Transcript

NICK:

I think that promoting reading for pleasure beyond the classroom can make a real impact on the reading culture in school. So author visits are a great way to generate excitement about reading and provide a real buzz for students having an author in in person, maybe combined with a workshop or book signing session.

Or increasingly, these are being done virtually online. Online sessions can be great as well. They're much easier to arrange, but students can still get to ask questions. And they can be really inspired to hear how authors go about writing their books.

Ongoing interest can be maintained through social media, blogs, podcasts, and video interviews, that can be put on your library management system or website. So again, these can be accessible for students when they're at home, not just in the school library itself.

Book clubs are another way to generate that reading culture. You might decide to have a set book that everyone reads together. Or you could have a group where everyone meets up and gets to talk about their favorite books. Depending on your students, you might like to try a Manga club or information books or shadow an award scheme such as the Carnegie Medal. You might have a local book award In your area. And local independent bookshops will also run events that you can tap into.

There are a whole range of literacy-related special days and weeks, which can be used to promote whole school reading events, such as World Book day, Roald Dahl Day or Harry Potter night. And you can combine these with games or competitions or get creative with MakerSpace events, an escape room, or a murder mystery event.

So there are lots of ways you can promote the library and embed reading for pleasure. And it's a lot of fun too. The engagement with students and making a difference is really one of the most rewarding parts of the job.