We have carried out a study into how the scale of engagement achieved by the gaming industry could be harnessed to encourage adults with low literacy to read more.

We investigated the breadth of technologies already being used by learning providers and explored their attitudes to the use of gaming. Through carrying out a review of games we found the majority to be accessible to adults with literacy levels of Entry Level 3 to Level 1, which is lower than the average novel. And we talked to games developers and publishers about the potential of digital texts and games to reach new audiences.

The report concludes with recommendations for games developers, learning organisations, researchers, publishers, libraries and policy makers on how to maximise the links between gaming for reading to attract and support adults who struggle with reading.

The Reading Agency will be taking this work forward by setting up a working group to integrate the use of gaming and other digital technologies into our Six Book Challenge scheme and we invite games developers, publishers, libraries, learning specialists and providers to get in touch if they would like to be involved.

We're also keen to get people talking about the potential for gaming and reading and you can take part in our discussion on the forum or get in contact.

You can download a full copy of the Gaming for reading report.

Recent research from The King's Fund indicates that mental illness in England cost £50 billion in 2007. Almost half, £22.5 billion, represents money spent on direct NHS and social care services to support people with mental disorders. The remainder represents the estimated cost to the economy of lost earnings. However, recent research has found that is potential to help more people achieve better mental health through early detection and treatment.

Health and well-being

The Reading Agency's health and well-being programme has got off to a strong start with a number of key developments.

New research

Commissioned by the Museums, Libraries and Archives Council (MLA) and working with Department of Information Science at Loughborough University (LISU), we have just completed important new research. This research found that public libraries make a significant contribution to health and well-being in communities. The research was published on 21 May and the key findings include:

• There is a wide range of health and well-being activity in public libraries, some of it is being carried out in partnership with health and care partners.
• Most of the libraries that run health and well-being initiatives provide information on health, promote health and well-being and run creative activities such as reading groups.
• The evidence suggests that it is the diversity of the health and well-being activities library offer is very important. So someone might initially come into the library to find out specific information about a particular health concern but then find support from other activities the library is running, such as reading groups, leisure activities and social care support.
• Health and care partners value the fact that libraries offer people a neutral, non-stigmatised, non-clinical community space and can help them reach people that can be difficult for health care partners to contact.
• They also found libraries valuable because they could help people to access online services and had expert staff available.

The research also found that:

• The potential for libraries to work in partnership with health and social care particularly around creative community activities such as reading groups is underdeveloped.
• There needs to be more and better evidence that demonstrates the impact of libraries and health partners working together to support future partnership development
• Libraries need to build the business case which demonstrates how effective they are at delivering services that meet strategic partners' priorities including running early intervention and preventative services, providing positive outcomes for patient and saving costs.

Among the recommendations made by the research is that libraries develop a core offer, or set of activities, services and initiatives around health and well-being. The Society of Chief Librarians have recently agreed to work with us to develop that offer.

Health and well-being reader promotion

We are currently working with BBC Headroom, the campaign to support good health and destigmatise mental illness. We are developing a health and well-being promotion inspired by Headroom and driven by readers. This will focus on recommendations from readers about creative things you can read to make you feel better. It will be available in the autumn. We are hoping there will be a linked programme of health and well-being author events and will post information about that here.

Reading and health skills share

We are working with several regions to run bespoke skills sharing between reading and healthcare partners. The programme focuses on sharing good practice and explores strategies that health and care partners can use that have reading at their centre.

Reading groups for older people

We are fundraising to support a pilot project with Age Concern to run a programme of social reading activity with the aim of reducing the isolation, improving the quality of life and building the social opportunities that are available to vulnerable older people. This programme would use a specially targeted package of Reading Agency creative tools such as the Six Book Challenge, reading groups and author events.

Background to reading, health and libraries

Evidence is building that reading can help to keep people well and make them better. And interest in psychological therapies that include reading is attracting increasing attention from primary care practitioners as a way of reducing demand on the NHS by keeping people well, giving patients choices, promoting self care and helping them to understand the health information they are given.

Libraries are emerging as a new strategic partner for the health sector. There is a library on most high streets providing an unrivalled local and national network of community sites and outreach facilities.

