Category: Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ;
Radio 4
Date: 11.07.2005
Printable version
On 11 July the Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ and public libraries launch a groundbreaking
partnership which will offer millions of people new and richer ways
to get involved with learning, culture and the community.
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The partnership will help the Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ deliver major learning
campaigns such as RaW (Read and Write), the adult literacy campaign.
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Speakers at the event celebrating the start of the partnership
include Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Director-General, Mark Thompson, and David
Lammy, new Minister for Culture.
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Mark Thompson says: "We see the building of external
partnerships as a key characteristic of the Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ of the future.
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"Partnerships can help us create more public value
and turn the Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ into a resource for the whole nation."
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This summer, every library service is meeting with the
Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ in a series of workshops to generate ideas and activities to bring
the literary campaign to life across the UK.
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Liz Cleaver, Controller of Learning and Interactive,
says: "We are really excited to be working with libraries in this new
strategic way because they know how to inspire people's learning, reading
and community involvement.
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"Partnerships are the cornerstone of our new learning
strategy - to deliver bigger, longer, more impactful campaigns - and
this is the first major one we're announcing."
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In addition, a one-year pilot, which started last autumn,
is exploring ways to link Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Radio and book related programmes with
library users - such as:
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Experimental listening posts in 30 libraries across the country to bring
Radio 4's archive of author recordings to a wider audience and to explore
the use of digital radio in libraries
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Training young library users to become roving book reporters
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A joint project with Radio 4's Woman's Hour and Orange Prize for Fiction
to find the best of the ten winners of the Orange Prize
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A new navigation page on Radio 4's website to help readers in libraries
to find all book-related content easily
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A downloadable information page for library reading groups
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A Radio 4 Open Book library special
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Controller of Radio 4 and Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ 7, Mark Damazer, says:
"The potential in this partnership for increasing people's enjoyment
and consumption of books is enormous."
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The Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Radio pilot and negotiations for the Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Learning
partnership are being led by The Reading Agency. The Reading Agency
brokers major partnerships for libraries and runs national programmes
to help them work together as a national force, working with partner
library bodies including the Society of Chief Librarians and the Museums,
Libraries and Archives Council (MLA).
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Miranda McKearney, the Director of the Reading Agency
says: "Public libraries face major changes in modernising and keeping
reading at the heart of their mission.
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"They're changing fast, and it's fantastic to see the
Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ waking up to their power to reach right into local communities to
inspire people to read and learn."
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The Reading Agency's work in developing the Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ partnerships
has been funded by Arts Council England and MLA.
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Mark Wood, MLA's Chair, says: "This is such a powerful
partnership. People love and trust their libraries, which are at the
heart of our communities and perfectly placed to work with the Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ,
supporting campaigns like RaW on the ground.
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"With their combined reach and complementary services,
these two great institutions will break new ground in informing and
entertaining people."
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Notes to Editors
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More than half the UK population are members of their local public library.
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The library network spans 4,145 branches and 16,900 other service points,
and offers access to 32,000 computer terminals as part of the People's
Network.
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UK libraries had 337m visits in 2003-2004, up 14 per cent on the previous
year, and 341m books were borrowed.
