Author: Andrew Coburn

Does your library’s name or location in the UK (village, town or city, but not street) begin with the letters E, F, G or Welsh Ff or Ng? If so, you can ask the Poet Laureate, Simon Armitage, to visit you on his next library tour: March 20-25, 2023.
Simon plans to give free readings in libraries for one week each spring, ‘from the flagship libraries of the big cities to smaller or mobile libraries serving rural areas… from A to Z, wherever the invitations take me’.
His ten-year journey will involve local communities, poets, high school students and/or writers’ groups in activities around the visit and in the audience. Each visit will also be live-streamed for an online audience.
Simon adds: ‘I also want to find a way of including alphabet letters from other languages spoken in these islands such as Welsh, Urdu or Chinese, and to involve communities where English might not be the
first language.’ Ideas welcome.
He launched his tour in 2021 in Ashby-de-la-Zouch (A to Z in one go, as librarians suggested!), with C-D in 2022.
Details: https://www.simonarmitage.com/the-laureates-library-tour Deadline 19 August.

Of all the book prizes, the Booker remains the most prestigious media magnet. If you fancy a taste of this high life – and belong to a book group – read on…
The Reading Agency (TRA) is offering six reading groups the chance to review one of the six shortlisted titles. Two members get an expenses-paid trip to attend the shortlist announcement party. Two
more (chosen by the judges) will attend the final award party.
In between, each group will read one of the six shortlist books. They will be expected to share their views with the Booker Prize’s and The Reading Agency’s community of readers via social media and two
dedicated websites. They may be interviewed about their experience and photographed or filmed.
TRA will be looking for ‘the most interesting, passionate and wide-ranging set of readers possible, as well as those who will shout the loudest about this year’s shortlist on social media, to help
encourage even more people to pick up those books.’
Details: https://readinggroups.org/news/the-booker-prize-book-club-challenge

You only have until 12 August to apply.

The 2002 Booker judges (L to R): Helen Castor, broadcaster, author and
historian; Alain Mabanckou, author; Neil MacGregor (chair), best known
as director of the National Gallery and the British Museum; M. John
Harrison, author; Shahidha Bari, broadcaster, author and university
professor.

On the ball as always, libraries have a load of resources to help the nation celebrate the lionesses’ football triumph.
Libraries Connected has been working with The Football Association and UEFA to produce a bumper downloadable resource pack with something for all ages.
It includes activities inspired by football fan objects such as rosettes, fanzines and banners. Plus, of course, a reading list – books that feature trailblazing sports people. Other activities tie in
with the themes of Refugee Week/City of Sanctuary, inspiring women, and football itself. Ideas cover all ages and abilities including some linked to Rhyme Time, or Knit and Natter.
Artist Deborah Goatley-Birch developed the pack with a charity for adults with learning disabilities, autism and other health conditions.
Truly something for everyone.

https://www.thefa.com/competitions/uefa-womens-euro-2022/weuro2022-library-resources

Libraries were acknowledged to be essential venues for this nationwide “festival” of arts and tech. That’s good. What it means in practice is yet to be seen. The idea is to tell local stories via a variety of media – with a legacy of useful training for library staff to draw on in future. Check here to see if there’s a venue near you…

After the beer and the bunting, there’s still a jubilee feast for book-lovers. The Reading Agency (TRA) has compiled a book list for each of the seven decades since 1952.
Each has a theme, with some emphasis on the Commonwealth (the Games start soon). Plus a list of much more general questions to discuss in relation to any book you (or your group) might choose to read.
Get it all here: https://readinggroups.org/big-jubilee-read
AND THERE’S MORE!
Starting on 14 June (7pm), TRA and Libraries Connected are hosting a series of author events, again with a Commonwealth theme. Of course, you can join in online.
Find out more and sign for more updates here:
https://readinggroups.org/news/watch-the-big-jubilee-read

National Crime Reading Month is off to a galloping start, with events all over the country at book festivals, bookshops and – of course – libraries.
And there’s three more weeks to go, with more in the pipeline… Check regularly at www.crimereading.com
This weekend – 10 to 12 June – there’s Alibis in the Archive:
something special at the beautiful Gladstone’s Library in North Wales.
And you can sit back and see the whole thing on Zoom.
Find out more at
https://www.gladstoneslibrary.org/events/events-courses-list/alibis-in-the-archive-2022

The Library Campaign operates in England and Wales. But we cannot ignore what is going on in Ukraine. Kate Thompson, who was heavily involved in the defence of Tower  Hamlets libraries a couple of years ago, has written this blog about the role libraries are playing during the war in Ukraine.