Health and well-being is core to the public library vision. The Society of Chief Librarians has formed a health group and is developing a Memorandum of Understanding with the DoH to promote and build the role of libraries in this area.

Libraries work to support health and well-being contributes to key local and national indicators including Local Area Agreements and Public Service Agreement targets

There is a thriving reading and health landscape in libraries involving a wide spectrum of activity including Books on Prescription schemes using cognitive behavioural therapy methods and self-help reading, health information reading initiatives, reader development work and reading group activity.

Further information

Read more about our reading and health work by downloading the Reading and health research brief in the Resources column on this page. Contact Debbie Hicks for further information or if you would like to get involved.

The Charter's aims are to:

• Help the Arts Council explore how reading and libraries can be part of its new mission - 'great art for everyone' and re-inforce the value of reading in people's creative lives.
• Make sure reading and libraries are included in key creative policies and funding opportunities.
• Get more cross-party commitment to creative reading within Parliament.
• Create a new band of champions who will demonstrate how reading can be a creative activity and how libraries' support this.
• Set out an inspiring redefinition of the role of libraries in the 21st century in supporting reading and nurturing and growing the achievements of the reader development movement.

We plan to set this new agenda by publishing a Creative Reading Charter this autumn, after a period of research, debate and new thinking.

We will be working closely with the Society of Chief Librarians and running a conference with the Time to Read Network.

To kick start our work on the Creative Reading Charter we asked six people to challenge us with their thoughts on the future of reading as a cultural pursuit and libraries' role in spreading it.

The briefing document pulls out some of their thinking. You can download the briefing paper and the full texts of these 'Provocation papers' from the Resources section of this page.

The provocateurs are:

• Victoria Barnsley, CEO, Harper Collins
• Tony Durcan, president, Society of Chief Librarians
• Jonathan Drori - director, Changing Media Ltd
• Ekow Eshun, director, ICA
• Alan Gibbons, author and organiser of Campaign for the Book
• Miranda McKearney, director, The Reading Agency
• Kate Mosse, author and co-founder of the Orange Prize for Fiction

Why now?

There are a number of reasons why a Creative Reading Charter is needed now.

• We want to capitalise on the momentum from the National Year of Reading to galvanise support and action to make sure creative reading and libraries are at the heart of a new social, technological, policy and funding landscape.
• The Arts Council has a new emphasis on public participation in the arts, and wants to explore how reading and libraries can be part of this.
• The government will publish a modernisation review of the public library service in spring 2009.
• Libraries are working within new local authority performance regimes and are sometimes struggling to make the case for the relevance of their reading work.
• The reading landscape is changing dramatically with the rise of new technologies and an increase in social reading experiences.
• There is a new understanding of the importance of creativity in education, but reading does not feature strongly in this agenda.
• Cultural planners are striving to make sure young people have an active cultural life. Reading is often missed out of the equation.

We will post updates on this page so check back soon for more information.

We've developed some resources which are available to download. They are:

• a summary of how our projects support local authority agendas
• a powerpoint, first presented at the Public Library Authorities Conference in Liverpool in October 2008, on the new local authority performance regime and how libraries can demonstrate the contribution of their reading services to local authority priorities and targets
• a suggested 'route map' for libraries to use to get recognition for their work in the new local authority performance context
• a 'route map' which focuses on work with children and young people

We are offering a new training course called 'Making reading count' which will help libraries to demonstrate the contribution their reading services make to improving the outcomes for people and their local communities. To find out more and book a place go to our training section

If you have ideas to share about this area of work, please contact liz.dubber@readingagency.org.uk and leave your comments on our discussion forum

A one day course for librarians with responsibility for reader development and reading groups

Thursday 16 October 2008, The Bookseller's Association, London (10.30am to 4pm)

Course aims

This course aims to:
• develop understanding of volunteer motivation, recruitment and management in relation to reading groups
• demonstrate relevant models of volunteering
• explore the potential for involving volunteers and communities in reading groups
• identify potential audiences and partners for this work
• look at ways of evaluating the impact of reading groups

Trainer

Priscilla Bailey was the regional co-ordinator for the East Midlands Regional Group pilot, which has been developing this work in a partnership between us and the nine regional library authorities of the East Midlands region and the East Midlands MLA. She has overseen three regional volunteering pilots exploring new ways of using volunteers, sometimes known as community champions, to support library reading groups. Priscilla also works for Derbyshire Library Service as Reader/Audience Development Officer

Background

Libraries are beginning to use community reading champions in new and exciting ways particularly in relation to reading groups. Library reading groups are increasing in popularity and libraries are seeking ways to reach new audiences through the reading activities they run. In addition, local authorities are looking for ways to get local people involved with running services in their communities.

