 |
|
|
|
June News from The Reading Agency
|
|
The Henley Review on cultural education has just closed its consultation period. We hope it will champion the role of public libraries in helping produce creative, skilled and rounded young people. We submitted a response and will post updates on its findings. We are interested to hear from library services that submitted responses - please email Jenny Warner or post your comments on facebook.
We have been delighted by the positive feedback to our session at the recent big book industry conference run by the Booksellers' Association. We led a panel looking at the future of public libraries and their work. Read the presentation and comment on facebook. |
 |
Reading Groups for Everyone
OVER 1000 GROUPS: It's wonderful that we now have over 1000 groups registered on Reading Groups for Everyone - our website that showcases all the great things that reading groups offer. We're giving prizes as the number of groups grows. Keep putting your groups on the site to win.
Our 1000th group was Teignmouth Monday Evening Reading Group which meets in a local hotel but get their books from Devon Library Services for free. They win a set of Please Look After Mother from Orion. At the recent Society of Chief Librarians' conference we gave a bottle of champagne to Swindon Libraries who added the 500th group. We want to hear about reading groups for children, young people, families and adults. To join the campaign, add your group and find out about great offers visit www.readinggroups.org. |
|
NATIONAL READING GROUP DAY: We are excited to be working with the Booksellers' Association on the first ever National Reading Group Day on Saturday 25 June. We've put together a free, flexible offer for libraries and would everyone to sign up so we can help you get involved. The deadline for sign up is 3 June. All sorts of groups are welcome.
Go to Reading Groups for Everyone to get offers from publishers, find out about available authors and get in touch with your local library and independent bookseller. WORLD BOOK NIGHT: On National Reading Group Day the public will get the chance to propose titles that they think should feature in World Book Night 2012. More details on Reading Groups for Everyone soon. |
 |
The Summer Reading Challenge
WEBSITE LAUNCH: The new Circus Stars website is now live. It helps libraries and schools introduce children to the Challenge before the end of term. There was a nice mention in the Guardian's Cribsheet column.
The website includes appearances from best-selling authors Michael Rosen, Malorie Blackman, Charlie Hickson and Cressida Cowell. Children can post directly on the website. Comments are going up fast "I think the website is brilliant! I like the games and looking at the authors. Getting my certificate at school is really cool because it is one of the only times I go up to the front in assemblies." Ben, aged 8 from Stockport |
|
VOLUTEERS UPDATE: Library services are busily recruiting and training their young volunteers in the run-up to the Summer Reading Challenge. 400 young people aged 16 to 25 have already applied to be volunteers through the Vinspired website. Our thanks to the John Laing Charitable Trust.
|
|
Our work with young people
|
|
Free event for teenagers
AUTHOR EVENT:Come to presentations and book signings with authors writing for young adults. Our event, with Bounce, features Anthony MacGowan, Colin Mulhern, Stephanie Burgis and Isla Whitcroft. It's on 23 June, 6.30 to 8.30 at the Free Word Centre in London. Young people, librarians, publishers and anyone interested in reading is very welcome. Please email Jenny Warner - it's free!
|
|
MyVoice Roadshows
ROADSHOWS CONFIRMED: The MyVoice Roadshows will see young people in five regions hosting a programme of fun, creative events, workshops, exhibitions and performances in their local libraries. All the roadshows will be focused around reading and writing, and programmed and promoted by local young people.
We now have all five dates confirmed:
There was a great article in the Sunderland Echo launching the roadshow. Ron Odunaiya, executive director of City Services at Sunderland City Council, said: "The MyVoice Roadshow is a fantastic programme. Encouraging young people to access creative reading and writing opportunities is most important and we are delighted to have been selected as one of only five UK libraries to host a MyVoice Roadshow." |
|
DIGITAL SKILLS TRAINING: We are working with sounddelivery to deliver training in digital skills to young people and librarians taking part in MyVoice. In six locations we will train participants in creating content, such as editorial, podcasts and vodcasts, for the MyVoice online platform. Young people will also be trained to set up MyVoice Digital Reading Clubs and to act as digital mentors to other young people.
