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News from The Reading Agency
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Support for adult literacy
We're adding a new creative tool to our push to support adult literacy - Chatabout, a unique national network to support emergent reader groups. We're inviting anyone already running or wanting to run a group to join Chatabout. We will provide guidance, case studies and a Chatabout online network. At the moment it is FREE to join so be one of the first to take part.
Chatabout provides a great progression route for those who have done or who are doing the Six Book Challenge. The 2010 Challenge starts in January and colleges, adult education and workplaces are ready to start. Several library authorities are building on partnerships to target more Skills for Life and ESOL learners. The TUC is supporting the scheme in 55 workplaces and we're hoping to pilot the Challenge with libraries with council employees, including street cleaners in Westminster, dinner ladies in Norfolk and contract cleaners in Glasgow. Join the Six Book Challenge or see www.sixbookchallenge.org.uk |
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Children's reading habits and the Summer Reading Challenge
Research launched at our Summer Reading Challenge conference and carried out by the United Kingdom Literacy Association (UKLA) found that the Summer Reading Challenge helps prevent a 'dip' in children's reading abilities during summer holidays. All teachers surveyed said that the Challenge helped develop a wider reading repertoire and increased children's confidence.
We are really pleased with the feedback from last month's Summer Reading Challenge conference and the focus it provided for important debates about children's reading habits, and the benefits of schools and libraries working together. Many points were captured in an article about us in The Times. An impressive 725,000 children took this year's Challenge and our ambition is to get to one million by 2012. We will now be encouraging libraries and schools to use the Challenge as a pivot for working more closely together, and asking every primary school headmaster to include it in their school development plan. We will also be working out what support to give libraries in targeting disadvantaged children and families www.summerreadingchallenge.org.uk |
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HeadSpace
Exciting new events have been happening in our HeadSpaces, the library spaces designed by and for young people. Teenage Kicks, is an author event developed with young people from Crawley HeadSpace and trialled at Random House's headquarters. It involved teenage authors Bali Rai, Anthony McGowan and Keith Gray. And there was a great surprise celebrity visit by Will Young to Crawley HeadSpace. If you are planning a library refurbishment in a public library, school or youth centre then HeadSpace comes with all the training, resources and support you need to involve young people and often offers opportunities to tap into our publisher partnerships. The benefits can be breathtaking. Contact Claire.Styles@readingagency.org.uk
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Pride and Premiership with Michelle Gayle
Following a worrying report that the top ambition of girls is to be a WAG, singer and actress Michelle Gayle has teamed up with us to encourage young women to think about becoming writers rather than footballers' wives. Using today's technology, Pride and Premiership participants will get texts of Michelle's new novel direct to their mobiles, join innovative workshops in HeadSpaces
and share their work on groupthing.
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Children's Reading Partners
Today we are hosting at Newcastle City Library the third Children's Reading Partners Roadshow. Like the other Roadshows, this will be an excellent staff development and networking opportunity for librarians, publishers and writers. We are expecting 40 librarians along with 10 CRP publishers and authors such as Keith Grey and Barry Hutchison. Attendees will be able to explore ideas for local collaborations including events and promotions. To find out more contact Naomi.Danquah@readingagency.org.uk
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Research into reading and health
We have been awarded funding for a contract with MLA to carry out research into libraries' work with reading and health. This is a great building block for the work we want to do on the ground on this topic and cements the work that we have started. Our partners in this venture ore LISU and Professor Neil Frude. Read more about our work on reading and health.
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Reading promotions in libraries
We are carrying out a review of the promotions that we offer to libraries to make sure we develop new national partnerships which will deliver the promotions that libraries want. We are currently surveying adult reader development contacts in libraries and will survey children's contacts in the New Year so if you get an email from us please send us your views. There is a calendar of our promotions in our shop at www.readingagency.org.uk/shop
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Training
Our autumn training programme delivers a mixture of strategic support and support to run specific projects. Book now
to secure a place. More courses announced shortly.
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Reaching Readers in Museum and Heritage sites - a practical workshop to running author events
Drawing on the combined expertise of librarians and publishers, this practical session will explore why author events are one of the most effective marketing tools available to entice customers, loyal and new, into museum and heritage venues and how celebrating the written word can make a difference to the local community. Wednesday 16 December at CILIP from 10.30 to 1 followed by a free networking lunch. For a booking form contact jenny.warner@readingagency.org.uk
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Championing reading - involving volunteers in reading groups
Thursday 11 February 2010, York Central Library
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Look out for...
Look out for... our exciting new a poetry competition in collaboration with Faber and Faber running on groupthing soon. To join in subscribe to groupthing
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Keeping in touch
For information about all our projects and resources visit the website, follow us on Twitter and tell use what you think at the discussion forum. To unsubscribe click here or send an email to reading.agency@readingagency.org.uk
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read - The Reading Agency Ltd
PO Box 96, St. Albans, Hertfordshire AL1 3WP
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 |