This course looks at how volunteers can attract new and different kinds of readers and increase capacity.The emphasis will be on actively involving community ambassadors (volunteers) and the added value they can bring to library reading groups.There will be practical case studies and information on the resources available to support this work.

H2. At the end of the course

By the end of the course participants will:
• have developed their understanding of the role of community ambassadors (volunteers) in reading groups
• know more about ways managing and delivering reading groups with community ambassadors
* know more about the resources available to support this work
• shared ideas for developing volunteer projects, including how to reach new audiences, working with partners, and recruiting, training and supporting reading group volunteers
• have an understanding of evaluation methods that can support this work.

A one day course for staff from libraries and learning organisations.

1 October in London (10.30am to 4pm) Booksellers Association, 272 Vauxhall Bridge Road.
This course is fully booked

7 October in Birmingham (10.30am to 4pm) Birmingham Central Library.

Course aims

This course aims to tell participants about how to run the Six Book Challenge, including planning and building partnerships with other organisations, planning and running activities, acquiring stock, and evaluation and follow up monitoring.

Trainer

Genevieve Clarke (National Coordinator for the Vital Link, The Reading Agency)

Background

In its first year as a national scheme, The Reading Agency's Six Book Challenge was run in over 80 per cent of English library authorities. Libraries teamed up with partners including local colleges, adult and community education teams, prison education teams and trade unions. This course draws on the lessons we have learnt during that first year and prepares delegates for running the Six Book Challenge successfully in their own organisations in 2009.

The Six Book Challenge is one of the strategies being used across the country to engage learners in reading for pleasure. As you may know adult literacy learners are a key audience for the National Year of Reading and the Six Book Challenge provides an attractive and ready-to-use package to engage them in reading for pleasure. It also offers ways of measuring reading confidence and skills. While the resources support the National Year of Reading and its legacy as part of a local authority's ongoing commitment to reading development for learners.

The Six Book Challenge helps libraries to meet the local priorities of:
• social inclusion
• literacy and lifelong learning
• partnership working

It also helps meet learning priorities:
• student retention
• student progression and achievement
• student employability and Skills for Life

This course will enable you to develop partnerships with your local learning providers or library service. It will equip you to run the Six Book Challenge effectively so that you get the best value from the activities and are able to learn useful lessons from running the project.

At the end of the course

By the end of this course participants will:
• understand the aims and context for the Six Book Challenge
• know how to use the full range of promotional materials and resources effectively
* know how to talk about the Challenge and its aims to colleagues
• know how to set up and develop long-lasting partnerships between libraries and learning providers
• know about the range of books appropriate for adult learners and understand how to promote them
• have ideas for engaging and supporting learners through the Six Book Challenge
• understand how the Six Book Challenge can be evaluated and how the evidence from evaluation can be used for outreach and advocacy work.

A one day course for prison librarians, prison staff and public library staff.

13 October 2008 (10.30am to 4pm)
Priory Street Centre, 15 Priory Street, York, YO1 6ET

Course aims

This course aims:
• To help you to understand how the Big Book Share can link offenders with their families through reading to improve their literacy and support their resettlement
• To raise awareness about the national initiative that involves libraries supporting offenders and their families
• To provide training and resources so that public library and prison staff can work in partnership to run the Big Book Share in prisons

Trainers

David Kendall or Tricia Kings (Managers Big Book Share programme) or Clive Hopwood (Writers in Prison Network).

Background

Around 140,000 children are separated each year from their parents through their parents' custodial sentences. It's estimated that 39 per cent of women and 25 per cent of men under 21 in prisons are parents. And two-thirds of the prison population have literacy needs.

Overwhelming research evidence shows that children do much better in school when parents, family members and carers get involved in their education, even those in the most difficult of circumstances (National Literacy Trust). According to one American study "Children of offenders are five more likely than their peers to end up in prison themselves." And we know that sustaining good family ties can reduce a prisoner's risk of re-offending by six times (Prison Reform Trust).

