Orange ChatterbooksTalking about the books you want to read

The Reading Agency

The Reading Agency is an independent charity working to inspire more people to read more… with the vision of a society where everyone’s lives and communities are enriched through free, democratic access to reading

Goals• To inspire more people to read more• To open up reading opportunities for excluded groups

and individuals• To open up perceptions of reading and what it does• To create a fantastic reading experience in libraries for

our key audiences• To advocate the importance of libraries’ reading role

The Reading Agency

supports and inspires libraries’ work with readers

pilots new initiatives

disseminates and encourages the networking of good practice

brokers partnerships with businesses and organisations outside libraries

enables access to cost-effective and high quality resources and materials

Chatterbooks… what people are saying

‘I think that Chatterbooks is my very giant best library fun house roller-coaster ride sweet giving house’

‘I never really liked reading before but this is fun!’

‘It’s really given us a boost as a family to read more’

‘It’s just lovely to watch them all mature into real readers who can talk with confidence about what they are reading’

‘Reading groups have become a normal part of our service’

Chatterbooks & Orange

Orange Prize for Fiction educational initiative

Arts and Business Sustainability Award

Chatterbooks: Aims

Overall Aims • Developing children’s love and enjoyment of reading• Through the benefits of a nationally coordinated project - Supporting children’s

library services in delivering service objectives• Demonstrating the feasibility of partnership between business and libraries

Group Aims • Providing new reading ideas for young people to widen and deepen their

reading• Developing young people’s confidence about themselves as readers• Developing peer to peer reading support• Offering children the chance to interact positively with adults about reading• Increasing the sense of belonging to a community• Providing an activity where children are having a really good time reading and

talking about books

Local Aims • Developing service provision to a particular target group or location• Developing staff skills• Meeting local service priorities

Chatterbooks

Total UK library authorities taking part: 142

In 2007-8 there were 400 active groups with 7,500 children: 2/3 of members are girls; 1/3 are boys

Edinburgh has 13 groups with 147 children: 5% boys 5-8; 12% girls 5-8; 39% boys 9-11; 44% girls 9-11

Cited as good practice case study in English government report on libraries: ‘Framework for the Future’

Featured as a key programme for ‘Enjoying Reading’ – the DCSF funded initiative about schools and libraries working together to encourage children’s enjoyment of reading www.enjoyingreading.org.uk

The difference it makes…

‘I really, really, really enjoyed my experience at Chatterbooks. I liked all the different activities we did, all the books we got and all the friends I made.’

The difference it makes for children…

Young people’s reading is widened and deepened Young people become more confident about themselves as

readers Young people experience reading in new ways Young people are contributing to the development of the group

and the library Young people enjoying reading Young people supporting & inspiring each other in their reading Young people engaging more confidently with adults about

their reading Library staff more confident and skilled in their work with

young readersSee www.theireadingfutures.org.uk – Best Practice - Chatterbooks

Addressing community agendas

Life-long learning Social inclusion Personal and social development Consultation and involvement Citizenship Community cohesion Education standards Quality of life Creativity Access to services

Vision for Scotland’s Children…

Vision for Scotland’s Children

• Safe• Healthy• Achieving• Nurtured• Active• Respected• Responsible• Included

Curriculum for Excellence

• Successful learners

• Confident learners

• Responsible citizens

• Effective contributors

Vision for Scotland’s Children

Active; Achieving; Successful learners: • Young people having a good time with their reading

• Reading more widely

• Better reading skills

• More confident about their reading

• More confident in choosing books

Vision for Scotland’sChildren

Respected; Responsible; Effective contributors

• Young people are developing skills and confidence in talking about their reading

• Developing communication skills & social confidence

• Cross-community, and cross-age & ability sharing and interaction

• Contributing to and making decisions about library services

Vision for Scotland’s Children

Being healthy• Reading for information, stress-busting and

support• Discussing books and sharing problemsStaying safe• Safe, supervised environments and activities• Activities and discussions about empowerment,

choice, health and well-beingEconomic well-being; achieving; active• Developing skills and confidence• Developing critical thinking, understanding,

creativity

Better skills in working with young people

More relevant and vibrant reading services

More involvement of parents and carers

Reaching ‘hard to reach’ groups of children

Closer contact with children helping them to make the service more responsive to their needs

Developing community partnerships especially with schools

The difference it makes for libraries

TRF: Their Reading Futures

The workforce development programme for all library staff to support work with young readers

TRF can help you to deliver Chatterbooks in terms of:

• planning and evaluation staff training activity ideas sharing ideas with others advocacy…www.theirreadingfutures.org.uk

Chatterbooks and Children’s Publishers

Children’s Reading Partners: Launched in May 2008

A partnership between UK library services and 13 children’s publishers which aims:

• To make a step change in the way children’s publishers and libraries work together, to grow the market for reading

• To build a vibrant reading offer for children in public libraries

Through Children’s Reading Partnership publishers can connect with Chatterbooks groups – eg:

• Providing proof copies, and enabling author visits for local Chatterbooks groups• Promotion of new titles and new authors• Focus group work • Contributing to the Chatterbooks newsletter• Attending Chatterbooks training days

• Scottish CRP Rep is margaret.houston@glasgow.gov.uk

ChatterpacksFor example… Read The Book, See The Film!

Let’s get coffee!

