Reading Hack is a programme led by young people aged 13 to 24 who do reading activities and volunteering, called hacks, to gain skills and experience.

The programme provides an adaptable model which can be used to provide a youth-friendly overarching brand for your work with 13 to 24 year-olds. It helps you encourage young people to use the library, organise activities, volunteer and inspire others to read.

Reading Hack started in 2015 and is growing quickly, with more than 130 libraries and schools signed up across the UK. It offers a unique opportunity for young people to volunteer, learn new skills and engage with libraries and reading. It's funded by the Paul Hamlyn Foundation.

We commissioned evaluation experts OPM to look into the difference that Reading Hack is making in libraries and in the lives of young people. On average, 89% of young people strongly agreed that they have gained new skills through their Reading Hack experience, and around 82% of participants felt that Reading Hack had a highly positive impact on their confidence levels. Find out more

Watch the Reading Hack trailer.

Find out more from Reading Hackers and libraries taking part.

What is a hack?

A hack is "a clever solution to a tricky problem. To hack is to modify or change something in an extraordinary way" [Urban Dictionary definition, 2009].

Young people hack reading by doing any activity with reading at its heart. This could be anything from a poetry-themed DJ set or novel-inspired Minecraft, to book-related filmmaking or helping younger children read.

The Reading Hack website

The Reading Hack website is a hub where young people can create their own hacks, build their skills and inspire others to read. Please have a look and share it with young people.

Are you a library running Reading Hack?

Reading Hack gives you tools and resources to run hacks, which encourage young people to use the library, organise activities, volunteer and inspire others to read. You can access resources to help you get started.

If you are involving young people as Reading Hack volunteers for the Summer Reading Challenge, you can download the guide to setting up a volunteering offer and our recruitment and training toolkits.

Get involved

If you would like to find out more about Reading Hack, please email us at readinghack@readingagency.org.uk.