From guardianship to abandonment : children 's literature and library and information science

Abstract

Children's literature – and I use the term in the broadest sense of the word, from picture books for the very young to young adult literature – is a subject field that has always been close to my heart. I became involved in the subject field by chance, just as I ended up in Library and Information Science by coincidence. My background and interest have always been history and heritage. However, I was fortunate enough to have two formidable mentors during my undergraduate years in Potchefstroom: Professor TT Cloete and Professor Carl Lohann. It was Professor Cloete who made me aware of the existence of the subject field, Library and Information Science, and it was Professor Lohann, who was the Head of the Department at that stage, who ignited my passion for children's literature.