Opening the book

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		Opening the Book

		Opening the Book is an independent agency working with public libraries to develop a reader-centred approach to promoting literature. Using the popular base and open access of the library service, Opening the Book has developed adventurous and exciting promotional work which does not underestimate readers. Opening the Book's pioneering programme of training for professional and non-professional library staff has led to successful promotional projects in many library authorities.

		In 1989 our innovative approach to running a different kind of literature festival by drawing on the strengths of the library service made Sheffield Libraries' Opening the Book Festival a landmark which influenced established literature festivals across the country. In 1992 Opening the Book organised the Reading the Future Conference in York on behalf of the Arts Council and the Library Association. This conference was recognised as bringing about a sea-change in the status of literature promotion in libraries. The potential of our philosophy of valuing the reader was recognised by BBC Education's The Bookworm and we acted as a consultant in establishing links between the BBC and libraries and wrote The Bookworm pack which was distributed to library staff. In 1996 we wrote Opening the Book: finding a good read which was published by Bradford Libraries and Morley Books (ISBN 0 907734 47 2, Ł5 plus Ł1.25 p&p). Primarily aimed at the individual reader seeking to take risks with their own reading, it is also an invaluable resource for library staff who want to understand a reader-centred approach to promotion. Current projects include working with the National Library for the Blind to develop and manage added value, customer-focused services; Fringe Benefits, a local authority/regional arts board collaboration to develop new systems to aid the selection of non-mainstream literature in public libraries; Reading Between the Lines, a new course for the Open College of the Arts; setting up a Reading Promotion Network for 15 library authorities, supported by Yorkshire and Humberside Arts; and new initiatives in reader development with Waterstone's

		For further information, please contact: Rachel Van Riel or Olive Fowler Opening the Book 181 Carleton Road Pontefract West Yorkshire WF8 3NH Telephone 01977 602 188 Facsimile 01977 602 988 Email rachel@openbook.demon.co.uk