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September News from The Reading
Agency
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The
latest library statistics from the government's big Taking Part survey
show that public use of libraries has held steady since 2008, with around
40% of the population using their local library. An astonishing 76.4% of
5-10 year olds use the library. Compared to other cultural facilities,
libraries are used by a high percentage of people from deprived areas
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The
survey shows how important reading is in people's lives - 65.8% of
adults cite it as their main free time activity, compared to going to the
cinema (47.7%) or visiting museums and galleries (32.6%) -
highlighting a big opportunity for libraries to introduce readers to the
new look library reading service. Click
here
for more detail.
These statistics run alongside recent debate about volunteer-run libraries. We think volunteering in libraries is important, but not as a substitute for professionally staffed libraries: see the article written by our director Miranda McKearney for BookBrunch this August. Following the recent riots, there have been strong reactions
from some of the young volunteers and writers involved in The Reading
Agency's MyVoice programme
(see 'Our work with young people' below). Bali Rai writes in
his blog
about the importance of reaching out to alienated young people
and the challenge publishers face in reflecting the reality of their
lives.
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Summer Reading Challenge
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Reports from around the country show that this year's Summer
Reading Challenge, Circus Stars, is hugely popular with children. Do take
a look at their comments on the message
board and at the really inspirational creative
displays in libraries. We love hearing from the children: "just finished diary of a wimpy
kid!!!!!!!!! its got 217 pages and took me 3 and a half days to finish
soooo proud." "Hi I'M NEW TO THIS AND I LOVE IT IS SO
GOOD !" We know that "live" experiences can have a strong impact in bringing words to life, so it's a big thank you to all those libraries who have been able to curate complementary Circus Stars activities.
In Scotland we would particularly like to congratulate and
thank Tesco Bank and the libraries with which they have worked- not only
has Tesco Bank's support enabled an additional 7,000 children to take part
this year, but they have partnered libraries in Falkirk, Hawick,
Edinburgh, Dundee, Dumbarton and Glasgow to bring hugely entertaining
roadshows into town. Not only were children and their families
treated to clowns, jugglers and some (wobbly) plate-spinning, but writers
Lari Don, Chae Strathie and Theresa Breslin provided inspirational
storytelling experiences.
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We are excited to announce that international
best-selling author Karin Slaughter is donating to
The Reading Agency 100% of UK royalties for Amazon.co.uk sales of her new digital short story, Thorn in My Side. We are enormously grateful to
Karin and her publishers, Thomas & Mercer. A long-time advocate for libraries, Karin Slaughter's US
organisation Save the
Libraries has raised $50,000 for her local DeKalb County Library
system and served as a model for other library advocacy groups.
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"Librarians have always stood up for writers and readers in every kind of community," Karin says. " It's time that we stood up for them. I had a great time writing Thorn in My Side and the fact that it is for this great cause just makes it even better."
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Our Work with Young People
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MyVoice
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KEEPING UP THE MOMENTUM: Events this summer have led to an unstable time for young people in the national press, but we have been heartened by the blogs from young people involved in our MyVoice programme, including this message from Miriam in Gateshead:"The North East has not followed the crowd and our young people are not carelessly destroying the community that they live in - instead many of them are taking part in it and encouraging inclusion, not exclusion. Like the local MyVoice young people's voluntary group based at Gateshead Central Library which is preparing events that will benefit the local community and change young people's perceptions of the library." |
Last month we celebrated the amazing variety of library activities at
the five MyVoice Roadshows held in Sunderland, St Helens, Westminster, Great
Yarmouth and Weymouth. Since then, young people have been posting content on the
website and on the MyVoice Facebook
page. Bali Rai is the first MyVoice online writer in residence, posting
weekly blogs alongside other guest creative partners including Tom Palmer and
Andrew Hammond. See how your library could get a graffiti
make-over and read more of the author
blogs .
CELEBRATION: Young people have been working with library authorities in Yorkshire and Humberside on how libraries, as key community spaces, can support the needs of local young people. To celebrate their achievements there is an event at Leeds Central Library on 1 October between 1pm and 4pm. This will showcase the young people's work and share the learning and ideas they have developed with library authorities. Melvin Burgess is the guest author on the day. For more information on our young people led programmes contact Sue Jones .
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Our Work with Adult Learners
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Six Book
Challenge
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THE 2012 CHALLENGE: Look out for the launch of vibrant new materials for 2012 in early September. Plans for next year's Challenge include more prizes for completers, the development of Six Book Challenge 'hotspots' around the country and a gold/silver/bronze award scheme for participating organisations. We are adding more recommendations for Entry Level readers to Find a Read.
