Introduction

Established in 1975, the Children's Literature Service now offers more than 141,724 items of fiction and non-fiction published in French, English and in other languages. The collection is meant for children and youth 16 years of age and under. It is a complete collection of Canadian works tracing the history of Canadian children's books. A world-class reference collection and a significant collection of literary manuscripts and original illustrations add to its value as a research collection.

Specialized reference and research services as well as bibliographic services are offered through this unique Canadian collection. As part of its reference services and its promotion of reading, each year the Children's Literature Service prepares a bilingual annotated bibliography for the Library and Archives Canada's Read Up On It kit. It also offers an exceptional showcase for Canadian children's book publishing, mounting numerous exhibitions of items selected from its book and manuscript collections.