History

From 1983 to 1997 : in the Clairs-Soleils neighbourhood

In 1983, a staff-member of the Clairs-Soleil librairy took inspiration from the ATD Quart-Monde programme and suggested taking books to rent-controlled social housing units in the neighbourhood to allow children to discover the pleasures of reading in their own environment. That is how the reading in the street programme actually began.

The ‘PSR’ building (one of the buildings in the above-mentioned neighbourhood) was chosen due to its social and cultural context: families of foreign origin and many children under 13 (150), of which only 17% were enrolled at the library. On Wednesdays and on Saturday afternoons, Beatrice Pano, the member of staff involved, went on foot to ‘PSR’ with a suitcase full of books and told stories. There were numerous problems at first: inter-ethnic confrontation, general hostility, bad weather conditions.

Then, in January, 1985, the city of Besançon bought a van (of a good size) for this project and a volunteer worker accompanied the staff-member. The street reading thus developed into a regular event with book-lending and extended to other buildings (‘la banane’ and ‘la tour’), alternating with ‘PSR’. These buildings were chosen because of their high number of young children of foreign origin and because of the disadvantaged school milieu.

On the other hand, at ‘PSR’, where in 1988 there were 10 families of French origin out of 62, the library visiting rate developed much less and the street reading programme continued in front of the building. New buildings in the neighbourhood were thus able to benefit from the programme, alternating with ‘PSR’, every other Wednesday. Buildings were chosen because of their distance from the library, their number of children and their low enrolment rate at the library.

In July, 1997 the street reading programme came to an end at ‘PSR’ because many of the building’s children had enrolled at the library. In addition, the number of children between 2 and 13 had gone down, the decreasing birth-rate had an impact there as well. A school-holiday campaign was organised in order to maintain the link with the library.

From 1997 to 2000: in the rue Paul Pesty neighbourhood

In September, 1997 the street reading programme therefore left the Clairs-Soleils neighbourhood and another neighbourhood in Besançon was chosen, the area surrounding the rue Paul Pesty. It was chosen because of its greatly disadvantaged social and cultural milieu and because the closest library was one kilometre away.

This action lasted for 3 years, but had to stop because the number of children was regularly declining; the families were being displaced elsewhere due to restoration of the buildings. The presence of a library bus assured the continuity of the action.

Although 4 years were considered necessary, the three years of presence in the neighbourhood were beneficial, because 18 of the 45 children enrolled in the programme during the period were on the library lists the following year.

From 2000 to 2002: in the Planoise neighbourhood

In September, 2000 the street reading programme had moved towards a group of buildings in the neighbourhood of Planoise, at the ‘place des Petits Pieds’, with lending and other actions presented alternatively on Wednesdays from 10 to 12 am. This lasted for two years, during the second year lending only was organised every two weeks because the children in the neighbourhood were less disadvantaged than those of the Paul Pesty area and they quickly became readers.

Some very isolated buildings in another part of Besançon, rue de l’Amitié, were chosen due to their distance from libraries, to the number of young children and the social and cultural backgrounds (numerous emigrants). Street reading began here in September, 2001 with the discovery of books and listening to stories on every other Wednesday, alternating with the actions held at the ‘place des Petits Pieds’.

Since September 2002: in the Amitié Neighbourhood

The street reading programme is at present held (see presentation and contacts) exclusively in front of the towers of the building ensemble of l’Amitié on Wednesdays from 10 to 12 am, with lending of books and other actions. The project here is meant to last for 4 years.