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Stories from the Web goes live. An exciting new public library web site for children aged 8-11 has been launched. Stories From the Web is about stories, writing and reading and has been developed by the Centre for the Child, Birmingham City Library Services, Bristol City Library Services, Leeds City Library Services and the UK Office for Library and Information Networking (UKOLN). The web site is part of a Library and Information Commission funded project which is exploring how public libraries can use the web to provide reading promotion and development services to children in an electronic environment. The not-for-profit website allows children to read extracts of stories and poems from high profile authors online and then send in reviews, their own stories and enter competitions. Some of the authors involved include Laurence Anholt, Julia Jarman and Pete Johnson. The launch of the website is the first stage of this exciting project which is being managed by the Centre for the Child in Birmingham Central Library. In the next stage of the project computer clubs for children will be held in libraries in Birmingham, Bristol and Leeds. These clubs will work through a programme of planned activities which will use the Internet as a tool to get children to read, borrow and buy more books. Stories from the Web will provide valuable research findings which will be shared with the wider library, publishing and education worlds. There will be a full press launch of the project during Young Readers UK in May 1999. The web site of Stories From the Web can be found at http://hosted.ukoln.ac.uk/stories/ Further information about the project is available from Lydia Matheson, the Project Co-ordinator . Lydia's contact details are Lydia Matheson Stories from the Web Centre for the Child Birmingham Central Library Chamberlain Square Birmingham B3 3HQ Tel. 0121 303 3365 E-mail [log in to unmask] Sarah Ormes Public Library Networking Research Officer UKOLN, University of Bath, Bath, BA2 7AY Tel. 01225 826711 Fax. 01225 826838 %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%