Miranda McKearney Director, The Reading Agency

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Miranda McKearney Director, The Reading Agency
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The Modernised Reading Service

• Book lending plus.. lively, interactive,
  interventionist reading offer
• Active help with book choice - staff, promotions,
  other readers, support for joining up with other
  readers - groups, chains
• New formats - ebooks, MP3, reading websites,
  listening posts
• Events and activities author visits, readers
  days, toddler sessions, festivals...
• Reading for pleasure support for basic skills
  learners

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Research base for new vision of modern reading
service

• Love Libraries non user Omnibus survey, 2006
• Local authorities lapsed and non user research,
  gathered by SCL 2006
• Book Reading and Public Library Use 2005,
  BML/Reading Partners
• Research study of 14-35 year olds, 2005,
  Define/Laser Foundation
• Confidence All Round, Morris Hargreaves, McIntyre
  2005 (Vital Link)
• Inspiring Children, Summer Reading Challenge,
  Product Perceptions 2003
• National Readers Group Development Programme,
  2004, TRA
• London Reading Group Research, TRA 2004
• Expanding the Market, Arts Council, BML, 2004
• The Decline of Adult Book lending, Loughborough
  University, 2004
• Perceptions of Libraries, MORI/Audit Commission
  2002
• Reading the Situation, BML/TRA 2001

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How people get their books

• 65 of adults surveyed bought their books
• 32 got them secondhand
• 40 borrowed
• 16 bought and borrowed
• 34 of buyers also borrow
• 14 see books they like in shops, but then borrow
  
• Book Reading and Library Use, 2005, Book
  Marketing Ltd/Reading Partners

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People use libraries mainly to access booksOf
the 40 of adults using libraries in the last 12
months

• 75 borrowed books
• 27 borrowed other things
• 22 used for ref/information
• 14 for the internet
• 14m adults using the library to borrow books,
  more than 5x as many as using for the
  Internet/email
• Book Reading and Library Use, 2005, Book
  Marketing Ltd/Reading Partners

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Library USPs

• Free 47 borrow instead of buy because cant
  afford all the books they want
• Experimentation 39 of borrowers will try new
  authors/subject (20 buyers)
• Experimentation 36 of borrowers have discovered
  new author through library
• Trust 20 of borrowers trust library
  recommendations (5 buyers)
• Space Saving 26 of borrowers use library
  because of lack of space
• Book Reading and Library Use, 2005, Book
  Marketing Ltd/Reading Partners

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Overcoming barriers some may be intractable

• 42 of buyers wanted to own their books
• 32 buy to re-read
• 30 keep for reference
• Book Reading and Library Use, 2005, Book
  Marketing Ltd/Reading Partners

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Overcoming barriers ground can be made in some
areas

• 11 are not using because the library doesnt
  have enough new titles
• 10 say that book shops are more up to date
• Book Reading and Library Use, 2005, Book
  Marketing Ltd/Reading Partners
• 55 would go to libraries if there were a better
  selection of books
• 33 would go to libraries for high profile author
  events
• Love Libraries Omnibus survey 2006

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Overcoming barriers awareness

• 50 of adults dont know they can order and
  reserve books in advance on the internet
• 35 that they can borrow lots of books at a time
• 21 when their local library is open
• 13 where it is
• Book Reading and Library Use, 2005, Book
  Marketing Ltd/Reading Partners

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What the (nearly) universal modern reading
service looks like

• Book lending plus(from TRA data)
• Reading groups 4500. 75 of authorities provide
  staff to help 68 offer group loans
• Summer Reading Challenge in 95 of UK
  authorities
• Reading for enjoyment support for basic skills
  learners 83 English authorities using Vital
  Link principles
• Links to national book buzz 100 celebrate World
  Book Day 80 link to Orange Prize 74 link to
  Richard Judy Book Club

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What the (nearly) universal modern reading
service looks like

• Plus Books on Prescription/bibliotherapy
• Baby and toddler reading and language development
  support
• Reading promotions/ help with book choice
• Listening posts, reading websites, reading
  chains, author events, readers days

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Attracting the adult audience

• TRA working with publishers to get big name
  authors to libraries
• Leeds Libraries worked with Borders, Penguin and
  Random House on sell out events with Nick Hornby,
  Zadie Smith, Joanne Harris and Irvine Welsh.
• Rageh Omaar appeared in Sandwell, 250 people,
  half from local Muslim community
• http//www.readingagency.org.uk/calendars/
• Tom.palmer_at_readingagency.org.uk

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Outcomes of the modern reading service
achievement

• 2002 OECD Reading for Change study a love of
  reading is more important for childrens
  educational success than their familys wealth or
  class Finding ways of engaging students in
  reading may be one of the most effective ways to
  leverage social change.
• Libraries know how to help children enjoy
  reading. Summer Reading
• Challenge research shows
• 95 want to read lots more books
• 96 to do challenge again
• 92 read books new to them
• Three quarters feel they are better readers
• I was not interested in books, but the Reading
  Mission has made it more fun, and now I read a
  lot! Rona

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Outcomes of the modern reading service
liveability/quality of life

• We get a real sense of belonging and community
  spirit through meeting every month.
• I joined the book group when I was suffering
  from clinical depression. For the first time for
  months I felt I could cope with something new.
  This was something I could do, felt comfortable
  with, could contribute to. I wasnt being judged
  as a person but was accepted as someone with an
  interest in reading.
• Since school I've never read anything but sauce
  bottles and newspapers. The things we've read in
  the group have opened up an entirely new concept
  for me - the reading group is the highlight of my
  week"
• National Reading Group Development Programme, TRA
  2004

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Health/well being

• Over half English authorities offer bibliotherapy
  intervention
• I joined the book group when I was suffering
  from clinical depression. For the first time for
  many months I felt I could cope with something
  new. This was something I could do, felt
  comfortable with, could contribute to. I wasnt
  being judged as a person but was accepted as
  someone with an interest in reading.

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Economy/worklessness

• 75 of basic skills learners involved in
  libraries' reading for pleasure work identify
  evidence of improved literacy skills
• "I used to think how do people come to a
  library to read books but I don't feel like that
  now.

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And finally

• What a transformation! This has been a great day
  for libraries and a great day for Northfleet. New
  stock, new layout, new furniture and the
  wonderful Reading Garden. All local people should
  beat a path to Coldharbour's door and see for
  themselves (Christoph Bull, July 03, 2006)