Abstract

GERLACH DIETZ, Karin  and  BARROS DE OLIVEIRA, Vera. Hospital toy libraries, an analysis focused on quality criteria. Bol. - Acad. Paul. Psicol. [online]. 2008, vol.28, n.1, pp. 100-110. ISSN 1415-711X.

This paper tracks and makes a quality analysis of the hospital toy libraries, both private and public, found in the health-care units. The analysis is conducted based on the French Toy Libraries Quality Chart, which is the document used by the Brazilian Toy Library Association. The verification in this study attends to legal demands on a national level, which oblige the hospitals with paediatric admittance units to host a toy library. This study verifies that out of 19 Health-Care Units with paediatric admittance, 7 public and 12 private, only two house toy libraries; one public and one private. Data obtained in both toy libraries by means of an auto-evaluative questionnaire filled by the people in charge, followed by semi-directed interview, indicates positive aspects regarding the services offered by the toy library and the clients’ response, including the families, but it also indicates unsatisfactory aspects pertaining to: the organization prior to the toy library’s setting up, the clear definition of the toy library’s objectives and means, the professional qualification of the staff and also to the formation of partnerships for financial and material support. This research points out the great need for the setting up of wellplanned and operational toy libraries.

Keywords : Hospital toy library; Pediatric admittance; Hospitalizated child.

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