Enjoying Reading shows how school libraries, schools library services and public libraries can support schools and provides practical tools for joint work.

Research

Research shows how central reading for pleasure is for children’s life chances, and yet recent international comparisons show that children in England enjoy reading less than their international peers and less than they did five years ago (see the PIRLS research, Progress in International Reading Literacy Study, for more information http://timss.bc.edu).

The time is right

The 2008 National Year of Reading http://www.yearofreading.org.uk/ is an important opportunity. Libraries and schools working together with school libraries, schools library services and public libraries can be a powerful force for change. Information on this website shows how the partnership can work in practice and will be a major resource for teachers to use during the National Year of Reading and beyond.

Enjoying Reading supports a new drive to give children and young people the chance to take part in cultural activities and develop their creative skills, such as the Find Your Talent programme, announced jointly by the Department for Children, Schools and Families and the Department for Culture, Media and Sport. It also adds an important resource for schools as they develop extended services for children and their parents.

Partners and funders

Enjoying Reading is a partnership project funded by the DCSF and led by The Reading Agency, the independent charity working to get more people reading more.

The other partners are

National Literacy Trust
School Library Association
Society of Chief Librarians
Association of Senior Children's and Education Librarians
Museums Libraries and Archives Council

Enjoying Reading also involves other bodies including the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, Ofsted, the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority, and the National Strategies for primary and secondary education.

About this website

This website has been created in close consultation with teachers, librarians and educational advisers. It builds on the success of existing programmes and aims to be a catalyst for more joint work.

The website is part of a suite of resources for schools, including booklets, and new practical materials linked to the Summer Reading Challenge™, a pivotal scheme which schools and libraries can use to keep children reading over the summer holidays.

This website shows how schools can make the best of what each part of the library system has to offer. It includes:

How Libraries Help Schools framework shows how school libraries, schools library services and public libraries support children to develop a love of reading
Case studies demonstrate how the partnership can work in practice
Ideas bank offering practical ideas to bring teachers and library staff together to achieve common aims
Policy and resources includes information literacy resources and a policy map
Discussion space for teachers and library staff to meet virtually and share ideas

About TRF

The Enjoying Reading website is hosted on the TRF website. TRF (Their Reading Futures) is a programme for public libraries, schools library services, and school library staff. It provides training to help libraries deliver the best reader services for young people.

It is full of practical resources, ideas and learning techniques which teachers may also find interesting and helpful, including an e-learning section for building reader development skills and book knowledge; planning and evaluation tools; and resources for programmes like Chatterbooks and the Summer Reading Challenge.

Creating the Enjoying Reading site within TRF is a strong partnership message about libraries and schools working together to encourage and inspire children's reading.