penaccess A newsletter from the West Midlands branch of CILIP A supplement to CILIP Update July 2008
Vol. 51 No.3
ISSN 0048-1904
Everything Starts With Reading WM National Year of Reading Conference Report Along with around one hundred and twenty other librarians and practitioners, I attended the West Midlands Regional Launch of the National Year of Reading (NYR) on Thursday 20 March at Solihull Central Library & Arts Complex.
SPECIAL EDITION
people feel good about what they already read and then building on that, was also reinforced by Honor Wilson-Fletcher, Director of the NYR at the Library & Information show on 24 April. Miranda ended by stressing the need to get reading firmly embedded in local authority and strategic plans and to make reading a strategic priority at local authority level. The morning session continued apace with several authorities showcasing examples of Best Practice including Worcestershire’s Book Doctor Service, an outreach ‘personal shopper’ style approach to presenting books to people at a range of community venues in a bid to boost library membership. Herefordshire showcased their Babes in Arms Readers’ Group, a child friendly reading group with a focus on adults based at Leominster Library and also touched upon on a project the
From left to right: Michele Jones, Peter Traves, Ayb Khan, Judy Goodson and Bob McKee. When Miranda McKearney (Director of The Reading Agency), asked how many of us remembered the last Year of Reading ten years ago, I remember thinking that my overriding memory of that was standing in the pouring rain all day in the square in Solihull, with all manner of people, not to mention several fictional characters, and a lot of soggy leaflets, promoting books and reading! Of course we did do a lot more than that throughout that year and since I might add! This National Year of Reading though does promise to be a lot more focused with targeted audiences and themed months because as Miranda’s inspiring opening presentation highlighted ‘Reading has
never been more important, it unlocks (our) ability to take part.’ Miranda spoke of there being a shift from reading being seen as an isolated and passive activity to being seen as more sociable and inclusive with the popularity of reading groups and the advent of city reads schemes. She feels that the National Year of Reading is ‘a major opportunity to reposition libraries with customers’ and that we should connect sport, music, fashion, gaming and personal identity to reading. This key NYR message of ‘Start with what you love’, aiming to make
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In this issue... Foul Play...................................3 In Focus: Anne Sherman.......4 East of Suez.............................5 Committee Matters..............6 CILIP West Midlands Members’ Day........................6 MLA West Midlands Update.....................................8
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group had been involved in. The West Midlands Readers’ Network, with five reading groups from Solihull, Hereford, Shropshire, Walsall and Much Wenlock commissioned 5 authors to each write a short story. These were then recorded live at the Birmingham Book Festival and broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in March which is an excellent and example of regional and partnership working. Shropshire’s Oswestry Reads project aimed to get the whole town reading the same book after voting from a shortlist. Warwickshire showed a wonderful DVD showcasing their successful Family Readers’ and Writers’ Weekend at the impressive Compton-Verney and Staffordshire showcased their Words & Wonders events at Shugborough Hall where they increased the number of visitors to Shugborough by 40% on the day! Mike Gayle author of 6 novels and Patron of the Six Book Challenge spoke passionately of adult literacy being a subject close to his heart as his wife was teaching adult basic skills when he met her. He talked of being ‘well aware of the amazing change that literacy skills can make to people’s lives and the part libraries play in making that change’.
Author Mike Gayle. Mike talked about how libraries meant a lot to him growing up, that now he has children of his own, the family spend a lot of time in libraries and he spoke of how ‘Libraries are building the next generation of readers.’ He also talked about how authors love the opportunity to talk about books and meet readers at author events and get a response. A recurring and amusing theme of Mike’s talk was how much authors love the Public Lending Right!
