Italy

IBBY Italy was one of the first sections of IBBY and was established in 1953 as an organization for children’s literature in Italy. There were two breaks in its membership and by 2003 IBBY Italia reformed and joined IBBY.  With the support of the Bologna University, AIB Italian Libraries Association, the Municipality of Bologna and the Biblioteca Sala Borsa ragazzi, AIE Association of Italian publishers, Cooperative Giannino Stoppani, Bologna Children's Book Fair, and the Hamelin Cultural Association, IBBY Italia has become a thriving and important section of IBBY.

IBBY Italia promotes the work of the best Italian authors, illustrators, translators and editors, by nominating them to the prestigious international awards such as the Hans Christian Andersen Award, the IBBY Honour List, the Biennial of Illustrations of Bratislava and the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award.

IBBY Italia supports reading promotion initiatives with particular attention to remote or disadvantaged areas.

On the Mediterranean island of Lampedusa, it is collaborating with the local administration of Lampedusa to open the first library on the island that is dedicated to young islanders and to the refugees who arrive by the thousands every year.

The Section organizes various IBBY exhibitions throughout Italy.  These include the Silent Books. Final Destination Lampedusa touring exhibition and the biennial IBBY Selection of Outstanding Books for Young People with Disabilities.

Following the 2012 earthquake in Emilia Romagna, with support from the IBBY Children in Crisis Fund, IBBY Italia took books and the magic of stories to the children who were affected by the tremendous damage.

IBBY Italia also contributes to research and debate about children's books and promotes training with publications devoted to important artists or topics.

The Section currently co-operates with a network of non-profit national institutions with the aim of creating a Library of Legality to spread the culture of legality among the young generation. IBBY Italia collaborates with the Italian network Born to Read on the selection of a multilingual bibliography for toddlers. It is also co-operating with Safe, to create the library Children’s Books Help the Refugees. 1,500 books were collected at the 2016 Bologna Children's Fair for the refugees at the Indomeni camp in Greece.