The Big Book Share develops partnerships between libraries and prisons so that offenders can choose, read and record a story for their children while they are inside and then go on to visit and use libraries once they are released. The programme started in 2000 in one prison and has grown and grown so that it now runs in more than 20 prisons.

The Big Book Share won CILIP's Libraries Change Lives award in 2002.

As you may know young men and fathers are key targets for the National Year of Reading and The Big Book Share can be used to engage new male (and female) readers and build new reading audiences in this National Year of Reading.

The Big Book Share helps libraries to meet the following local priorities:
• social inclusion
• literacy and learning for families in need
• safer communities
• partnership working

It also helps meet prison priorities:
• sustaining family links and positive parenting
• assisting resettlement
• reducing re-offending

At the end of the course

By the end of this course participants will:
• know how to implement The Big Book Share in a prison/library partnership
• understand the importance of family reading for offenders and their families
• understand how to work with prisions and public libraries to provide effective
support for ex-offenders.

"A very relevant and timely course when libraries are struggling to prove their worth in a world of shrinking budgets and staffing." Julie Potton, Principal Librarian, Libraries and Heritage, Derbyshire County Council who did the Making Reading Count course

Leading Reading - a new consultancy service

In response to the demand for our experienced consultants to work more closely with local authorities, individually and regionally, we are launching a new consultancy service. Called Leading Reading, it is suitable for libraries and other organisations working with readers. We can tailor all our workforce development packages to your individual needs. Here are details of the themes we cover:

• Libraries' impact on local authority priorities and LAA targets
• Cross cutting reading strategies for local authorities
• Repositioning reading work in a health context
• Service wide improvement for young people, including creating youth led library spaces
• Adult literacy and learning
• Improving outcomes for children
  
  Contact jenny.warner@readingagency.org.uk to find out more

Implementation training

Chatterbooks training

Chatterbooks for schools
A one day course for teaching and non-teaching staff wishing to set up Chatterbooks in their school.
It covers how to set up and run a group, and how to make the most of the Chatterbooks experience and offer to develop children as enthusiastic and successful readers.

Next date to be confirmed

Chatterbooks training for library staff
A one day training day provides an essential introduction for library staff new to Chatterbooks. It is also highly recommended for library staff who want to refresh or top up on previous training in this field. And if you're planning to start a Chatterbooks reading group in your authority, then this is also the training for you (or your staff).

You will come away with practical ideas of how to set up, run and develop a successful and lively Chatterbooks programme for your library service - and information on how you can evaluate your Chatterbooks groups' achievements.

Next date to be confirmed.

Six Book Challenge training

Thursday 4 November in Birmingham for prisons
Wednesday 10 November in London for libraries, colleges and other settings

The Reading Agency's annual Six Book Challenge is being used to engage thousands of adults in reading for pleasure in a range of settings including libraries, colleges, prisons and workplaces. It delivers on local priorities of social inclusion, partnership working, formal and informal adult learning and it supports literacy, ESOL and family learning tutors with student retention, progression and achievement for employability. This one-day course will equip practitioners to run the Six Book Challenge effectively, drawing on a growing range of transferable models from around the country.

Places cost £195 per person and £175 for each subsequent delegate from the same organisation.

Complete this booking form

For more information call Jenny Warner on 020 7324 2545 or email training

Strategic training

We have developed a number of training offers to support strategic developments for library and information services:

Making Reading Count

Tuesday 5th October -Free Word Centre, London

This one day training course helps senior library managers to demonstrate the impact reading services have on local authority priorities and Local Area Agreement targets. It includes a case study from Janene Cox, Assistant Director (Culture & Libraries) Satffordshire, showing how reading and libraries can be positioned much more strategically.

Feedback from participants has been excellent.

_"Libraries can be pulled in many different directions, but books and reading activity
remains at the heart of our business. We need to improve the evidence we collect which enables us to demonstrate the value of activity in this area,
where it matters. I found this course provided me with the information and motivation I needed to devote more time and energy to the increasingly important work of collecting evidence to enable real evaluation to happen." _
(Jane Mathieson, Regional Reader Development Co-ordinator, Time To Read, North West Region)

Places cost £195 per person and £175 for each subsequent delegate from the same organisation.