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During lunch Borders Bookshop were on site to sell Mike Gayle’s books and Mike was on hand to sign and chat to readers. The afternoon continued with a presentation from Bob McKee, Chief Executive of CILIP, who made the point that this was the National Year of Reading, not the National Year of Libraries, but let’s not overlook Miranda McKearney’s earlier point that ‘Libraries (are) a force for change for reading’ Afternoon break-out groups included Warwickshire Libraries’ Switched on to Reading Project, an initiative which piloted MP3 Stories with looked after children, Staffordshire explored how they plan and fund their reader development projects and Sandwell discussed how they created their author visit programme. Dudley, Staffordshire and Walsall examined common themes between their targeted reading group programmes, Coventry covered aspects of their unique project aimed at encouraging all ages to read for pleasure via a dedicated website and Birmingham showcased their very successful junior Library Champions scheme,Yards Ahead. Michele Jones, Library Advisor, NYR began by talking about ‘striving to achieve a step change in the nation’s culture’ and how ‘the journey begins here.’ She expanded by saying that people who say they don’t read usually mean they don’t read fiction because if we look around us, people are reading all the time, texts, emails, newspapers, magazines, on the train, on the tube, on the bus. Most people are engaged in reading and so one of the legacies of the NYR is this concept of ‘freeing up people’s narrow ideas of what reading is and what reading isn’t.’ Michele went on to talk about value, about reading different things for different reasons and how reading what is appropriate for what you are doing at the time. ‘Reading has a value irrespective of what you are reading. Everything has its value and its place. That’s not to say that each piece of work you are reading is of equal value’. Michele felt strongly that the ‘we know best what you should read’ is a dangerous concept.
The NYR National Team will be creating a buzz relating to the monthly themes and media activity will include the Library Membership Campaign and a Volunteering Campaign in the autumn. Michele closed by reinforcing libraries unique selling point ‘the reading service that we offer’ and that is up to all of us to help people to see the value of that. The final speaker of the conference was Peter Traves, Director of Children and Lifelong Learning, Staffordshire County Council who, I found inspirational. He began by saying how he felt he owed a debt of gratitude to librarians and to people who had enthused him as child in reading and in particular to the librarian who introduced him to a narrative historical text which instilled a life long love of history. Reading has been one of the great pleasures of Peter’s life and I think everyone listening felt a particular connection when he talked of never going anywhere without a book in case he got stuck! As a former English teacher, whilst acknowledging the great importance of literacy and the life chances this gives people, Peter was also concerned that schools are often in danger of putting reading for pleasure at risk because there is too much talk about ‘reading to achieve different levels.’ Peter echoed points made earlier about encouraging people but not making judgements. ‘We should encourage ambition in reading but we should not be judgmental about reading’ and that by encouraging reading we are enriching lives. Let’s not forget then that reading just for the pure pleasure of reading is an enriching and creative experience. Reading is about finding a connection and stories are the way in which we understand the world we live in. Reading nourishes the mind and feeds the soul. As Peter Traves said ‘Let us for once talk about that fantastic source of pleasure that reading can be and that complex source of pleasure that reading can be and not be ashamed of it. Reading is worthwhile in its own right and for itself.’ So let’s celebrate that! Nickie Thomas is Assistant Librarian with Solihull MBC. nicolathomas@solihull.gov.uk
Foul Play
Using football to engage reluctant readers My neighbours often wish me a good evening when they see me carrying a large bag back from the station some nights. The bag contains an inflatable goal. My neighbours are used to it now. They know I write football novels for Puffin. And they know that I go round libraries using the goal to engage boys with reading.
Tom Palmer in goal during a Football Family Fun Day. They’ll see a lot more of me this summer. Now that Foul Play (my latest book) has been published, I’ll be doing 113 events from May to August, mostly in libraries. Lots more trips to and from the station with my bag! So, what’s the inflatable goal for? Well, this spring I devised an event called the Football Family Fun Day and asked libraries if they’d like me to run it for them. I hoped it would tie in with the Summer Reading Challenge this year, called Team Reads and with the August sports theme for the National Year of Reading. The goal is the star of the show. The basic idea of the Football Family Fun Day is to deliver a day of activities that will make families more aware of the wealth of football reading in libraries, such as player bigraphies, club histories, training manuals, football fiction. magazines, newspapers and the internet. I do this with quizzes, colouring competitions, a football reading treasure hunt and my Football Reading Game. The Football Reading Game is a game of two halves. The first half is a quiz about football reading, that, as well as raising awareness of library stock, gets families to talk
about the reading they do, hopefully encouraging them to see themselves as readers, even if they say they’re not. The second half is a penalty shoot out in the library, with me in the goal. Whoever wins the game gets a football trophy.
