Ingrid Bon, Chair (Netherlands)2016, a new year has just begun. I really hope and wish that it will be a peaceful one for  everybody on this world. The world of IFLA and more specific of the section Libraries for Children and Young Adults, never sleeps. We just finished the World Library and Information Congress in Cape Town August 2015 and now we are already full speed working on all the agreements made, new duties are planned and projects started.
Sister Libraries is a big success and the section thanks fagforbundet from Norway for its support to be able to continue this project. The World through picture books is another success story. A great publication with the list of the ten most popular picture books of so many countries, selected by librarians and even the possibility to have an exhibition of the books. A true treasure.

Several members of the section are working hard on the revision of the Guideline Library services for children and the new project: Best Practices of children and young adult events. The plan is to collect best practices and present them as a kind of recipe. What do you need, how to use the tools and what will be the tasteful result? It could work like some handbook, cookbook if you want to. Those two make a great combination and we hope to present both at a session in Columbus Ohio at the next IFLA congress.

Beside presenting our hard work in this session the section C/YA is also working closely with the section Literacy and Reading on a joined session in Ohio, focusing on National Reading plans, connected to Sustainable Development Goals in the Agenda 2030. A very important theme that puts several hot issues together. Check the Ohio program for this session in due time!

In this newsletter the children's section asked for articles on the connection between reading and health issues, bibliotherapy in a way. Information officer Ulla Pötsönen did a great job collecting articles, getting the review started and finally putting it all in the Newsletter you are reading now. Great job done, Ulla!
Reading fiction and non-fiction touches many development goals for children. It works on their vocabulary, gives children a view on a world that is not theirs or a view on a world that is exactly theirs. It helps children to grow mentally with funny stories and stories that can make you cry. It stimulates fantasy and makes one wonder on situations. What would you do? How would you react on this? Important issues specially when dealing with health issues. The collected articles gives us information on different examples around the world. What can a library do in order to help children and young adults when they are facing stormy weather in their live? I hope you will enjoy them as much as I did.

And last but not least, I hope you made some space in your agenda already? I hope to see all of you at IFLA congress in Ohio in August!

Ingrid Bon