National report to the International Development in Europe Committee (IDEC) July 2013 Basic information Name of association: Bralno Društvo Slovenije (BDS) - Slovenian Reading Association Web site: http://www.bralno-drustvo.si/ Mailing address: Poljanska 28, SI – 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenija New executive board elected in September 2011. Chairman: Zoltan Jan e-mail: [email protected]

Person submitting the report: Veronika Rot Gabrovec e-mail: [email protected]

The Slovenian Reading Association was founded in 1995 and charted as a member organisation of the International Reading Association in 1997. Currently, the association has approximately 100 members, 50 of them (moderately) active. A rise in membership is to be expected at the beginning of the new school year (prior to the biennial conference in September). The membership consists of primary & secondary school teachers, librarians, psychologists, academics and others.

SD1–Professional Development  9 January, 2013. Pionirska – Centre for Youth Literature and Librarianship (Ljubljana City Library) hosted a panel discussion ‘Classics Simplified: Violence Against Literature or Motivation for Reading?’ (=Okrajšani klasiki – nasilje nad literaturo ali motivacija za branje?). Veronika Rot Gabrovec one of the panelists.  5 February, 2013. BDS -The Dolenjska Branch & The University of theThird Age. An evening with the writer Berta Golob. Hosted by Jože Zupan.  5 March, 2013. BDS -The Dolenjska Branch & The University of theThird Age. An evening with the writer and ethnographer Dušica Kunaver. Hosted by Jože Zupan.  12 March, 2013, Culture Bazaar (an annual event, organised by the Ministry of Culture): We read, too (Readers with special needs). A panel discussion, organised by the Slovenian Reading Association.  21 March – 23 April, 2013. To participate in the global campaign BookJoy Around the World, various activities to cultivate a passion for poetry were encouraged and organised by IBBY Slovenia & Pionirska – Centre for Youth Literature and Librarianship (Ljubljana City Library). BDS joined in with ‘InfoBoard Poetry’ (Faculty of Arts).

SD2–Partnerships  Bralna značka Slovenije (Slovenian Reading Badge)  IBBY Slovenia  Board of Education, Slovenia  Faculty of Arts, University of Ljubljana

SD3–Research Members actively participated and presented at the following symposia, conferences and seminars:  21 March, 2013. Gimnazija Ormož (SI). Learning to learn – Digital Literacy & New Possibilities of Communication (Educational Meeting). Members of BDS – the Celje Branch, Irena Sojč and Tanja Jelenko, presented To read or not to read and Students of secondary (vocational) schools and reading respectively.  21 March, 2013. Črna na Koroškem (SI). Light Reading for Readers with Special Needs (symposium). Tilka Jamnik presented a paper on literary texts, suitable for readers with special needs.  27 March, 2013. Divača (SI). Zoltan Jan (Chair & Member of BDS – the Primorska branch) participated in a symposium on Bogomir Magajna.

SD4–Various Reading Today OnLine reporting on BDS (February 2013): http://www.reading.org/General/Publications/blog/BlogSinglePost/reading-today-online/2013/02/04/slovenia%27s- annual-reading-festival-features-illustrator-damijan-stepan%C4%8Di%C4%8D#.Ufiy3G2BWno

SD5–Work in Progress 9 September, 2013. WE READ, TOO. Various Readers With Various Needs. (National Biennial Conference). 15 presenters + poster section + 2 workshops. Registration of participants in progress. 21 papers to be published by September 2013.

(Maja Dokler, the cover illustration for ‘WE READ, TOO. Various Readers With Various Needs’ . Bralno društvo Slovenije 2013.)