Libraries and reading back on track

1
Libraries and reading back on track?

• Miranda McKearney, Director
• The Reading Agency
• www.readingagency.org.uk

2
The National Year of Reading

• Impetus from Department for Children, School and
  Families
• April December 2008
• Engagement challenge Jan-March 08
• Libraries seen as central to the Years community
  based reading activity

3
The Year of Reading

• Partnership framework key to implementation
• Years monthly themes and headline campaigns can
  add momentum
• Corporate engagement programme
• Campaigns library membership and volunteering
  drive tbc
• Themed months e.g. sport, word of mouth

4
Reading now - changes since the last Year of
Reading
5
But lots of people are still disengaged

• DCSF priority audiences for the Year of Reading
• Children pre-school to secondary, with particular
  focus on
• Early years
• Boys
• Teenagers (KS3)
• Looked after children
• Black and Minority Ethnic communities
• Disabled children (and parents)
• Parents and carers of younger children
• Especially working class fathers
• Adult learners

6
Library reading trends loans
7
Ten year trends proportion of budget spent on
books
8
Prioritising the core reading business

• Main reason for attending library, last 12 months
• 56 to borrow books 6.8 to use computers
• Books the most popular reason across gender,
  ethnicity, socio economic grouping and age
• Use of computers the second most common reason
  for 16-24 but gap still big, 52 say main reason
  is to borrow books, 17 to use computers
• Taking Part Survey July 2005-January 2006

9
Ten year trends childrens loans
10
Outcomes enjoying and achieving

• I was not interested in books but the Reading
  Mission has made it more fun, and now I read a
  lot Rona, 7
• Children who take part in the Challenge return to
  school enthused about reading, motivated and
  ready to learn Literacy Co-ordinator

11
Encouraging social reading trends
Growth in Reading Groups
Chatterbooks Growth
12
The modern reading service

• Book lending plus lively, participative reading
  offer
• Active help with book choice staff, promotions,
  other readers
• Social reading experiences events and
  activities, challenges, author visits, readers
  days, toddler sessions, festivals
• New formats - e-books, MP3s, reading websites,
  listening posts, manga
• Segmented offers for target groups, e.g. reading
  for pleasure support for basic skills learners
  toddler sessions for early years youth offer
• Active outreach housebound etc

13
Strategies for getting back on track

• Evidence building
• Workforce development
• Service improvement - shared reading programmes
  for key audiences
• Partnerships
• Stock quality
• IT strategy

14
Year of Reading opportunities for libraries

• Consolidating and promoting the modern reading
  service, using USPs
• Boosting membership, active borrowing, issues
• Boosting participation and community engagement
  through reading
• Political visibility
• New and stronger partnerships

15
Legacy

• Building blocks in place for systemic change in
  national reading culture
• Sustainable partnerships established to promote
  reading at all levels
• Increased support from corporates for reading and
  literacy
• Reading embedded in LAAs and strategic frameworks

16
The core reading business

• I can see no better way of garnering the
  necessary support for the case for public
  libraries than centering the arguments around
  reading. Its the start and end of the debate,
  and its also the most effective way of getting
  politicians to listen, and hopefully act
• Wilf Stevenson, Director,
• Smith Institute