I hope that the events help demonstrate that reading can empower you and take you to the places you want to go. When coming home from an event last week – with my goal – a man on my street, who I don’t know that well, asked me what I’d been up to. I’ve been in a library,’ I said. ‘I do sessions with the boys, to try to get them into reading. I use this to get them interested.’ ‘And what is it?’ he said. ‘An inflatable goal,’ I said. The man gave me a really funny look and walked up his steps, shaking his head. For a day or two I was puzzled by his reaction. It’s not that bad a thing to do, and I always use a sponge ball to reduce damage to library infrastructure. That Sunday his daughter came round to have a word with my wife. Woman to woman. Her dad was troubled. Deeply troubled. What was the world coming to? Boys being entertained with inflatable girls in public libraries.
The reason I do this event is because I hated reading as a kid – and that my mum used football reading in newspapers, magazines and library books to help me become a reader. And now a writer. I talk about that during the event too. How reading about football changed my life, to the extent that I often meet Premier League footballers and visit glamorous European football stadiums. I also talk about the hero of Foul Play, Danny Harte. Danny loves football – and he wants to be a private detective. He uses the detection skills he has learned from reading dozens of crime novels to his blind father to solve a series of football crimes. He gets the books from his public library. They give him all the ideas he needs to track down football criminals and bring them to justice.
The Football Family Fun Day came to Staffordshire on 14 June and will be in Birmingham from 29 to 31 July. Tom Palmer is the author of Puffin’s Football Detective series, aimed at children aged 9+. To find out more about Tom and his work, visit: www.tompalmer.co.uk
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In Focus: Anne Sherman Recently seconded to MLA West Midlands in the new post of Regional Reader Development Officer, I am based at the MLA West Midlands offices in central Birmingham. This post has been initiated by the region’s Chief Librarians and is responsible to SCL/ WM via a regional steering group, with the aim of working across the West Midlands library authorities to develop, deliver and monitor a regional reader development strategy, during National Year of Reading and beyond. MLA North East and MLA Yorkshire are also hosting co-ordinator posts to provide a regional response to National Year of Reading, but the West Midlands has a specific reader development focus and has in part been informed by the North West reader development consortium Time To Read as a model of effective regional working.
local government and health insurance. My experience in public libraries has always had a reader development focus and I have worked for Cheshire County Council for the last five years, as Reading Group Co-ordinator, and as Literature & Reading Development Officer. As Reading Group Co-ordinator, I managed the Reading Group Collection providing resources to 100 reading groups in Cheshire, provided support to staff setting up library groups and advice to members of the public. During my time in this post, it was my pleasure and privilege to set up a LGBT group following on from Time To Read’s promotion: The Big Gay Read, and to work with a number of publisher promotions aimed at reading groups including Vintage 100 and Faber 25. Reading groups are a particular passion of mine and I have been inspired by a recent visit to Sonia Dixon’s BME group in Walsall.