Complete this booking form

Participate - libraries and young people

Participate is our modular programme that helps libraries to meet young people's needs. Participate is offered as four linked modules - choose the route that best suits your service. Each module is fully supported by consultancy and online resources. As a whole programme participate builds to a model that enables you to deliver the full Library Offer to young people:

• Making Change Happen- introduces your service to standards and frameworks for young people's participation and guides your service through self assessment, action planning and partnerships.
• Involving young people- enables your service to develop the processes and skills to support effective consultation, accredited volunteering opportunities and involving young people in key decision making.
• Creative Reading- enables your service to develop the key skills and activities to provide positive reading based activities and to build a 21st century reading service for young people. It includes a professional subscription to the new creative reading website for young people; groupthing.org
• HeadSpace- if you are refurbishing or building a new library, HeadSpace is a holistic project based model for supporting your service to involve young people in designing space, accredited volunteering and delivering positive activities within a particular location.

See HeadSpace. This course will run next in summer 2010

Regional Skills Share Day - Reading for health and well-being

We are offering this day as a bespoke package for regions or sub-regional groups or clusters of authorities. The day helps you share good practice and experience around reading for health and well-being, find out what is going on in this field regionally and nationally, and explore strategies for working with health sector partners.

The aims are:

• To explore the relevance of libraries work with reading to health and well being
• To share good practice from within the region and explore a range of different models for reading and health activity
• To map key partners/stakeholders
• To develop understanding on how to work with the health sector and other key partners
• To exploring potential linkages with other areas of work such as volunteering

To enquire about booking this course for your region or area, please contact Jenny.Warner@readingagency.org.uk.

Reading and adult basic skills learners

We are currently developing a modular training and support programme based on the foundations laid by The Vital Link literacy and libraries programme. This will encourage capacity building in the library and related sectors to ensure staff have the skills and knowledge needed to engage and support adults with literacy needs. The programme will complement MLA's work to articulate how libraries, museums and archives contribute to the new integrated informal adult learning movement. This training will be available in the spring of 2010.

To enquire about booking this course for your region or area, please contact Jenny.Warner@readingagency.org.uk.

Reading and outcomes for children

The Summer Reading Challenge together with Chatterbooks reading groups make for a powerful year round offer for children from libraries. We are developing guidance to show how these two reading programmes support national and local priorities, and can be used together, in partnership with schools and extended schools, as a wrap-around package supporting children's reading throughout the year.

We can offer a training day showing how the programmes can be used together to improve outcomes and opportunities for children.

This programme is most suitable for a regional training day or for a cluster of neighbouring authorities.

To enquire about booking this course for your region or area, please contact Jenny.Warner@readingagency.org.uk.

Forthcoming training courses - date to be confirmed

Reader Development overview

This one day course aims to enthuse and equip new members of staff with an understanding of reader development and how they can promote it. It covers how to recommend books and develop book dialogues in the library, using conversations, displays, special programmes and events, and online media. This is a fun, interactive day on how to get active with reading development. It covers basic guidelines, ideas for engaging readers, building on staff knowledge and experience, and some key promotions that can be used throughout the year as building blocks for your reader development offer.

As a result of this course, staff will feel more confident when talking about books and giving reading recommendations. They will also come away with practical and achievable reader development ideas and approaches.
Next date: to be confirmed

Reader development work with children

This one day course gives staff the confidence and skills to start developing their reader development work with children and young people. It's an active day in which we cover the basics of relating well to young people, how to make the library welcoming for this audience, and the key programmes that can be used as part of the reading offer, to help children and young people develop as readers.

As a result of the day, staff will come away with increased awareness, skills and confidence in working with young readers. They will know how to develop book knowledge, and feel more confident about using programmes, activities and discussion to engage with young people about books and reading.

Next date: to be confirmed

Big Book Share

This one day course is suitable for Prison librarians, prison staff; and public library
staff. Around 140,000 children are separated each year from their parents through their parents' custodial sentences. The Big Book Share exists to develop library/prison partnerships to enable offenders to read and record a story for their children, and from this to move to regular library use in the community on release. The programme started in 2000 in one prison, won CILIP's 'Libraries Change Lives' award in 2002 and has now expanded to over 20 prisons. The Big Book Share can be used to engage new male (and female) readers and build new reading audiences.