Maybe you (or your library service) will be holding a fun event for World Book Night on 23 April. Find out more at http://worldbooknight.org
Meanwhile, anyone can join the launch event run by The Reading Agency. Held at the British Library with both an in person and online audience, it is hosted by Bobby Seagull, with special guests Dr Alex
George, Lemn Sissay, Ayisha Malik and Dreda Say Mitchell. They’ll be talking about the stories that have shaped their lives, and why they tell the stories they do.
Perfect both for enthusiastic readers, and for those starting their reading journey. Following the event, everyone is invited to join in the #ReadingHour: https://worldbooknight.org/news/reading-hour, spending 7-8pm dedicated to reading.

Find out more and get your tickets now: https://www.bl.uk/events/world-book-night-2022

The annual BookTrust Storytime Prize has been awarded to The Whales on the Bus (see what they did there?) by Katrina Charman and Nick Sharratt (Bloomsbury).
But this year’s award is different. The shortlist of six books was road-tested not by a judging panel but by families and librarians. All the libraries in England were given a set to read aloud. And 300 also
had a package of games and activities, tailor-made  for each book.
It’s all part of a major initiative to get young families into libraries. As a regular habit. And getting parents carers/confident about sharing books and stories.
BookTrust, the children’s reading charity, is re-framing its work to focus on “the families who need more help developing a reading habit”. Its own research shows that only 49% of families in poverty with children aged 0-5 are registered with a public library.
The Storytime programme will be expanded nationwide once the pilot is evaluated. Beth Southard, one of the team who piloted it in Norfolk libraries, said: “We’re really hoping we’ll increase our accessibility for some of the families that have been a bit harder to reach. We’re particularly interested in the idea of creating reading as a habit. “[The families] really enjoyed the content and the fact it’s a whole
package. It’s not just coming for stories and then going home. It feels like there’s a whole thing to unlock with it. That’s had people coming back each week.”
Local mother Savanah said: “We’ve really enjoyed BookTrust Storytime. It’s opened our eyes a little bit too. It doesn’t have to be a big, long, boring book. It can be short and sweet, but a lot of interaction
with colours and pictures and things. “It’s a really positive environment. The library team have been great. As we’ve got to know them, we come to a place where it’s really
comfortable and everyone is happy.”

FEBRUARY 4 is the deadline to nominate a ‘local service champion’ for UNISON’s promotion campaign.
We bet you know at least one in your library service…
UNISON says: ‘Local government has been an easy target for cuts, yet unlike the NHS people have been less likely to defend it.
‘People working in local services during the coronavirus pandemic have gone beyond the call of duty to keep the country going, yet their efforts have often been overlooked.
‘This isn’t right – UNISON aims to raise the profile of these unsung heroes and everything that they do.’
The campaign will end with a national ‘day of celebration’ in June.
Nomination form here: https://www.unison.org.uk/our-campaigns/local-service-champions
Spread the message with: #Localservicechampions

Some libraries are expanding their work into a bold new initiative – encouraging people to talk about loss, dying, death, bereavement, and more. Of course, Friends groups have run events on this theme before. But now it’s part of a whole international movement – peaking this year in Dying Matters Awareness Week (Monday-Sunday, 2-6 May). The Week was founded in 2009 and is now run by Hospice UK. You may like to get involved, or encourage your library to do so, or just find out what’s going on.

Here’s how! Libraries Connected has invited us to a free webinar. Guest speakers from Hospice UK will introduce the 2022 campaign, its grants programme* and the plans for Dying Matters Week. The Week aims ‘to bring awareness to the issues many people face at the end of life, and how we, as a society, can make essential changes’.

There will be a Q & A and a chance to share ideas.

*The Dying Matters Community Grants Programme is open for applications.

Book your place here

Challenging but so worthwhile – libraries have been exploring ways to help people deal with death. Libraries Connected (LC), the chief librarians’ group, is kindly inviting us to join a free webinar on “Finding connections through loss”. This was an Arts Council funded grief project in Devon.
The webinar will share the project’s experience so far, including engaging “community partners”, and work by artists with local communities.
There will be updates on LC’s work with Cruse Bereavement Care on a bereavement café toolkit and on the whole “Death Positive Libraries” project.

Watch it now on youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=66XI34bvbu0