By a happy coincidence, I am based in The role of Cheshire Literature & the North West and in a position to Reading Development Officer is a draw on my own experience of regional tremendous challenge combining working with Time To Read. Over the delivery of both literature and reader last couple of years I have participated development work over a large county in a number of regional initiatives. and throughout 40 libraries. These have included stock promotions I started with no of gay and lesbian fiction experience or great My experience in public through The Big Gay awareness of Read, North West libraries has always had a literature fiction through the development work, Here and Now project, reader development focus and inherited and Pure Passion – a celebration of responsibility for two ongoing projects contemporary romantic fiction. Time – the Cheshire Poet Laureate scheme to Read has supported county and and Animate. The former requiring regional readers’ days, as well as setting the organisation of a publication and up networking events for local authors book launch within a time scale of two and library staff, and provision of months, and the latter requiring a high generic resources for National Poetry profile celebration for Looked After Day and World Book Day. Time to Children and their carers in six months Read organises a training programme time. Both projects required the for reader development staff and is financial management of budgets with currently managing a Positive Action external funding from Arts Council and Trainee programme. Regular meetings Paul Hamlyn respectively, one required support Reader Development Officers the line-management of a project coin what can at times feel too much like ordinator and chairing a cross-services a one-person job. steering group, while the other involved And my own route to reader the recruitment and mentoring of an development work? It is frankly more annual poet laureate in an honorary years than I care to remember since I post with no specific job description. graduated with a Masters in Renaissance This was a baptism of fire indeed for Drama, coming to libraries later in life a librarian who was only six months as a second career after time spent in out of library school but somehow I muddled through - with great support
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from colleagues. Two years on, I have project managed a range of events and initiatives, including recent celebrations to mark five years of the Cheshire Poet Laureate scheme with a live literature tour (and yes, I know this is small potatoes compared with Birmingham’s venerable scheme, but we did feel a party was in order). I have now edited and published four poet laureate collections for the county, and as this is a part of the job I particularly enjoy, I have recently joined the editorial team of Public Libraries Journal, with the aim of increasing my own authoring skills whilst broadening my knowledge of the library and information environment. I also sit on the Chester Literature Festival Committee and this year will be focusing on providing specific input to a new performance weekend strand for contemporary live literature. All of this experience I hope will stand me in good stead for my new role in West Midlands during the National Year of Reading. The aim of the post is essentially to: provide a regional response to the National Year of Reading and other national promotions create a regional umbrella branding and reader development product thus raising the profile of West Midlands activities broker partnerships between library authorities and external partners A National Year of Reading business plan is under discussion, to be finalised shortly. It’s also my aim to identify and put frontline staff in contact with colleagues in other authorities to enable the sharing of best practice, or just moral support. If there’s something you’re doing well - or alternatively struggling with and need to talk through your ideas - do get in touch. At the moment I am still working my way round the region and meeting with library colleagues, but contact me if you have any concerns or queries about National Year of Reading and we’ll take it from there! Anne Sherman is Regional Reader Development Officer, based at West Midlands MLA. anne.sherman@mlawestmidlands.org.uk
