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Hi, We have a group currently running in the Gosport area of Hampshire. The funding came via the Borough Council LPSA2 funding (I think). The contact if you need to know more would be [log in to unmask] Best wishes Alison Lawrence Children's Service Development Officer Fareham & Gosport area Fareham Library Osborn Road Fareham PO16 7EN Tel: 01329 221424 HSPN: 8 522 4620 Email: [log in to unmask] ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Now reading: F.E.Higgins, The Black Book of Secrets ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ________________________________ From: Reader Development Mailing List [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Bridget Taylor Sent: 08 January 2008 13:45 To: [log in to unmask] Subject: Hello Sorry to butt in on this discussion, but does anyone know of any reading groups/book ownership projects for looked after children operating through public libraries. Thank you Bridget Taylor [log in to unmask] wrote: Please read the Council's email disclaimer notification which is located at the end of the email message. Dear Liz- Herewith my response. Hope it's useful. Can I also refer you to the Branching Out website archive on running reader groups? http://www.branching-out.net/branching-out/page2.asp?idno=1012 - Do you support reading groups? We've had some form of reader group provision in Torbay since 2000, and now service a total of 6 library-based reader groups across Torbay. These groups meet once per month. We also provide book stock for 7 external book clubs in U3A groups etc. We also have a separate book club meeting once per month for the blind and visually impaired. - What level of support do you provide? i.e. space in libraries, provision of the books/other materials, member of staff to lead the reading group... As well as meeting space in the library, I personally facilitate the library-based groups and there is one other member of staff on hand to issue books and attend to refreshments. Members are mailed or emailed a newsletter on a roughly quarterly basis. - Do you take any particular steps to ensure that appropriate materials are available, i.e. sets of books kept particularly for reading groups We have a specific budget to purchase approximately 12 copies of 12 titles each year. These are all purchased in their cheapest paperback edition and we also provide one spoken word version of each title. The members vote on titles on a yearly basis from a shortlist drawn up by myself. As soon as new titles have been circulated through the library book groups, that stock is then split between re-allocation to branches and 10 copies of each title kept as reader groups sets for external groups. - If so, has this led to budgetary pressures, and if not, have you had a problem with popular materials not being available when requested? The budget for the reader group stock has had to be cut for the past 2 years and this situation is not likely to improve. In larger groups this casues occasional problems of book supply. As a result, from 2008 onwards, we are reducing the number of meetings each year to enable the budget to stretch further. - What size/type of authority are you? (I will keep authorities anonymous if requested to do so, but would still be useful to know whether you are e.g. a small London borough or a large county authority). Torbay is a (very) small unitary authority with 4 branches and a mobile service. any other comments you have well be most gratefully received! Although we have tried to remove my own involvement in the groups, the members are a little resistant to this and there are no staff willing to take my place! (The only alternative would be for staff to be lone working, usually til 9pm and sometimes on dark winter nights). Although the reader groups are enjoyed and very much appreciated by the members, becaue of the profile of the groups (almost exclusively female, white, middle-aged, middle class) there is sometimes a sense that we are super-serving one already well-served customer group. I would like to see us moving into providing book groups for less educated and advantaged customers. However, I think that with ever increasing budget demands, such possibilities are unlikely to be realised and I wouldn't be surprised if, nationally, reader groups come to be seen by hard pressed authorities as something of an expendable luxury. Thanks for prompting all this information sharing, Liz, it's very interesting. And could I fully endorse David Kenvyn, East Dunbartonshire Council, for his suggestion about sharing book sets for reader groups. Cheers, Paul Paul Trainer Service Support Officer Torbay Library Services Torquay Library Lymington Road Torquay TQ1 3DT Tel: 01803 208313 Fax: 01803 208311 e-mail: [log in to unmask] www.torbay.gov.uk/libraries "Information in this message is confidential and may be legally privileged. It is intended solely for the person to whom it is addressed. If you are not the intended recipient, please notify the sender, and please delete this message from your system immediately. The views in this message may be personal, and therefore not necessarily those of Torbay Council". Save the trees - do you really need to print this email? -----Original Message----- From: Reader Development Mailing List [SMTP:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Liz Chapman Sent: 04 January 2008 14:31 To: [log in to unmask] Subject: Reading Group support in public libraries ** apologies for cross-posting** Dear all, I'm interested in finding out what provision is made in other authorities for reading groups. Currently we offer very little support to reading groups and it is something I would like to change, but concern has been raised about the pressure that it would put on the budget as we are quite a small authority, so I thought I'd do some research via these lists. I will collate responses for the list(s), so feel free to reply off-list. I'm particularly interested in the following: Thanks, Liz Team Librarian Ordnance Road Library London Borough of Enfield ************************************************************************ ************* Any opinions expressed in this email are those of the individual and are not necessarily those of the London Borough of Enfield. This email and any attachments or files transmitted with it are strictly confidential and intended solely for the named addressee. It may contain privileged and confidential information and if you are not the intended recipient you must not copy, distribute or use the communication in any other way. If you receive this email in error please contact the sender as soon as possible and delete the email and any attachments. ************************************************************************ ************* Please note... The views in this message are personal; they are not necessarily those of Torbay Council. 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