IBBY - International Board on Books for Young People

What IBBY - International Board on Books for Young People does

IBBY (International Board on Books for Young People) is a non-profit organization founded in 1953 and headquartered in Basel, Switzerland, dedicated to promoting international cooperation in children's literature and ensuring access to books for children worldwide. The organization operates through a decentralized network of approximately 79 national sections operating across roughly 79 countries, with a small central staff of 13 employees coordinating global programmes, awards, and humanitarian initiatives.

Its core offerings span four categories: (1) prestigious awards including the Hans Christian Andersen Award (the highest international recognition in children's literature), the IBBY-Asahi Reading Promotion Award, the IBBY-iRead Outstanding Reading Promoter Award, and the biennial IBBY Honour List; (2) reading promotion and access programmes such as the IBBY-Yamada Fund, the IBBY Collection for Young People with Disabilities, the Silent Books initiative, the IBBY-UNESCO Collection of Remarkable Books in Indigenous and Endangered Languages, and the Sustainable Development Goals Book Club; (3) humanitarian intervention through the IBBY Children in Crisis Fund, which supports bibliotherapy and book provision in war and disaster zones; and (4) knowledge products including the Bookbird quarterly journal, conference proceedings, and the biennial congress.

IBBY's revenue model is diversified across donation streams (credit card, bank transfer, PayPal), membership fees routed through national sections, and unit-priced publication sales (e.g., US$10 for the disabilities catalog, US$30 for commemorative hardbacks). Pricing is quoted in US dollars and shipping is processed via airmail. The organization is funded in part by sponsorships from Asahi Shimbun, iRead Foundation, CCPPG (China), Sharjah Book Authority, and UNESCO, with strategic alliances supporting both awards and crisis interventions.

Name

IBBY - International Board on Books for Young People

Legal name

IBBY International Board on Books for Young People

Website

https://ibby.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1950

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

IBBY is a Basel-based non-profit founded in 1953 that promotes children's literature globally through a network of 79 national sections, administering prestigious awards, reading promotion programmes, and crisis relief for children in affected regions.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Children's Literature Advocacy

NAICS

Educational Support Services (611710), Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321), Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813)

akta.pro primary industry

Library, Reading Motivation & Independent Reading Programs (EDAMAJAO)

akta.pro secondary industries

Emergency Education / Education in Emergencies (EiE) (BPADADAN), Refugee, Crisis & Humanitarian Education Partnerships (EiE) (EDADALAG)

Keywords

• Children's literature advocacy
• Reading promotion programs
• Literary awards administration
• Children's book publishing
• Bibliotherapy services

Headquarters

HQ city

Basel

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Publication Sales: IBBY sells publications including the IBBY Honour List catalogs, Outstanding Books for Young People with Disabilities selections, Bookbird journal issues, and historical award documentation. Orders are processed through an order form on the website with shipping via airmail.
2. Membership Fees: IBBY operates with national sections and individual members who pay membership fees. The members' site provides access to exclusive content for logged-in members.
3. Donations and Fundraising: IBBY accepts donations through bank transfer, credit card, and PayPal. The organization operates the IBBY Children in Crisis Fund which provides emergency support for children affected by war, civil disorder, or natural disasters through bibliotherapy and book provision programs.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

IBBY is a nonprofit organization that promotes international children's literature through prestigious literary awards (notably the Hans Christian Andersen Award), reading promotion programs, and crisis support for children affected by war and natural disasters. It operates a global network of approximately 79 national sections, publishes the Bookbird quarterly journal, and runs humanitarian initiatives including the IBBY Children in Crisis Fund and bibliotherapy programs.

Product overview

IBBY is a nonprofit organization representing an international network committed to bringing books and children together. The organization offers a portfolio of awards (Hans Christian Andersen Award, IBBY-Asahi Reading Promotion Award, IBBY-iRead Outstanding Reading Promoter Award, IBBY Honour List), programs (International Children's Book Day, IBBY-Yamada Fund, IBBY Collection for Young People with Disabilities, Silent Books, IBBY-UNESCO Collection, Sustainable Development Goals Book Club), humanitarian initiatives (IBBY Children in Crisis Fund), publications (Bookbird journal, award catalogs, commemorative publications), and organizes biennial congresses and regional conferences. The portfolio functions as a unified ecosystem of literary awards, reading promotion programs, crisis support initiatives, and knowledge-sharing publications designed to promote international children's literature and ensure access to books for all children worldwide.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Bookbird: Bookbird: A Journal of International Children's Literature - the official quarterly publication of IBBY featuring international children's literature studies, awards coverage, and reading promotion projects.

