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Archives and book collection
The archives and book collection of the CLRU was started after the international conference on children's literature which was held in 1995 at the University of South Africa. Embassies and delegates from abroad donated a large number of children's books and since then the collection has grown steadily. The collection is administered as a special collection in the Archives and Special Collections Section of the Unisa Library. Purpose of the collection The purpose of the collection is to serve as a reference collection for use by lecturers and students of the university and is available to anyone who is interested in research into children's literature. Members of the CLRU make use of the collection, especially for teaching and research, and also when holding exhibitions. Firstly the CLRU aims to have a representative collection of South African children's and youth literature. Books in all the South African languages are included. Secondly the CLRU aims to build up a collection of children's and youth books from other countries. It is the only collection of its kind in South African and is ideal for comparative study and research. The collection includes other relevant media for study and research such as periodicals and audiovisual sources, as well as promotional materials such as posters and brochures. Manuscript material also forms an important component of the collection. The largest part of the collection comprises donations from individuals and organisations like publishers. Special attention is given to acquiring all South African children's books that have been awarded prizes - if not by way of donation then by purchasing them. A conscious attempt is also made to acquire all the books that win the most important foreign prizes. Use of the collection The collection is a closed one, that is it may only be used in the Section under the supervision of personnel. In special cases material may be taken out for teaching or research purposes or for purposes of promotion, for example for exhibitions. In such cases special arrangements should be made in advance with the Head of the Section. Latest donations Australian children's books have been donated by the following Australian publishers: Allen & Unwin; Angus and Robertson; Penguin Australia; Scholastic Australia; Reed for Kids; Magabala Books; Parish Publishing; Australia Post; Children's Book Council; Lothian; Hodder & Stoughton & Pan Macmillan. South African children's books have been donated by: Human and Rousseau Publishers (several works in their thriller series) |