Express YourSHELF for National Libraries Week

 


National Libraries Week kicks off today to celebrate the role of libraries in the UK’s book culture and promote libraries as “spaces for reading, engagement, learning and creativity.”

 

When did you last visit the library? Do you remember a school or class library from your childhood? If you have children, did you go to the bounce and rhyme times? Or maybe the library is a place where you go to work and think, meet people, or even learn a new skill. People come into the library for all kinds of reasons, including searching for elusive bits of information and archive materials.  


“Libraries offer a safe space, providing access to digital & online learning, helping to combat loneliness and having a positive impact on people’s lives.” – Arts Council for England

 

Research shows that there is a correlation between getting families reading and children enjoying stories with them doing better at school and doing better in life. So, how can libraries engage children?

 

In “More than a House of Books", a Podcast commissioned by the Arts Council for England, Sarah Mears (Library Services Manager, Essex County Council. Former chair of the Association of Senior Children's and Education Librarians) stressed that the most important thing is the welcome they receive at the door.

 

The library needs to be “ . . . an exciting and vibrant space that attracts children. It's light, it's airy, it's colourful. There are lots of things that engage them. Activities for them to do, interesting technology that they may have not experienced in their own homes. But I think most importantly, it's still the books. Children love reading for pleasure and they love being inspired to read new titles, new authors.”

 

Today, libraries aren’t places of where librarians go ‘shhh!’; instead they are vibrant community hubs where authors, illustrators and storytellers visit, arts & crafts clubs meet, music and theatre activities inspire the imagination, and poetry groups perform.

 

