irish Writers Centre, iBbY Ireland, The Ark, Goethe Institute, Poetry Ireland, Farmleigh House, The Library Council, Youth Libraries Group (Library Association), Draiocht Centre for Arts, The O'Brien Press, Church of Ireland College of Education, the RDS, Arts Council Critical Voices, Alternative Entertainments, Barnstorm Theatre Company, South Dublin Libraries, Wexford Book Festival, Festival of World Cultures, Baboro Festival, Illustrators Guild of Ireland and St Patrick's College of Education.
This first chapter of CBI's story has taken place at a time of extraordinary change in Irish society. Shifting arts, education and socio-economic landscapes have formed a dramatic backdrop to our first ten years. Significant lifestyle changes, along with increased immigration and urbanisation, have changed how people interact with the arts and, importantly, how children interact with books. Likewise arts policy and infrastructure development have contributed to a positive relationship between the public and the arts. As an innovative and active arts organisation, CBI will continue to ensure that children's books and the children's books community are valued, cherished and supported. We look forward to Children's Books Ireland making its contribution to the future vibrancy of the arts in a multi-cultural Ireland.