East of Suez cold and snows of Hokkaido. Indeed, volumes. Built in 1949 it had 1090 seats and a considerable collection of in Nagasaki the plentiful Mandarin AV material on a dedicated AV Media orange orchards were fruiting and Floor. Lots of Scandinavian wood the Mandarin Festival just starting. furniture and fittings contributed With 75% of Japan’s land area being towards creating a restful and calm mountains, the 128 million population learning environment and the Library is crammed onto the remaining 25% was clearly popular with students. I habitable space. And as the second met the University Librarian briefly and most racially pure nation in the world The first Library I visited was the he explained a little (after Iceland), Japan presents an School Library of Mukogawa High about the Library’s totally It’s the little things that almost School for Girls in Osaka. As a role in the University’s homogenous society Governor of a Girls’ High School work. One striking emphasise the strangeness to the visitor. Add in Coventry, which is twinned with feature was the and alien quality of Japan. to that the amazing Mukogawa Girls’ High School, beautiful house by a total isolation of Japan the Modern Foreign Languages lake in the University’s grounds. from the rest of the world for 218 Department of my school arranged This large house, built in the 1930s years and one can see how unique and the visit for me. I was made very and used as a hotel for a while, was strange Japan appears to theexternal welcome at Mukogawa with much designed by one of Frank Lloyd observer. It’s the little things that bowing and many smiles and treated Wright’s top Japanese students emphasise the strangeness and as an honoured (if scruffy) guest. and displayed many of the stylistic alien quality of Japan. The incessant Mukogawa Girls is a very big school features of FLW’s work. The house bowing (even on zebra crossings!), the - 2700 students - with superb facilities has been carefully preserved and is politeness, discipline and peer pressure, and some wonderful Japanese now the School of Architecture of the the total feeling of safety for visitors, quirks, such as the girls cleaning the the scrupulous honesty of the people University - a work heavily influenced School themselves, the Japanese Tea and their helpfulness to bewildered by one of the world’s greatest Ceremony being taught in the 3rd gaijin (foreigners) - all these are architects now being used, aptly, to Year and Calligraphy being part of notable features of Japanese society. train and inform the new generation of the Curriculum. A private school Yet there is a dark side, I’m quite sure. female Japanese architects. with additional Government help, the A nation which can produce the heart The last Library I managed to visit students all wear uniforms - a fetching rendering beauty of Hiroshige and was the Hiroshima City Central Public naval style outfit - and are impeccably Kurosawa’s art, bonsai and ikebana, Library, adjacent to the Hiroshima behaved and polite. I was taken on a the exquisite haiku and the glories of Museum of Art. The Library was a grand tour of the School and into the sushi and the kimono could also bring modern two storey building, well Library. This was large, spacious and forth the horrors of the POW camps, furnished, airy and light. It seemed to well stocked with over 60,000 volumes seppuku, the ‘Divine Wind’ of the be well used and the stock seemed and a good range of periodicals and kamikaze and the yakuza. It is all very modern and appropriate for a large audio visual material. There were two confusing. I had an interesting short city’s reference and lending function. full time library staff and the Library discussion with a young Japanese TV Hard to judge as everything was in seemed well used and popular. reporter in Nagasaki who had a very Japanese, of course. The adjacent audio sanitised and unreal view of World War After a delicious bento box lunch with visual Library contained over 600 films Two. There is also a disconcertingly the Headteacher and his senior staff, I on the subject of ‘Peace’ plus a large A/ ‘twee’ side to the Japanese - ‘Hello was taken to the adjacent Mukogawa V collection and a 169 seater viewing Kitty’ and Barbie are big in Japan! - and Women’s University (founded in 1939) Theatre. ‘Modern’ in Hiroshima’s there is a passion for pink. Ubiquitous with which the School has a close context, of course, means everything white cotton gloves, face masks, academic relationship - Sixth Formers post 6 August 1945. huge banks of vending machines, vast feeding directly into the University’s underground rail stations, ‘Bladerunner’ And what of Japan itself? Compared to wide range of Undergraduate courses. style city centres all neon and glass, China it was an infinitely easier The University is one of the great popularity of comic strip the best Women’s The University is one place to travel through books - all confuse and delight. Japan is - aided by the Universities in Japan and of the best Women’s definitely different - even to this jaded magnificent Shinkansen is lavishly equipped. The librarian and traveller! bullet trains. The magnificent Concert Hall/ Universities in Japan. climatic range of the Theatre is jaw dropping. I was Mike Freeman is Hon. International Japanese archipelago surprised me welcomed warmly and taken on a Relations Officer - ranging from the Florida-like climes tour of the campus. The University of Kyushu and Okinawa up to the Library was large, centrally located and well stocked with over half a million. Kipling said “ship me somewhere east of Suez” so I obeyed and in early December last year took a 3 week trip to the Far East - Hong Kong, China and Japan. Ostensibly a holiday in practice, I did manage to briefly visit three Japanese libraries (Madness! I hear you say...).
