The importance of early encyclopedias for children and youth in Croatia

Abstract

Children form their impression of the world from a very young age, so it is crucial to provide them with accurate and engaging information. In Croatia, numerous encyclopedic publications for children and youth were published in the 20th century. This research focuses on three specific encyclopedic publications: Svijet oko nas (The World around Us, Volume I, 1968; Volume II, 1970), Dječja enciklopedija Larousse (The Larousse Children’s Encyclopedia, 1970), and Enciklopedija za djevojčice (Encyclopedia for Girls, 1974). The study aims to determine the type of information these encyclopedias offer to children and young people, and assess whether the content and illustrations are suitable for their age group. Additionally, it seeks to reconstruct the values conveyed to children through the encyclopedic articles and determine whether the purpose of their publication was educational, moral, or a combination of both. The research also aims to identify the unique aspects of each encyclopedia and compare them to ascertain if any of them has an advantage in the information they convey. Furthermore, the study will assess whether these early encyclopedias for children and young people adhere to the contemporary encyclopedic style and whether they still serve their intended purpose today in communicating with today’s children and young people.

The study utilised Mixed Methods Research, which involves combining different research methods and designs. This approach integrates the results of both quantitative and qualitative research. The quantitative aspect involved collecting and quantifying data as well as analysing article and illustration content. The qualitative component included conducting semi-structured interviews with 20 children and young people as well as 10 adults.

The study found that encyclopedias for children and young people are generally more illustrated, which aligns with the interview findings. The texts and illustrations are adapted to the age of the target audience. While all three encyclopedias share similarities, they also have their unique characteristics. Conversations with participants revealed that biographical content is less important to them compared to general articles, a conclusion supported by the analysis of the encyclopedia contents. Each publication has combination of educational and moral purposes, but approaches them differently. While all three encyclopedias continue to hold value today, interviews indicated that the visual presentation in early encyclopedias is the most noticeable gap between them and today’s generations.