This course builds understanding of how the Big Book Share works and provides the knowledge and tools to set up a local project.

Next date: to be confirmed

Championing reading - involving volunteers in reading groups

A one day course for Reader development librarians and those with responsibility for reading group activity. Libraries are beginning to work with community reading champions in new and exciting ways particularly in relation to reading group activity.
Reading groups are increasing in popularity and libraries are constantly seeking ways to reach out to new audiences, while local authorities are looking to empower and engage local communities.

This course will equip staff to engage with a range of target audiences through reading groups, working with volunteers and champions to reach new readers and increase capacity, reach and impact.

Reader 2 writer events promotion

This new half day workshop equips staff to pitch for and run successful author events. Working with writers brings a new and important dimension to readers, and can inspire non-readers to pick up a book for the first time. Author events can be used in a variety of ways to develop communities of readers, to support reading group activity, to kick-start reader development programmes, and to promote engagement and cohesion. The workshop covers working with writers and publishers, and how to ensure a stress-free and successful event by thorough pre-planning.

This course is being run through regional reader development forums in 2010

We are also able to designing new courses as new needs emerge. If you would like to talk to us about developing a new training day to meet your specific needs, please contact Jenny.Warner@readingagency.org.uk.

We then publish conference presentations and reports on this website.

Coming up...
Just gone....
A while ago...

Coming up...

New thinking seminars

Following on from our popular and successful joint Creative Partnerships seminars on the Future of Reading held in autumn of 2007, we will be exploring the creative relationship between reading, gaming, narrative and storytelling.

From gaming to health!
One for your diaries as in the late autumn we will be holding a 'Reading and health' event to explore new thinking on how reading can support health and well being.

Booking details and confirmed dates and venues to follow so check back soon.

Just gone...

The Summer Reading Challenge Conference
Friday 13 November 2009

The conference looked at the future strategic significance of the scheme in a local authority context. It explored how the Summer Reading Challenge can deliver against key outcomes for children and demonstrate that children's learning can be enhanced through this highly effective and enjoyable reading offer.

Conference speakers included Estelle Morris, Ed Vaizey - shadow minister for Culture and the Creative Industries, former children's laureate Michael Rosen, Paul Collard - chief executive at Creativity, Culture and Education (CCE), and John Harris - director of children's services in Hertfordshire and Alan Yentob, creative director of the BBC, chairman of the governing council for the Institute of Contemporary Arts, and board member of the International Academy of Television Arts and Sciences, and the charity Kids' Company.

A team from UKLA (United Kingdom Literacy Association) shared the results of the impact research that has been carried out looking at the difference teachers believe that the Summer Reading Challenge makes to children's reading. This research has been carried out in schools, with teachers working closely with local library staff, and it is based on teachers giving their own perspective and assessment of children in their classes - using the Assessing Pupil Progression framework - currently being rolled out in schools.

With tough budgetary times ahead, shared national schemes such as the Summer Reading Challenge, help to achieve efficiencies through economies of scale, share best practice and make a real impact on children and families.

Do games tell a story? Why Gaming is the new reading funded by Creative Partnerships and in partnership with Channel 4
2 December 2008
6pm, Channel 4, Horseferry Road, London

The Vital Link libraries and adult literacy conference for the National Year of Reading

A passion for reading: where does it fit into Skills for Life?
12 March 2008

Publication available from our Shop.
Aiming High: the library offer to young people
29 January 2008
Programme details

Publication available from our Shop.

A while ago...

Community engagement through reading
30 November 2007
A conference run in partnership with the Local Government Association

Publication available from our Shop.

Reaching New Markets
22 November 2007
A seminar run in partnership with the Bookseller on developing a black and minority ethnic strategy. Download the print advert for the seminar.

Follow the links to read the post-conference press release

National Year of Reading conference
October 2007
The National Year of Reading conference brought together people to discuss all the exciting possibilities offered by the National Year of Reading and to begin to plan how we are going make some of them happen. You can read more and download the interactive report from the National Year of Reading website hosted by the National Literacy Trust.