Meanwhile we are still getting fabulous feedback from this year's Six Book Challenge. Librarian Lynn Goodman at Northampton College has topped our college chart with 134 completers (some of whom are pictured) - an 89% increase on 2010. Noelle Ramjee, a literacy student in Brent, is already looking forward to her third Challenge: "I've now done the 2010 and 2011 Six Book Challenges, which has been the biggest surprise to me, because I never used to read! It's been really inspiring; as soon as I got one of those little Quick Reads books I couldn't put them down. Every book I read for the Challenge is another step forward." |
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FREE RESOURCES: Booking is open for a training day on Friday 14 October in London, which will cover new models for running the Challenge in different settings. Everyone attending can claim a FREE resources pack worth 75 pounds. |
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Our Work with Adult Readers
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Reading Groups for Everyone
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We now have over 1600 reading groups registered on Reading Groups for Everyone, our online campaign celebrating everything that's great about reading groups. Our 1600th group was Pencoed Library's Hooked on Books Friday Group. We've also been impressed with the Chatty Readers skills for life group run by Southend Libraries, who are our current featured group, and we love the way that Middlesbrough Libraries are presenting their reading groups. Please join Reading Groups for Everyone, add your group and take advantage of the great offers and giveaways. Right now there are some great offers for teen reading groups, new tips for running reading groups for adult learners and news about Radio 4's dramatic week long series Life and Fate, starring Kenneth Brannagh and David Tennant. |
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Library/publisher scheme By working together, libraries and publishers can reach more readers. Our library and publisher scheme, Reading Partners, entices readers to try all that is new and good in the publishing world - encouraged by librarians working at the coalface. This month we've had lots of reading groups taking part in our promotions. One particular favourite has been Rona Jaffe's The Best of Everything. The book has been in the spotlight after being featured in Mad Men and many readers found the book 'evocative and true to the times'. Other popular titles include When God Was a Rabbit by Sarah Winman and Thief of Time by John Boyne. Check for the latest publisher freebies on Reading Groups for Everyone. |
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East London Libraries Festival The Reading Agency are thrilled to be partnering with the first East London Libraries Festival. This will take place across the seven London boroughs of Barking and Dagenham, Enfield, Hackney, Havering, Redbridge, Newham and Waltham Forest from 16 September to 16 October 2011.
Through Reading Partners, we have galvanised publishers' support for the festival. The programme will feature approximately 70 author and celebrity events, panel discussions, screenings, book-signings, and a one-day conference for reading groups. For more information, go to www.ellf.org.uk. |
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Our Work with Children
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Chatterbooks Children's Reading
Groups
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| BOOKING OPEN: We are running a training day on Thursday 6 October in London for library staff running children's reading groups or planning to set one up. Our network of Chatterbooks groups is well established with groups in libraries, schools and other settings. It was started in libraries, so come and hear about everything that we have learnt over the years and come away with lots of practical ideas and resources. Contact Jenny Warner to book your place |
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Chatterbooks Reads! NEW TITLES: Our regular monthly promotion of the very best new titles in
children's reading as chosen by librarians, publishers and Chatterbooks
reading groups is available now. See the full autumn
list and download the September poster. Look out for online reviews
of the latest books written by children who are members of Chatterbooks
reading groups. |
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Children's library/publisher
partnership NEW ROADSHOW ANNOUNCED: Our next roadshow bringing librarians and publishers together to share information and ideas will be at Bristol Schools Library Service on Tuesday 29 November. Our children's library and publisher roadshows are extremely popular - leading to fabulous connections and creative ways of collaborating to inspire more children to read more. After the last roadshow in Glasgow, attended by over 70 librarians, publishers and authors, Yvonne Manning, principal librarian, Falkirk Council, said: "The enthusiasm of attending publishers to support the work of libraries and meeting the energy and commitment of the library staff was brilliant. It resulted in a lot of creative ideas, and in potentially great working relationships being formed." Librarians and publishers who are interest in coming to the Bristol roadshow should contact Jenny Warner to book your place. |
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Thanks to... When
times are tough it's all about collaboration. We have been delighted that
Essex County Council has enabled us to access volunteering support from
Susan Carragher, director of libraries and cultural services.
And we're very grateful to Libraries and Information East Midlands for allowing us to arrange the secondment of Lyn Hodgkins. Susan and Lyn are helping us in our work with the Society of Chief Librarians to develop a new strategy for libraries' shared reading programmes and partnerships.
Look out for...
SUMMER
READING CHALLENGE VOLUNTEERING REPORT:
We are analysing the figures and impact of the extended
Summer Reading Challenge volunteering scheme run with young people this
year, thanks to funding from The John Laing
Charitable Trust. So far the results look very encouraging. We will report
on the full impact in next month's newsletter.
The BBC National Short Story
Award shortlist is announced on 9 September.
Keeping in touch Please come and chat to us on Facebook, visit our website and follow us on Twitter.
Our funding We 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. |