Here children met their language

Children's laughter, music in the room and a giant owl suddenly sneaking into the room. At Oxie Library in Malmö, Polarbibblo had a launch event for Romani chib, the next language to be welcomed onto the website.

Around 50 people attended the afternoon, including around 20 children of various ages. The atmosphere was cheerful and warm as more and more families arrived for the launch event.

In one of the library rooms, chairs had been set up. Polarbibblo was presented on a large screen and visitors were guided through the site and its functions. A digital quiz in Romani created great engagement in the entire room, not least among the adults.

In the next room, activities were taking place for the slightly younger generation. There, children could try out Polarbibblo themselves on tablets, and Polarbibblo craft materials were laid out for those who wanted to create.

The children were quickly drawn to the interactive parts, where language games became a clear favorite.

– I think everything is good, but one thing is the Word Hunt where you have to look for words (on a playing field with lots of letters). You also have to train your eyes to see words, says Anastasia, 10 years old.

One of the adult visitors, who wished to remain anonymous, highlighted how important it is that children have the opportunity to use their language digitally, and that it feels good to let them encounter their language in a safe environment where adults approve everything that happens on the site before it is published. Something that Florida, a library assistant at Oxie Library, also agreed with.

– I am so happy with the work Polarbibblo has done and produced. I will use this material.

The children decide the content of Polarbibblo

One of the highlights of the day was the dance performance with Roma children and young people. When the music started, it was difficult to sit still, and the movements spread to the audience in the room. Roma dance was also something many of the children brought up when they were asked what content they would like for the site. It will be something for the Polarbibblore editorial team to figure out, how it can be woven into a platform that promotes reading and language.

Polarbibblo's owl also made a welcome visit. When it crept among the visitors, the children quickly gathered around it. There were hugs, selfies and the owl handed out rub-on tattoos depicting the Romani language animals that the Romani children had previously voted for.

Patricia Pavlovska. Photo: Linda Kvenås

During the program, two ten-year-old girls who had been able to test Polarbibblo on lovari (a Romani variety) in advance were also interviewed. Despite some nervousness, they shared their experiences. But even older young people saw the possibilities of the platform. 17-year-old Patricia, who interviewed the girls, says:

– The first time I went to Polarbibblo, I was shocked that the page was in Romani. It's a great way to learn new words, if you don't dare ask someone because you feel like you should know.

The launch means that five Romani varieties are now available at Polarbibblo: arli, kaale, kelderash, lovari and resanderomani.

The initiative is part of a long-term effort to strengthen children's language and storytelling, and to give more children the opportunity to meet and use their language in a safe digital environment.

Facts about Polarbibblo

Polarbibblo is a safe and moderated digital site where children can read, listen, write and play word games in Swedish and national minority languages. Polarbibblo is a national digital library service and is used by children and libraries throughout the country. The site is run by the Norrbotten Regional Library. Through both content and methodological material, Polarbibblo contributes to strengthening the work of libraries based on the Library Act, with a particular focus on children, languages ​​and national minorities. The introduction of the five Romani varieties is financed by funds from the Swedish Council for Arts, the Royal Library, the Norrbotten Region and in collaboration with the Resource Library for Romani chib.

Polarbibblo's activities can be followed at Polarbibblo.se, Facebookand Instagram.

Text: Linda Kvenås