Talking about Chatterbooks

‘I have met new people. I can recommend books and give my opinions and other people can give me theiropinions. I enjoyed keeping a diary of books that I read toshow my mum and sister’ Emma, aged 10

‘I feel confident she can make her own choices as a result ofthe discussions and recommendation’ Parent, Derby

‘My daughter’s reading has really improved since she joinedChatterbooks’ Parent, Derby

Chatterbooks

Introducing the handbook and the publicity and support materials

How Chatterbooks works: some real life examples

Reader development meeting policy agendas

What are YOUR priorities?

Who do you need to work with and why?

You are not alone…

Who else will want to see you succeed?

Who shares your agenda?

Working in partnership

You are not alone…

Respected; responsible; included; effective contributors: real participation

Talking and listening

Consultation and involvement

You are not alone…

In your group, think about how you will set up your Chatterbooks groups

who might be your target group/s? Why?

Who might you consult? Why? Where? How? Write down a range of possibilities

How might you recruit? Where? Write down a range of possibilities

Let’s have lunch!

‘Books never leave meThey haunt me to the endThey whisper ‘pick me up’That whispering will never end!’

Walsall Chatterbooks

Planning and evaluation…

What are the intended outcomes for the children?… for staff?… for the library service? What difference will you make?

How will you tell that you’ve achieved your outcomes?

How will you be able to prove success?

What activities will help you to achieve them?

Planning and evaluation…

In collecting evidence and evaluating the impact of our work we should look for changes in:

Behaviour (doing things differently) Competence (doing things better) Creativity Knowledge Attitudes (e.g. confidence)

Here are just four reading group outcomes for young people you might aspire to…

Young people’s reading is widened and deepened

Young people become more confident about themselves as readers

Young people experience reading in new ways

Young people are contributing to the development of the group and the library

Looking at the first of these possible outcomes…Young people’s reading is widened and deepened

How will you tell that you’ve achieved this? Two examples…

Young people will move more readily to reading a wider range of material – e.g. different subject matter; different authors…

Young people will move more readily to reading more challenging and stretching material

Looking at the first of these possible outcomes…Young people’s reading is widened and deepened

What activities will help you to achieve this?

We’ll come back to this later…

Looking at the first of these possible outcomes…Young people’s reading is widened and deepened

What evidence will you have that the outcomes have been achieved?

• Observation by library staff focused on the breadth & depth of young people’s reading

Feedback from parents, carers, other involved adults Systematic monitoring of young people’s progress in

the group Questionnaires / interviews with young people,

parents, carers, teachers… Session records and statistics Case studiesImportant… Plan your evidence collection & your

activities in tandem

Now, let’s return to our original reading group outcomes…

In your group, think of at least three ways you would be able to tell you have achieved the following reading group outcome:

Group 1 & 4 Young people become more confident about themselves as readers

Group 2 Young people experience reading in new ways

Group 3 & 5 Young people are contributing to the development of the group and the library

Chatterbooks

…as a support network

Let’s have tea!

104 Chatterbooks children and their parents & carers joined author Caroline Lawrence in a Roman Mysteries Day at Reading Town Hall and the Museum of Reading

The Iron Man in Another Place May 2006 -75 Chatterbooks members, 75 parents and the 100 Iron Men of Antony Gormley’s installation ‘Another Place’ - bringing to life Ted Hughes’s The Iron Man at the North West Regional Orange Chatterbooks family day on Crosby Beach

Author Catherine MacPhail enthralled 41 children from 8 Chatterbooks groups at Edinburgh’s Chatterbooks Jamboree in 2006, supported by Live Literature Scotland

Children at Teddington Library presented a special birthday Book of Books to Children’s Laureate Jacqueline Wilson, for her to pass on as an 80th birthday gift to the Queen

It includes favourite book recommendations from over 100 Chatterbooks reading groups

Session content

The power of peer recommendation and stock selection…

The power of working with creative artists, authors, poets, illustrators, cartoonists, storytellers, musicians…

Getting the right mix… ages, interests, abilities, activities, materials…

Session format: vital ingredients (1)

Staff who:

treat people well are trained and enthusiastic about reading know enough about the books are able to open up reading choices by talking to

young people and their important adults know how to help young readers develop

There’s a role for everyone! See TRF:Their Reading Futures…

Session format: vital ingredients (2)

A library that is:

welcoming

lively

inspiring

Safe See TRF: Their Reading Futures

Session format: vital ingredients (3)

A format that appeals to participants (have you asked?)

Consistent and adequate staffing. If your group involves a wide range of ages then it is likely you will need to run different activities simultaneously

A varied programme

Thinking about how your Chatterbooks sessions might look

Location in the library

Session format - when? - how long? refreshments?…

Materials used in sessions. All reading the same material?

Who is involved at sessions

Reading group activities

In the group you were in before… write down at least three session activities to help achieve the reading group outcome you looked at earlier. Write down your ideas.

Group 1 & 4 Young people become more confident about themselves as readers

Group 2 Young people experience reading in new ways

Group 3 & 5 Young people are contributing to the development of the group and the library

Reading group activities

Tried and tested: more fun reader development activities

Using evidence of success

The importance of using evidence of successful outcomes…

ADVOCACY: building a network of support for libraries’ powerful work with young readers

Working with the media

A key part of your advocacy communication plan

Think big! Use every opportunity Use local contacts Use national resources: TRA PR support

Advocacy in action

Successful local bids for funding and project development – e.g. North Tyneside

Government recognition and funding

Arts and Business Sustainability Award

‘Chatterbooks is fandoodletastic!’