We will start a new research project this year, which shall only be briefly outlined here. This is our topic:
Children’s and young adult literature is well established in libraries today – institutions such as the KJBA of the Berlin State Library or the International Youth Library in Munich, to name but a few, have done impressive work in this area. However, the collection mandate is essentially limited to printed works. Toy collections, art and folklore museums and others have many artefacts that can be seen in connection with children’s and youth literature. The two belong together. One example of this is the Harry Potter universe, which is present in a large number of printed works and is also extensively marketed via ‘products of all kinds’. There is no overarching catalogue that covers books and objects. This leads to a separation of related phenomena. Our impression is that there is a lack of co-operation between the institutions. We therefore want to investigate the question of whether and how this deficit can be remedied. This leads to a further aspect. Interrelated phenomena must be considered together. In our opinion, research into children’s and young adult literature has not done this to the extent required in the past. It is important to move away from an isolationism (exceptions only confirm the rule here) that is understandable from the point of view of development, but is no longer appropriate against the background of today’s developments. Children’s and youth literature is only one part of children’s and youth culture, which must be seen in context. It seems to us that research has so far neglected this. Conversely, this also applies to other branches of research. We want to take a closer look at what this means for the study of youth literature phenomena as a whole. We are currently in the process of drawing up a concept. Perhaps there are already corresponding research approaches here in other countries. We would be very pleased to receive news of this. Anyone who is interested is very welcome to join us.