De Bospoort library in Halle offers young readers the opportunity to discover and judge their favorite books of the year. The library houses all the books from the Reading Jury, allowing readers to engage with their preferred titles and cast their votes online.
The Reading Jury, a project by Iedereen Leest, is the largest reading club for children and young people in Flanders. Individuals between 4 and 18 years old read books from the selection tailored to their age group and choose their favorite. Together with thousands of other young readers, they determine which book wins. The library provides all books from this selection in multiple copies, which can be read at home. Voting can be done online via the Internet Jury at deleesjury.be/internetjury.
Schools that find it difficult to visit the library can request a book package with Reading Jury titles, enabling every student to participate in the reading project.
Author Isabelle Gielen inaugurated the collection with a reading. Her book De stam van de oude eik is itself part of the Reading Jury. Through this initiative, the aim is not only to provide children and young people with reading pleasure but also to let them experience that their opinion matters. Thanks to this collection, even more young residents of Halle can participate in judging and making their voices heard.
The new collection is designed for young visitors, a significant demographic for the library. Last school year, 6,860 students visited the library, and currently, the library counts over 2,200 active members under 18 years old. More than half of all loans are made by or for young readers, who can choose from over 14,000 youth books, 4,600 comics, and around 4,000 non-fiction books. Particularly, 12- to 14-year-olds find their way to the library with ease.
