The International Library of Children's Literature (ILCL) website has been completely updated to reflect the latest changes in its services. Since FY2004 the ILCL staff has been working on the renewal, and the new website became open to the public on May 18, 2005.  The English site has been also improved with a wealth of  new content added.  There is also a new electronic exhibition titled "Jugendstil Picture Book Artists and Their Contemporaries." 

Major Content of the New ILCL English Site

Major contents in the English site (http://www.kodomo.go.jp/english/index.html) are as follows: 

ILCL Electronic Exhibition: Picture Book Gallery                  "Jugendstil Picture Book Artists and Their Contemporaries" 

 ILCL's new electronic exhibition "Jugendstil Picture Book Artists and Their Contemporaries" became open to the public on May 18, 2005. 

This is a part of ILCL's electronic exhibition "Picture Book Gallery" series. Three exhibitions have been created so far: "The Picture Book as Stage: the Stories, Songs and Poetry of Three Picture Book Creators of Nineteenth-Century England" in 1999; "Kodomo no Kuni: Artists and Children's Books in 1920s Japan" in 2001; and the revised version of "The Picture Book as Stage" in 2002. 

The new exhibition has been created to pursue the same goal as its predecessors, i.e., to show the history of picture books from their birth to the present by digital content. This exhibition covers the period from the end of the 19th century to the turn of the 20th century, during which the style called "Jugendstil" or "Art Nouveau" was very popular in Europe and North America. The exhibition provides a virtual show of the picture books created by the Jugendstil artists. 

Through this exhibition you can see digital images from some 30 picture books  with easy-to-read commentaries in both Japanese and English and also hear an enchanting reading of the books (voice) and music. 

Picture Book Gallery can be seen at:

http://www.kodomo.go.jp/gallery/digi/index_e.html

• For more information, contact:
• International Library of Children's Literature
• 12-49 Ueno Park, Taito-ku, Tokyo 110-0007 Japan
• Telephone guide: +81-3-3827-2069 
• FAX:+81-3-3827-2043
• E-mail:webinfo@ndl.go.jp