Regrettably, many libraries are closing, but some – such as the new Manchester Library, which has soundproofed music area, and the Birmingham Library, with its roof gardens ­­- are being imaginatively re-purposed and re-thought to inspire the next generation to “use the space to engage people both with reading and digital skills.” <!-- /* Font Definitions */ @font-face {font-family:"MS 明朝"; mso-font-charset:78; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:-536870145 1791491579 18 0 131231 0;} @font-face {font-family:"Cambria Math"; panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:-536870145 1107305727 0 0 415 0;} @font-face {font-family:"Trebuchet MS"; panose-1:2 11 6 3 2 2 2 2 2 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:647 0 0 0 159 0;} /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-unhide:no; mso-style-qformat:yes; 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mso-style-parent:""; margin:0cm; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family:"MS 明朝"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-ansi-language:EN-US;} .MsoChpDefault {mso-style-type:export-only; mso-default-props:yes; font-size:10.0pt; mso-ansi-font-size:10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family:"MS 明朝"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-fareast-language:JA;}size:612.0pt 792.0pt; margin:72.0pt 90.0pt 72.0pt 90.0pt; mso-header-margin:36.0pt; mso-footer-margin:36.0pt; mso-paper-source:0;} div.WordSection1 {page:WordSection1;}</style></span></p><p></p><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"> </span></span><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><style><font size="3"><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><!-- /* Font Definitions */ @font-face {font-family:"MS 明朝"; mso-font-charset:78; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:-536870145 1791491579 18 0 131231 0;} @font-face {font-family:"Cambria Math"; panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:-536870145 1107305727 0 0 415 0;} /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-unhide:no; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; margin:0cm; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family:"MS 明朝"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-ansi-language:EN-US;} .MsoChpDefault {mso-style-type:export-only; mso-default-props:yes; font-size:10.0pt; mso-ansi-font-size:10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family:"MS 明朝"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-fareast-language:JA;}size:612.0pt 792.0pt; margin:72.0pt 90.0pt 72.0pt 90.0pt; mso-header-margin:36.0pt; mso-footer-margin:36.0pt; mso-paper-source:0;} div.WordSection1 {page:WordSection1;</span></font></style></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Libraries are filled with wonderful new contemporary books to explore, and dedicated, knowledgeable librarians who are thrilled to help you. You can check out a whole pile of books to explore new ideas, discover and re-read favourite authors & illustrators, and even learn new skills. If something doesn’t resonate, I love that <span style="background-color: #01ffff;">the books come with no strings attached – you can simply return them and check out some more – for free! </span></span> </p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-boS5qX3Edj..." style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="172" data-original-width="730" height="94" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-boS5qX3Edj..." width="400" /></a></div><br /><p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">As part of the campaign for National Libraries Week, six <a href="http://www.britishisles.scbwi.org" target="_blank">SCBWI</a>authors were invited to participate in CILIP’s Express YourSHELF campaign and make a video about the books that influenced us. </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">For me, books are like friends, so choosing favourites was tricky! <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Open Sans","sans-serif"" lang="EN-US" style="color: #3f3e3e; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Open Sans"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">You can see the videos <a href="http://picturebookden.blogspot.com/20..." target="_blank">here</a> at midday each day this week. </span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">And <span style="background-color: #fcff01;">YOU can join in too!<span style="background-color: white;"> </span></span>Express yourSHELF by s</span><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #3f3e3e; font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Open Sans"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">haring some books that shaped YOUR world by snapping a pic of your book shelves, too, and posting on social media with hashtag </span><b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">#ExpressYourshelf</span></b><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #3f3e3e; font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Open Sans"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The thing about libraries is they are there for all stages of your life and for the whole family:</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">In lower school, I went to the library at break time to hang out with the books and magazines, and choose new ones; I even made library cards for the small shelf of books I owned at home (mostly birthday presents sent by my grandmother who lived in England).</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-anUY8jbc96..." style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="654" data-original-width="963" height="271" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-anUY8jbc96..." width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">The EARJ lower school library had a lovely central area <br />where we could read beneath the colourful papier maché elephant</span><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></span><p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">In high school, I spent most of my lunch times in the library eating my sandwich on the sly while hanging out with my friends (we weren’t allowed to eat in the library). In those days, you went to the library after school and in class to look stuff up in the Encyclopedias; reference books couldn’t leave the reading room because they had to be on hand for all students to use for research. Strange, now we can ask Google everything!</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Now, I go to my local library almost every week to get a pile of bedtime reading, to see what’s new in picture books and check out nonfiction kids’ books for research. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-l6MuJok8Dj..." style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1603" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-l6MuJok8Dj..." width="313" /> </a></td><td style="text-align: center;"> </td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">A pile of TRUE story picture books to pore over</span><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></span><p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">There is something comforting about being amongst all those book friends, the promise of a story or a new idea or a-ha moment. <b>You never know – until you get home and crack open the covers – whether it’s the right book for you, but it’s ever so exciting!