3 I n t r o d u c t i o n SETTING THE SCENE Carolyn Edwards University of Nebraska–Lincoln USA T What is an infant educational diary? For whom is it created? What kind of stories does it tell? What questions does it raise about quality in early childhood care and education? And how did the practice come about in Reggio Emilia? his volume has at its heart a new edition of a small book published by the Municipality of Reggio Emilia in 1983 that represented a milestone in the experi- ence of Reggio Emilia educators and stated many principles of their educational philosophy. I first became acquainted with the original Storia di Laura (Story of Laura) when Lella Gandini took me to Reggio Emilia in the spring of 1983, but it was not until many years later that its full significance and potential for use as a tool for promoting professional development of early childhood educators emerged. It is a pleasure to be able to collaborate with Carlina Rinaldi and Reggio Children to offer this gift of Laura’s [ 1 \ DOL-Int_2011-jh 2.indd 1 12/13/11 11:52 AM