2. BoekStart for Babies
Reading advancement programme for young children (0-2)
Goal: to bring parents and babies into contact with books and reading by establishing links between them and the Library
BoekStart is the start of a continued reading process

3. Started in 2008
An initiative of the Ministry of Education, Culture and Science (OCW), national coordination by Stichting Lezen (Foundation for the Promotion of Reading) and Sectorinstituut Openbare Bibliotheken (Sector Institute for Public Libraries)
Focus on the Library having an active role
Collaboration with municipalities, child health centres, daycare centres and book shops

4. Reasoning Children who read do better in society
From: Read or not to read: Scientific research by Suzanne Mol (Dec 2010)
Each dollar invested in early childhood education yields 9 dollars, Nobel Prize winner James Heckman
Reading to children improves linguistic development, Kunst van Lezen, Kees Broekhof (Dec 2011)

5. Status
Baby around 3 months old: parents receive a voucher from their municipality for a free Library membership for their baby
Free BoekStart case with 2 free books
Almost all Libraries in the Netherlands are participating
54,000 cases were picked up in 2013; 30% of all babies born

6. Research Research into the effects of BoekStart By Leiden University
Interim results for 2012: comparison between BoekStart children and children who are not yet familiar with BoekStart
Final results: autumn 2014

7. Interim results on parents
BoekStart parents:
read to their children more often
visit the Library more often
talk to their children more and use more varied vocabularies
know more about the available books
continue to read to children with behavioural issues

8. Interim results on children
BoekStart children watch less television
BoekStart children want to be read to more
BoekStart children with behavioural issues benefit even more from BoekStart

9. BoekStart in Daycare Centres
Extension of BoekStart for Babies in 2011
For children (0-4) in daycare centres
Aim: to bring children, parents & childcare employees into contact with books and reading by establishing links between them and the Library
2014: 15% of the daycare centres participates

10. Central elements An attractive place to read in the daycare centre
The development of a collection of first books
Professionalisation of childcare workers
Involving parents
Plan for reading aloud so that reading aloud is given a permanent place
Cooperation with partners in a network to promote reading 

11. For more information boekstart.nl (parents)
boekstartpro.nl (professionals)
leesmonitor.nu (research)