BBC Partnership

We have a great partnership with BBC Radio 4 and BBC7 both of which broadcast programmes on books and book related matters. We use the rich resources of these programmes to support reading groups for adults and children run in libraries. And we are using this partnership to bring radio and libraries together to run joint activities. We believe that combining the powers of the written word with the spoken word will lead to some fantastic creative opportunities.

At the moment we feel the jewel in this particular crown is the Radio Listening Posts. Every library taking part in the Listening Posts programme receives a free digital radio with archives of interviews with authors from BBC Radio 4 and BBC7. They use the legato system for adults and the bug system for children. Guides to these, and Listening Posts in general, are available to download from resources.

Digital radios are also used to listen to Radio 4 book programmes and children's book programmes on BBC7. Increasingly we are adding BBC Radio Network partners and BBC Audio Books to the network.

As part of our BBC partnership we also publish the schedules for programmes broadcast on BBC Radio 4 and BBC7 so that libraries can use these programmes to support the activities of library reading groups.

The possibilities for this partnership are very exciting. It could be that there is a radio listening post in all public libraries. It could be that library reading groups are able to broadcast on the internet. We are trying out some of these activities with our Children's Radio Reading Clubs.

Our funders for this project are the Arts Council of England and the Museums, Libraries and Archives Council. It is part of the government's strategy Framework for the Future that aims to modernise public libraries.