Quantifiable outcome

• 191 titles from 59 countries featured in the 2026 IBBY Honour List - the largest in IBBY's 70-year history
• +3 more outcomes

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Asahi ShimbuncoreGTM or Marketing PartnerAsahi Shimbun has been a key sponsor of the IBBY-Asahi Reading Promotion Award since 1988, supporting projects that promote children's reading globally. The partnership includes logo placement and co-branding of the award.
• iRead FoundationcoreGTM or Marketing PartneriRead Foundation sponsors the IBBY-iRead Outstanding Reading Promoter Award, recognizing individuals and organizations making outstanding contributions to reading promotion for children and young people.
• CCPPG (China)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerCCPPG (China) sponsored the printing of the IBBY Honour List 2024, supporting the production and distribution of this biennial publication.
• UNESCOcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIBBY collaborates with UNESCO on the IBBY-UNESCO Collection of Remarkable Books in Indigenous and Endangered Languages, preserving and promoting children's literature in endangered languages worldwide.
• Sharjah International Book Fair / Sharjah Book AuthoritycoreGTM or Marketing PartnerThe Sharjah/IBBY Fund (2012-2016) supported reading promotion projects for children in crisis regions from Central Asia to North Africa. Sharjah has been a major supporter of IBBY's children in crisis initiatives.
• Gyldendal (Copenhagen)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerProduced the Hans Christian Andersen Awards 1956-2002 publication documenting the history of the award. Sponsored by the Lottery Fund of Canton Basel-Land.
• University of Innsbruck, AustriaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGünter Mühlberger and team digitized IBBY documents for the electronic archives, with funding from the Austrian Ministry of Culture. Archives provide comprehensive record of children's book development since 1950.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Room to Read: Non-profit that develops, publishes and distributes children's books in local languages, builds school libraries, and supports girls' literacy in developing countries — directly comparable to IBBY's reading-promotion and book-provision programs in underserved regions.
• First Book: Non-profit that provides new books and educational resources to children from low-income families, primarily in North America. Comparable to IBBY in mission of expanding access to quality children's literature for underserved communities.
• International Literacy Association (ILA): Global non-profit focused on literacy promotion across age groups, with national affiliates, professional development, and research publications. Highly comparable to IBBY in mission, federation model, and conference/awards infrastructure.
• The Children's Book Council (CBC): US non-profit trade association promoting children's literature and literacy, running industry-recognized book awards and Children's Book Week. Comparable to IBBY for its awards, advocacy, and publisher engagement in children's books.
• Reach Out and Read: US-based non-profit that leverages pediatric care to promote early childhood literacy through book provision to families — comparable to IBBY's book-distribution model targeting children's literacy outcomes.
• Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC): Division of the American Library Association dedicated to children's library service, running notable children's book awards (e.g., Newbery, Caldecott). Comparable to IBBY for its children's book awards and librarian-facing programming.
• The Reading Agency (UK): Charity that runs national reading-promotion programs, summer reading challenges, and library partnerships across the UK — closely comparable to IBBY's reading-promotion mandate and partnerships with libraries and schools.

Broad incumbents

• International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA): Global umbrella body for library associations, much larger and broader in scope than IBBY, with overlapping focus on literacy, indigenous languages, and access to information — a natural policy and program counterpart.
• PEN International: Worldwide federation of writers' organizations promoting literature, freedom of expression, and translation — overlapping with IBBY in advocacy for literature and endangered-language writers, though broader in scope.

Others

• Bologna Children's Book Fair: The leading global trade fair for children's publishing, where IBBY regularly exhibits and hosts events. Not a peer organization but a comparable platform that IBBY partners with for industry visibility.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UC9FAkx3sWg4-GRnwMd5Eh1w
• Facebookfacebook.com/ibby.international
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ibby-international-board-on-books-for-young-people
• Instagraminstagram.com/ibby.international

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about IBBY - International Board on Books for Young People