MyVoice is funded by Grants for the Arts, Big Lottery, Dulverton Trust and other supporters. |
|
Our work with children
|
|
Chatterbooks
SIGN UP: There are some Chatterbooks reading groups on Reading Groups for Everyone and currently we have some great offers for children's and young people's reading groups. We'd like more groups up there so keep them coming.
And don't forget that libraries and schools can use Chatterbooks to build on the positive effects of the Summer Reading Challenge (see above). sign up to run Chatterbooks groups. |
 |
Spotlight
NEW POSTER: Through our publisher partnerships, we promote the great new quality, contemporary reading that's available to children so that they have more choice. We work with library representatives to choose recommended new titles, which are then publicised through posters and recommended reading lists. Visit the website to find the books for May, June and July, and to download June's poster and the 'if you liked this you'll also love these' supplementary booklists.
|
|
Our work with adult learners
|
|
Six Book Challenge
Students from Doncaster College collecting their certificates after completing the Six Book Challenge. They have been blogging about their experiences.
PRIZE DRAWS: Don't miss the 30 June deadline for this year's prize draws for completers, colleges, prisons and workplaces. And we need data from participating organisations by Thursday 7 July to measure the scale of the Challenge this year. Early signs are good with numbers up in many places. We're hearing about some inspiring award ceremonies and getting some great individual stories like this from David Cameron, a student at Trafford College: "My English has come on in leaps and bounds - I've passed my Level 1 literacy, and I'm going to do my Level 2 next year." |
 |
|
GET IN TOUCH - PLANS FOR 2012: Let us know if you're still planning to run the Challenge this year, perhaps with parents alongside the Summer Reading Challenge, as we're hoping to print more reading diaries. And we'd love to hear your thoughts on how the Challenge might develop. We're currently testing some ideas for a digital Six Book Challenge game and planning for a linked think tank event in June. Email Genevieve Clarke to get in touch.
|
|
Our work with adult readers
|
|
Reading Partners
ROADSHOW SUCCESS: Reading Partners is our scheme that brings librarians and publishers together to exchange information, and share ideas about how to reach more readers. At our last roadshow, at Brighton's Jubilee Library, librarians from the south east exchanged ideas with publishers who presented their forthcoming titles and plans. Several authors came, including best-selling British novelist Judy Astley and Galaxy Book Award nominated author Simon Lelic. Librarians were able to book them for events on the spot. The feedback was overwhelmingly positive. Dominic Kippin from Portsmouth libraries said: "Bringing together the UK's leading publishers and representatives of a number of libraries, the Roadshow shared information, forged contacts and generated ideas, all driven by a shared love of reading."
|
 |
|
FEEDBACK: We also heard from Kate Earl, literature development officer at Nottingham City Libraries. She said that the contact we've helped them make with publishers has enabled them to create an exciting reading Festival running from May to July. "Jim Crace, Marilyn Heward Mills and Gervase Phinn were just some of the big names you helped us to secure."
|
|
Promotions for readers
|
 |
TV Book Club Summer Read
We are delighted that so many library authorities have signed up to promote the new series of the TV Book Club Summer Reads. And it's great to see more schools and colleges promoting the series this year too. The TV Book Club Summer Read will be broadcast from 26 June to 14 August. The list of the eight featured titles is announced on Monday 13 June.
|
|
Keeping in touch
|
|
Our funding
WWe would like to thank everyone who is supporting our work to open up the transformative world of reading to more people, including the Museums and Libraries Archives Council and Arts Council England.
|
|
read - The Reading Agency Ltd
Free Word Centre, 60 Farringdon Road, London EC1R 3GA
Company limited by guarantee, registered number 3904882 (England & Wales)
Registered charity number 1085443 (England & Wales) Registered Office c/o CW Fellowes, Templars House, Lulworth Close, Chandlers Ford, Hampshire SO53 3TL |