What is Reader Development?
Opening the Book defines “reader development” as “active intervention to:
- increase people's confidence and enjoyment of reading
- open up reading choices
- offer opportunities for people to share their reading experience
- raise the status of reading as a creative activity”
These principles of reader development are at the heart of library services in the South East and central to the work that libraries undertake. Reader development values consider the pleasure of reading as a creative activity, but also support the principles of Life Long Learning.
The South East Libraries Reading Development Partnership
This is a partnership between all nineteen library authorities in the South East to exploit opportunities for reading development activity across the region. The Partnership is supported by MLA South East, Arts Council England, South East (ACE) and Society of Chief Librarians, South East (SCLSE) and has been coordinated by a full-time regional “Reading Development Coordinator” since July 2005.
South East Reading Development Strategy
The purpose of the strategy and action plan is to precipitate co-operation across South East Libraries that will ensure consistent quality for local communities, reflective of 21st Century reading services.
Listing of Reading Development offers for libraries
On the right hand side of the screen are links to reading development events and initiatives that libraries can get involved in.
New Reader Development Resources Available
The South East Reading Development Partnership has published some new documents to support public library staff. The first is a brief hints and tips guide to help frontline staff in branches to create reader-friendly browsing spaces in libraries of any size, and should be useful to supplement staff training. There are also two documents to help library staff in planning, marketing and publicising reading development events in libraries - a shorter hints and tips guide focussing on publicity, and a handbook to assist throughout the whole planning process. Download from the 'related resources' section to the right of the screen. They can be altered to suit the needs of local authorities, provided the logos of the partnership's funding bodies are left intact.