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Committee Matters The Branch committee meets bi-monthly at Birmingham Central Library. In May we discussed the AGM in March and started arrangements for the next in January 2009, where we hope our speaker will be Peter Griffiths, who will be the next CILIP President. We proposed 4 events to take place in 2008, including a meet the publisher afternoon (see back page for more details). The financial situation of the Thacker Woods Charity were discussed and we looked at improving communications with our membership via this newsletter and the Branch pages on the CILIP website. We also received reports of the CILIP Policy Forum, which has a representative from the Branch Committee, the regional MLA and the Libraries Forum. Margaret Fuller Secretary
2008 Committee Chair Margaret Rowley Vice Chair Christine Tootill Secretary Margaret Fuller Treasurer Trish Fouracres Membership Secretary Jennifer Whitworth
Christine Tootill Service Development Manager (Marketing & Reader Development) Worcestershire County Council
Margaret Fuller Information Rights & Services Advisor The Fire Service College
Paula Keogh Account Manager Talis Information Limited
Sarah Tongue Principal Library Assistant Solihull MBC
International Relations Officer Mike Freeman Webmaster/Editor Open Access David Viner Affiliate Member Representative Christine Hughes Committee Members Sue Bates-Hird Sylvia Jenkins Hettie Jones Co-opted members Sarah Tongue Paula Keogh
CILIP West Midlands Members’ Day
Wednesday 5 March 2008 Margaret Rowley, chair of CILIP West Midlands Branch, welcomed a bumper turnout of librarians from across the region at the CILIP Members’ Day 2008, held at Birmingham City University’s Mary Seacole Library. The Mary Seacole Library, opened in September 2005, is one of the largest libraries devoted to supporting learning in Nursing and Allied Health Care Studies. Stephen Gough, responsible for Electronic Services, provided members with the history
of the origins and development of the Library. During a tour of this stunning facility, members saw for themselves the innovative design and user-focused flexibility described to us by Stephen. Particularly impressive attributes of the library, included a sizeable glass-surrounded silent study area, a 50-seater state of the art teaching room, RFID self issue, which is proving extremely popular with students, wifienabled lap tops and the cutting edge
Live Reader machine. This equipment, primarily for the assistance of visually impaired and dyslexic students, combines touch screen and CCTV technology to scan and manipulate text, to change font size and colour as required, and ultimately to read the text aloud. Following the tour, the CILIP West Midlands Branch AGM was held. Margaret Rowley, opened her report by outlining some of the challenges weathered by the Branch Committee Continued on page 7
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In his spare time, Bruce plays lead guitar for the Bearded Pigs rock band - but did not demonstrate his musical skills on this particular occasion. The Members’ Day drew to a close with the presentation of the Thacker Woods award for academic achievement, won this year by Sarah Tongue. A certificate was presented also to Brian Hall in thanks for, and acknowledgement of, his long and distinguished service to CILIP and the Library and Information profession. Christine Tootill is Service Development Manager (Marketing & Reader Development) with Worcestershire County Council
Brian Hall accepting his certificate. – and the profession – during the past year, from the new CILIP governance and restructuring at national level, to the changes in membership of the Branch Committee. There remain some uncertainties, arising from the Governance changes, regarding the future of regional branches. To appeal to CILIP Members, vigorous marketing is needed to promote the value to members of belonging to their local regional branch.
the USA. The film includes working Librarians sharing the importance to them of the work that they do. It can be seen throughout the UK, so watch out for a screening near you.
ctootill@worcestershire.gov.uk
Sarah Tongue receives the Thacker Woods Award from President Bruce Madge.