PLA Conference 2007
October 2007

At the Public Libraries Authorities' conference our Director, Miranda McKearney, highlighted the opportunities for libraries to get involved in the National Year of Reading 2008. Joanna Prior, Penguin's Publicity and Marketing Director spoke about how publishers were supporting the National Year of Reading.

Miranda McKearney's presentation and speech (see presentation notes to read the speech)

Joanna Prior's speech

The writer/reader mash up
September 2007

The relationship between readers and writers is changing, with a blurring of the boundaries between the consumption and creation of text. Young people are finding new ways both to tell their own stories and relate to writers. The digital revolution is creating different kinds of reading and writing communities. How are we responding to this new dynamic? We examined all of these questions at the writer/reader mash up seminar.

The reading revolution: how reading is changing and what that means
July 2007

The seminar proposition was that with the imminent arrival of the Sony e-reader and with the digital revolution well on its way, what is the future of the book and our current definitions of reading? How are young people accessing text and what are they reading?

Follow the link to download the podcast

Fulfilling their Potential conference 2007
Public Libraries and the Youth Offer

At the Fulfilling their Potential conference in 2007 we looked at the many different ways that young people could get involved with local library services and why libraries were so important to young people. Drawing on real life examples our speakers spoke passionately about putting young people and libraries together.

Libraries and Young People: Where have we got to and where next?
Miranda McKearney, Director, The Reading Agency
Tom Wylie, Chief Executive, The National Youth Agency

Why are public libraries critical to the Youth Offer?
Damian Allen, Executive Director of Children's Services, Knowsley Metropolitan Borough Council - the local government view
The Derbyshire Libraries Book Pushers - the young people's view

Involving hard to reach young people: the experience of the Partners for Change project in the south west
Ciara Eastell, The Reading Agency - what has been learned to date?

Involving Looked After young people
Allyson Jordan, Library Services Manager, Swindon Libraries
Josh Chesterman, past Chair of the Swindon Youth Forum

Next steps for youth policy and public libraries
Rt Hon. Beverley Hughes MP, Minister of State for Children, Young People and Families

Transforming young people's library experience: lessons from the FtP north west partnership project
Nicky Parker, Head of Library and Information Services, Manchester City Council; Peter Garden, Regional Adviser, MLA North West and Liz Harding, Head of the North West Regional Youth Work Unit

The Chelsea Football Club Experience: developing new readers through partnerships
Suzi Raymond, Chelsea FC Education Department
Jim Sells, National Literary Trust

Creative Reading: The Wow Factor
Anthony McGowan, Author and winner of the 2006 Booktrust Teenage Prize

Creative Partnerships, libraries and creative reading symposium
This symposium looked at the links between creative partnerships, libraries and creative reading. Download the report.

To get more reading to more people we need to understand readers better - why, what and how they read and what's standing in the way of reading more and differently. We need to be developing new thinking and experimenting with new approaches.

Our research programme allows us to pull together all the evidence and rich first-hand information we have from our work with readers. We then use this to inform debate and discussion about readers and reading. Our research is also incredibly valuable when we are planning our own projects.

So often good ideas get forgotten and impact gets lost. We want to capture evidence and new ideas through a new publications programme. The first one will follow the Community engagement through reading conference and there will also be one following the Youth conference. See Conferences for more information.

We are also about to publish a new piece of research jointly with Harper Collins into black and minority ethnic reading trends and how to promote BME writing effectively. Watch these pages for updates.

We'll try anything to get people talking about reading, and we'd like to work with new research partners. Contact us.

You can download our free reports from Resources.

Book Sales in Public Libraries

Our large-scale research into Book Sales in Public Libraries is available to order priced £29.95 by emailing resources with the number of copies you would like, your delivery address and invoice address.

You can read the key messages of the report by following the link.

We carry out and commission our own research and organise discussions within and beyond the library sector. We also run training courses and events related to the projects we run both face-to-face and online.

To allow us to share our knowledge and learn from others we also stage events and conferences that allow space for new thinking.

Recently we have been thinking about how technology is changing reading, especially for young people, and how best to bring black and minority ethnic authors to the widest possible audience.

We've also been looking at the impact libraries' reading services have on communities, and have developed a new training course to help libraries link their reading services in more closely to local priorities and Local Area Agreements.