Book Discussion Club & The Very Young Culture project at Chrzanow Public Library (Poland)

Our colleagues from the Municipal Public Library in Chrzanów are currently working on two exciting projects specifically designed for children and teenager, which we are delighted to share with you.

Book Discussion Club at the Chrzanów Public Library (DKK – Dyskusyjny Klub Książki)

The Book Discussion Club is a nationwide programme run by the Book Institute in Kraków. The Chrzanów Library has been hosting it continuously since 2006, being the first in the Małopolska region to do so. Currently, we run three clubs: for adults, teenagers, and children.

Meetings take place once a month, with the main aim of promoting reading, encouraging active participation in literary and cultural life. Club members gather in a relaxed atmosphere, over a cup of good tea or coffee, to discuss a pre-selected book, sharing their thoughts as well as literary and life experiences. Meetings for children (aged 5–7) and teenagers (aged 10–14) are always enriched with additional activities related to the book’s content, such as art workshops, creative sessions, library games, or logical and literary activities.

An additional, highly appealing feature for club members, readers, and local residents is the organisation of author meetings with renowned and respected writers as part of the DKK.

Very Young Culture 2023–2025 (BMK – Bardzo Młoda Kultura)

Another significant cultural initiative carried out by our library is The Very Young Culture project, aimed at young people aged 11 and older.
This is a programme of the National Centre for Culture, with the Małopolska Institute of Culture in Kraków as its regional operator. The main goal is to foster young people’s active participation in culture, encouraging their creativity, agency, collaboration, and responsibility.

In partnership with The Second General Secondary School in Chrzanow, our Library has implemented the following cultural and educational activities under this programme:

2023: The Faces of the camera project, which produced a social awareness video titled “dePRESJA” (dePression), addressing the challenging topic of youth mental health, self-harm, loneliness, and depression.
2024: The FEEL CHILL project, which involved designing and creating a relaxation zone for students in the school building, featuring greenery, comfortable seating, and a beautiful thematic mural (designed and painted by young people under the guidance of Dr Marcin Czaja, a lecturer at the Kraków Academy of Fine Arts).
2025: The ARTEtherapy project – a multifaceted initiative focused on art therapy, including photography, handicraft, and art workshops, as well as music therapy.

In line with the project’s principles, young participants are the creators and implementers of the activities, with adult supervisors providing support and coordination.