Babies, books and 'impact': Problems and possibilities in the evaluation of a Bookstart project

This paper draws on an evaluative research project undertaken for North Tyneside Children and Young People 's Library Service. 'Babies Need Books ' was set up in response to the Birmingham Bookstart pilot (Wade & Moore, 1993). The Early Childhood Research Group at the University of Newcastle upon Tyne re-analysed the data collected by questionnaire, tracked library use by project families and conducted a series of telephone interviews to clarify key issues. The problems of evaluation will be discussed in relation to findings from a follow-up project which explores the transfer of literacy from home to school.