The regional Career Development Group shared the afternoon with the West Midlands CILIP branch by then holding their specific AGM. Guest speaker at this year’s Members’ Day was CILIP President Bruce Madge. Bruce shared with Members the journey he has taken during his 30-yer career, from the early days of his Saturday library job, through his first senior job as head of Healthcare Information at the British Library, to the work he is engaged in now. Bruce is currently Director of Marketing for the London Upright MRI Centre, and marketing, including self-marketing, is one of his key concerns. Bruce spoke also of the value of work in the international arena, and has taken as one of his key areas for action the area of looking at how librarians and IT specialists can work more closely and productively together. Bruce showed the opening introduction to the promotional film “Hollywood Librarian” which was produced in
Website
Members’ Day Resources Presentations by Stephen Gough and Bruce Madge are now available on the CILIP WM website, along with a link to a virtual tour of the Mary Seacole Library.You can even view the CILIP President’s speech as a slidecast (a presentation synchronised with audio).Visit: www.cilip.org.uk/wm and check out the resources section. David Viner Webmaster
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MLA West Midlands Update When I became the representative of CILIP West Midland Branch on the regional MLA Board last summer, little did I realise that I would be one of the eight Board members overseeing its winding up the following year. MLA WM had already decided to streamline its Board structure and reduce the number of representative members. I duly became the sole representative of the libraries sector, being appointed by the Libraries Forum rather than CILIP. The new Board barely had a chance to settle down when the decision by the Government to centralise the regional councils became known. We now have the task of winding up the West Midlands MLA, although currently funded projects will be delivered, with appropriate staff contracted until 31 March 2009. The future is a unified MLA based in London and Birmingham. It has been confirmed that the MLA Council will move to Bennetts Hill (the current offices of MLA WM) with around 35 largely ‘back office’ posts relocating from London. Less than a quarter of the Birmingham posts have been filled internally, and vacancies will be advertised during the summer. This makes the winding up process slightly easier for us than for other regions. The MLA Council has recognised the value Regional Boards have added, and the need for a strong regional input. Eight of the nine independent regional MLA agencies will be replaced by April 2009 with a single, integrated staff team that works nationally and regionally. MLA London’s position will be decided after consideration of the emerging London policies in the wake
of the Mayoral elections. There will be three Directors of Engagement at Board level, each with specific geographic responsibilities. In addition, a Regional Manager will be appointed to each English region. In total, the MLA will have the capacity to deploy up to 30 staff in regional action teams. They will be formed to undertake specific functions in priority locations. The West Midlands Libraries Forum has also met to consider its future role in view of the proposed changes. There have been wide ranging discussions about the Forum and its relationship with the MLA and to the SCL and other bodies. It is felt that as the responsiveness of the MLA’s proposed regional presence is untested, and as it appears focussed mainly on the public library agenda, then the Libraries Forum should look to a more independent existence again, representing the interests of libraries from all sectors. Please contact me if you would like to be involved in shaping its future. Margaret Rowley Libraries Forum Representative MLA WM Board Chair of CILIP WM Margaret.Rowley@worcsacute.nhs.uk
Coming in the next issue... In Focus: Paula Keogh Open Access Publication of the West Midlands Branch of CILIP. Views expressed are not necessarily those of CILIP-WM or of the Editor.
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STOP PRESS...STOP PRESS
Event
CILIP WM Presents...
From the Pen to the Press: How Publishing Really Works To celebrate the National Year of Reading, CILIP WM are inviting speakers from a fiction, nonfiction and audiobook background to discuss how the publishing R J Ellory process works. The afternoon will give delegates from all sectors an insight into the book trade and the various processes involved from submission to publication. Speakers: R J Ellory Author of the Richard & Judy Bookclub bestseller A Quiet Belief in Angels Will Atkins Commissioning Editor for Macmillan New Writing Alan Brewin Managing Director of Brewin Books Andrew Treppass Regional Accounts Manager with W F Howes along with a Clipper Audiobooks narrator Venue: Date: Time: Cost:
Coventry Central Library � 10 September 2008 � 1- 4pm � £10 (includes refreshments)
To find out more and book your place online visit: www.cilip.org.uk/wm Email dviner@solihull.gov.uk
Editor: David Viner Solihull Central Library Solihull B91 3RG Tel: 0121 704 8534 Fax: 0121 704 6907 Email: dviner@solihull.gov.uk Copy date for next issue: 29 August 2008
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