Resources
Public Library & Other Stories by Ali Smith - Competition Image for Instagram
Public Library & Other Stories competition image for Instagram In the run up to National Libraries Day, and to celebrate the publication of Public Library and Other Stories by the great and talented Ali Smith, Penguin and The Reading Agency invite you to join in the #MyPublicLibrary competition! The competition Launching on 4 January, simply tweet or Instagram a picture of yourself with a favourite book you discovered at a library using the hashtag #MyPublicLibrary to be in with a chance...
How to start a reading group
Here are some tips we’ve collected from experts on how to start a reading group. Remember to check Reading Groups for Everyone for the latest news and offers. 1. The ideal group size is between eight and ten, this is large enough to allow for no-shows and small enough to make sure everyone can have their say. 2. Monthly meetings work well because it gives everyone a chance to read the book. 3. Libraries, bookshops, cafes and pubs are all ideal venues for advertising your group. 4. You can...
National Reading Group Day 2015 logo
This year National Reading Group Day takes place on Saturday 20 June. Download the logo to join in the celebrations.
Reading groups for blind and partially sighted people
Anyone should be able to join or set up a reading group whether blind, partially sighted or sighted. Here a few helpful tips from RNIB to consider. Venue Location is key – if difficult to access or find it may mean a blind or partially sighted person cannot attend. Do any members have another disability such as being hearing impaired or a wheel chair user? Consider if there will be any carers or guide dogs which could affect space. Set the room in predictable fashion to make it easier for a...
Running a reading group event
Sarah Davis, reader development coordinator at Greenwich libraries gives us her top tips for running an author event: For the last three years part of my role as the reader development coordinator for Greenwich libraries is to organise as well as to facilitate author events. During this time I have learned that each event is different and even well organised events do not always go according to plan! Here are my tips for running author events: The timing of your event is an important...
Winner of the Royal Society Winton Prize for Science Books 2013 announced
Sean Carroll’s The Particle at the End of the Universe has been named as the winner of the Royal Society Winton Prize for Science Books 2013. The book is published by OneWorld Publications and tells the story of the hunt for the elusive Higgs boson. Sean Carroll said: “I feel enormous gratitude towards the thousands of physicists at the Large Hadron Collider and the millions of people who express their love for science everyday!” Professor Uta Frith, Chair of the judges, said: “The decision...
Running a Skype reading group event
In November 2011, Poole Library hosted a Skype reading group event, Jennifer Oliver from Poole Library tells us how it happened: In a unique experiment, a Poole Library reading group ‘met’ American author, Rebecca Makkai, and a reading group from the United States via a Skype internet link. The four thousand mile link-up connected Hamworthy Library, Poole, with Vernon Area Public Library, Chicago, across six hours’ time difference. Both groups were meeting to discuss Rebecca’s novel, The...
Ann Cleeves Murder Mystery Night pack
Award-winning crime writer Ann Cleeves has equipped librarians and reading groups with everything they need to hold spine-chillingly successful murder mystery nights. Having previously written a murder mystery script based on her novel The Glass Room, starring her well-loved detective character, DI Vera Stanhope, for independent bookshops, festivals and public libraries, Ann Cleeves has now produced a special murder mystery night pack. The pack includes her script, a CSI report, and...
