February News from The Reading Agency

Public support for libraries
Passionate public support for libraries in the face of threatened cuts has been building, as has media interest. We are particularly concerned about the risks of losing the expert staff running the reading service, and have been doing all we can to profile the life changing impact of their work, and the public's need for it. Read authors' comments in support of libraries, a summary of recent media coverage plus links to campaigning websites and the national day of action on 5 February.

Reaching more readers: our 2010 results
"He never read before but now he just doesn't want to stop," parent, Wiltshire.

Rounding up the impact of our 2010 work we are delighted that, despite challenging times, we had a record-breaking year with libraries. Go to the end of this newsletter for highlights and there are full details on our website. Libraries' imaginative support for reading is profoundly important and we'll be doing all we can in 2011 to help it to continue to develop in challenging times.

Great news for libraries' work with young people
NEW FUNDING: we have been awarded Big Lottery funding to support libraries' work with young people. Through MyVoice, a new programme shaped by young people, we'll be working with 20 library authorities in four English regions to open up creative reading and writing opportunities for 30,000 disadvantaged young people. This is a real vote of confidence in the work that libraries do with disadvantaged communities. Read more about MyVoice.

Support from the Rayne Foundation will enable us to run radio reading clubs in some of these areas, and a Grants for the arts award will fund five, day-long MyVoice library events produced and performed by young people to showcase their creative work. MyVoice Coast to Coast.

John Laing donation
THANK YOU: We are very grateful to Michelle Morley who has given us a donation of £1000. Every year John Laing has an internal awards initiative and this year Michelle won the Operations Award for Corporate Social Responsibility for her work with the Summer Reading Challenge volunteering programme in Hounslow libraries.

To find out more about how we can support your CSR work or to make a donation, email fundraising@readingagency.org.uk

Building the confidence of adult readers

Six Book Challenge 2011
JOIN IN NOW: The Six Book Challenge blog is buzzing with stories from Boots HQ, colleges in Jersey and Northampton, libraries in Renfrewshire and Islington, council staff from Tameside and a UNISON rep from a university - all sharing how they're signing up new readers through the Six Book Challenge. We're thrilled at how the Challenge is growing but we've a long way to go. We're particularly keen to get all prisons and young offender institutions on board (more than 80 are involved in 2011) and more FE colleges, so that we can support less confident younger readers. See Six Book Challenge and the Shop to order materials.

New Quick Reads titles
QUICK READS GROWING: This year 95% of UK library services will be promoting the new Quick Reads titles for less confident adult readers when they are published on World Book Day (3 March 2011) - an increase of 5% on last year. The latest Public Lending Right figures show that there have been over 2 million loans through libraries to date.

Reading groups for adult literacy
FREE ADVICE: our free Chatabout network now has 303 members - a wide mix of tutors, library staff, publishers and workplace reps. Chatabout is for people either running or starting a reading group for less confident adult readers. It's a great way to swap ideas about what works, especially in the run up to World Book Day on 3 March and the new set of Quick Reads. See Chatabout for more information and join in the discussion.

Promoting reading

World Book Night
SPREADING READING: We are busy supporting library events for World Book Night on 5 March. This exciting promotion is right up our street because it gets local people volunteering to spread reading by giving away books. It also presents a great opportunity to profile libraries positively and attract new members. It's had extensive BBC coverage including a great interview with Tracy Chevalier and David Nicholls. The first authors are getting confirmed for big library events on the night and young people we've been working with, like Nadine (pictured), are volunteering as book givers. Watch our website for details of events and see World Book Night.
Dagger in the Library Award 2011
WIN BOOKS: Libraries and reading groups are invited to nominate authors for The Dagger in the Library Award 2011, sponsored by Random House and part of the Crime Writers' Association (CWA) Award. Nominations close on 11 April. The Library Dagger is given to "the crime fiction author whose work is currently giving the greatest enjoyment to readers" and is judged by librarians. Libraries and reading groups who send in author nominations can win tickets for the awards' gala or £300 worth of books. See the Crime Writers' Association website.

Work for The Reading Agency
NEW JOB: We are looking for a Project Manager and Project Administrator to help us support libraries to provide creative writing and reading opportunities for young people. If these sound like the full-time jobs for you find out more and apply on our website.

Results from 2010
Children and young people
Summer Reading Challenge More children than ever before are building their reading skills during the summer holidays through the Summer Reading Challenge, plus a new volunteering scheme.
  • 760,000 children took part - up 35,000 on 2009
  • 53,000 children signed up as new library members
  • 18 million children's materials were borrowed from June to September
  • A pilot volunteering programme with 20 local authorities, involved 650 young volunteers aged 11 to 19, well over the target of 250.
Chatterbooks
Grew the network of groups that get children fired up and excited about reading and writing.
  • There are now 550 Chatterbooks reading groups in the UK - mostly in libraries but now in schools too.
  • 8,500 4 to 12 year olds are taking part.
Children's Reading Partners
Our library/publisher scheme moved beyond the pilot to bring the world of reading to more children. 13 publishers and the whole library network are involved, creating 16 activities, five Chatterpacks and reaching 15,000 children and young people. Popular roadshows in Birmingham and Manchester gave library staff new skills and contact with authors and publishers.
Headspace
Increased the number of young people involved in designing and running library spaces and services, and provided accredited volunteering opportunities.
  • Involved 5,623 young people in designing and running library spaces
  • 2,415 were involved in leadership roles, 309 to went onto longer-term roles, 36 gained employment and 308 gained volunteering accreditation
  • New Headspaces opened in Solihull, Bournemouth, Thornton Heath, Manchester and Plymouth
Adults
Six Book Challenge
Supported more adults with low literacy to feel confident about reading and to build their skills.
  • 13,500 adults registered to take the Six Book Challenge through libraries, adult education, colleges, prisons and workplaces - up 50% on 2009.
  • 1,554 libraries took part - up 28.6% on 2009.
  • 4,656 people joined libraries to take part - up 52.2% on 2009. 9,573 have joined since 2008.
Adult Reading Partners
Provided more opportunities for libraries and publishers to work together to reach more readers in local communities.
  • In 2010, we tracked 165 author events reaching 11,187 readers.
  • The number of events we brokered increased by 13%.
  • 14 publisher promotions to help market titles to libraries' 10,000 reading groups.
  • 1,500 libraries took part in our most popular publisher promotion, Headline's Summer of Crime.
Health and reading
The Museums Libraries and Archives Council funded us to research the links between libraries' reading work and the benefits to people's health with Loughborough University.
  • We ran a Mood Boosting books health promotion with BBC in 2000 libraries and five NHS Trusts, 16 colleges and universities and two prisons.
  • We piloted a health and libraries partnership toolkit in the West Midlands.

Read the full end of year results on our website.

Thank you to all our funders, sponsors and donors in 2010 who have supported us to achieve these results.
Arts Council England; BBC Learning; Bertrams; Big Lottery Fund; British Council; Department for Business Industry and Skills; Esmee Fairbairn Foundation; John Laing Charitable Trust; Jonathan Drori; Museums Libraries and Archives Council; Neilsen; Peters Library Service; Talis; TUC; UnionLearn; v and Welsh Books Council

Look out for...
READING GROUPS WEBSITE: Our new Reading Groups for Everyone website launching to libraries next month. We will be asking libraries to put their reading groups into the website so we can build up an interactive resource to promote reading groups, writing groups and book clubs.

NEW SPOTLIGHT TITLES: From January and April announced. Posters and activity sheets available from the website now.
Keeping in touch
For information about all our projects and resources visit the website, follow us on Twitter and tell use what you think at the discussion forum.

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