</b></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background-color: #01ffff;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I asked some fellow Picture Book Den authors to share some stories of how libraries have influenced their lives, too:</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="color: black; font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Lucy Rowland</span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">  <br /></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span>    </span>“I remember my primary school library the best – <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">a calm quiet space</b>where we would be taken in small groups to borrow beautiful books. It was also used as a spill-over learning area so we had some of our most exciting lessons in there - music lessons, a craft workshop, a puppet show performance. For that reason, <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">the library always felt like a rather special place</b>!” </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="color: black; font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Jane Clarke</span></b></p><b> </b><p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="color: black; font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #333333; font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span>    </span>“As I child, I loved Kettering's town library. I'd rush up the steps, dash into the children's section, <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">scoop up armfuls of books, then retire to a quiet corner to sit on the floor and decide which to take home</b>. When I discovered new series, there were nerve-racking moments - would the title I had set my heart on be on the shelf - or had it already been borrowed? Oh, the joy if it was there!”</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #333333; font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #333333; font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-tWkVOq4MCY..." style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1232" data-original-width="1792" height="275" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-tWkVOq4MCY..." width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Jane Clarke entertains her library audience with a science activity </span><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #333333; font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></span><p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="color: black; font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Clare Helen Welsh</span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></p> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-gWQE8PnBYh..." style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="551" data-original-width="750" height="294" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-gWQE8PnBYh..." width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Clare Helen Welsh enthralls her young audience</span><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span>    </span>“I don't actually remember visiting the library as a child, which is a huge shame. I'm sure we did and that it's just my foggy memory, but I vividly remember taking my classes to the library as part of my job as primary school teacher. The informal visits provided the <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">opportunity to pore over worlds and characters, words and pictures</b>. The times we went to meet <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">visiting authors, illustrators and storytellers</b> were just as memorable. I'm certain they inspired the children and they definitely inspired me. I now have the outrageous privilege of writing stories that live on those shelves, and delivering story sessions just like the ones I watched<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">. </b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"> </b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"></b></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-K4am0p-CTJ..." style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1750" data-original-width="2048" height="341" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-K4am0p-CTJ..." width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Craft activities with author Clare Helen Welsh</span><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="color: black; font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><br /></b></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">I wonder if I would have had the courage to make the step from teacher to writer, had it not been for the possibilities the library gave me.</b> Of course, in these increasingly challenging times the battle is keeping libraries open and keeping them alive. But we must - a library is so much more than library.”</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /> </span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Pippa Goodhart</span></b></p><p><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"><span>    </span> </span>“When my children were little, <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">a visit to the library was the treat at the end of the weekly shop. </b>I think a lot of people find the huge number of books on shelves in libraries daunting, and don’t know where to begin with choosing<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">. Children just find the right shelves and get stuck in! But we do need expert librarians unhand to help pair the right child with the right book at the right time,</b> especially with those books that might comfort or inspire or enlighten at particular moments in a child’s life. Or an adult’s life, come to that!</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Ur3ugrlTTW..." style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" /></span><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-cokxyJJjVh..." style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="768" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-cokxyJJjVh..." /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Pippa’s daughter as a child blissfully combining reading a book (from a library -<br /></span></i></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">see the spine!) with a kitten, and her now as a grown-up, reading to baby her son.<br /></span></i></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></i></span></p> <style><font size="2"><!-- /* Font Definitions */ @font-face {font-family:"MS 明朝"; mso-font-charset:78; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:-536870145 1791491579 18 0 131231 0;} @font-face {font-family:"Cambria Math"; panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:-536870145 1107305727 0 0 415 0;} @font-face {font-family:"Trebuchet MS"; panose-1:2 11 6 3 2 2 2 2 2 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:647 0 0 0 159 0;} /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-unhide:no; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; margin:0cm; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family:"MS 明朝"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-ansi-language:EN-US;} .MsoChpDefault {mso-style-type:export-only; mso-default-props:yes; font-size:10.0pt; mso-ansi-font-size:10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family:"MS 明朝"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-fareast-language:JA;}size:612.0pt 792.0pt; margin:72.0pt 90.0pt 72.0pt 90.0pt; mso-header-margin:36.0pt; mso-footer-margin:36.0pt; mso-paper-source:0;} div.WordSection1 {page:WordSection1;}</font></style></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I love using libraries now, at least in non-Covid times. <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">I borrow armloads of books, but I also like them as places to work</b>. Being surrounded by books and other people, heads down as they work, somehow helps me to focus better than I sometimes can at home.”</span> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Gareth P. Jones</span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";"> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span>    </span>“T<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">he Summer Reading Challenge is one of the best things that libraries do</b>. Each year, libraries around the country encourage children to keep reading through the summer. As an author I’ve had my books selected for several lists (my <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Dragon Detective</i> series formed part of this year’s Silly Squad), and I’ve appeared at libraries up and down the country to hand out certificates, celebrate reading and shake the hands of local mayors (shaking hands - remember that?).</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-cLuzSlH2XW..." style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1100" data-original-width="2448" height="288" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-cLuzSlH2XW..." width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">2020 Summer Reading Challenge</span><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></span><p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">But my most positive experience was when my son did the challenge. <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">He had to sit down and talk to a librarian about each book he had read,</b> <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">telling her what he had enjoyed about it </b>and what he had taken away from the book.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MFK_z7-xw8..." style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MFK_z7-xw8..." width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Gareth P Jones plays the uke and Steve May pens the pictures</span><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></span><p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Many politicians think that libraries are old fashioned and irrelevant, but when you have seen first-hand <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">how they bring communities together and the positive effects they have on children’s (and the nation’s) reading habits</b>then it makes you want to scream #SaveLibraries from the top of the tallest library.”</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8uc9eR5-q0..." style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8uc9eR5-q0..." width="300" /></a><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">And here's a pile of picture books on one of <b>my</b> shelves. There are others around the house . . . As I've said, they are my friends. <b> </b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><b> </b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><b>But I'm always looking for more - <span style="background-color: #fcff01;"><br />AT THE LIBRARY!</span></b><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></p><br /> <p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> <span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Do you have a library story? Share it with us!</span> <br /></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><style><!-- /* Font Definitions */ @font-face {font-family:"MS 明朝"; mso-font-charset:78; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:-536870145 1791491579 18 0 131231 0;} @font-face {font-family:"Cambria Math"; panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:-536870145 1107305727 0 0 415 0;} @font-face {font-family:"Open Sans"; mso-font-alt:"Menlo Regular"; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:swiss; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:-536870161 1073750107 40 0 415 0;} @font-face {font-family:"Trebuchet MS"; panose-1:2 11 6 3 2 2 2 2 2 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:647 0 0 0 159 0;} /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-unhide:no; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; margin:0cm; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family:"MS 明朝"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-ansi-language:EN-US;} a:link, span.MsoHyperlink {mso-style-priority:99; color:blue; mso-themecolor:hyperlink; text-decoration:underline; text-underline:single;} a:visited, span.MsoHyperlinkFollowed {mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; color:purple; mso-themecolor:followedhyperlink; text-decoration:underline; text-underline:single;} .MsoChpDefault {mso-style-type:export-only; mso-default-props:yes; font-size:10.0pt; mso-ansi-font-size:10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family:"MS 明朝"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-fareast-language:JA;}size:612.0pt 792.0pt; margin:72.0pt 90.0pt 72.0pt 90.0pt; mso-header-margin:36.0pt; mso-footer-margin:36.0pt; mso-paper-source:0;} div.WordSection1 {page:WordSection1;}</style></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: purple;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "palatino";"><b>_______________________________________________________________________</b></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: purple;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "palatino";"></span></span><br /></p><div class="MsoNormal"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7VguhOo1wc..." style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="362" data-original-width="416" height="173" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7VguhOo1wc..." width="200" /></a><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><span face=""trebuchet ms" , sans-serif"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><b>Natascha Biebow, </b></span></span><span face=""trebuchet ms" , sans-serif"><span lang="EN-US"><span face=""trebuchet ms" , sans-serif">MBE, Author, Editor and Mentor</span></span></span></span></div> <div class="MsoNormal"><span face=""trebuchet ms" , sans-serif"></span></div><p><span face=""trebuchet ms" , sans-serif"><span lang="EN-US"><span face=""trebuchet ms" , sans-serif"><span lang="EN-US">Natascha is <span face=""trebuchet ms" , sans-serif">the</span> author of the award-winning <a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/Crayon-Man-N..." target="_blank"><i>The Crayon Man: The True Story of the Invention of Crayola Crayons</i></a>, illustrated by Steven Salerno, winner of the Irma Black Award for Excellence in Children's Books, and selected as a best STEM Book 2020. Editor of numerous prize-winning <span style="font-family: trebuchet;">books, sh</span>e runs</span></span> </span></span><span face=""trebuchet ms" , sans-serif"><span lang="EN-US"><a href="http://www.blueelephantstoryshaping.c... Elephant Storyshaping</a>, an editing, coaching and mentoring service aimed at empowering writers and illustrators to fine-tune their work pre-submission, and is the Editorial Director for Five Quills. </span></span><span face=""trebuchet ms" , sans-serif"><span lang="EN-US"><span face=""trebuchet ms" , sans-serif"><span lang="EN-US"><span face=""trebuchet ms" , sans-serif"><span lang="EN-US">She is Co-Regional Advisor (Co-Chair) of SCBWI British Isles. </span></span></span></span>Find her at <a href="http://www.nataschabiebow.com/"&... /></p>
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Published on October 04, 2020 22:00
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