» 2010 » September

The Adult Reading and Learning Team have had a busy few months.  Our author events have included Sean O’Brien, Martyn Waites, Linda France, Pete Mortimer, Val McLane, Asit Maitre, Peter Robinson, Dan Smith and Diane Janes.  All events continue to be well attended, and I hope this continues especially with the new offer of tea and coffee sales at a reduced rate along with a 2-4-1 deal on delicious homemade cakes courtesy of Stewart & Co.

Starting from September we have launched ‘author of the month’.  This is a chance for our team to recommend popular authorsto you.  September kicks off with Dan Smith.  Visit the enquiry pods on level 3 of City Library to pick up your copy of Dry Season which is the of a two book deal Dan has with Orion.  We chose Dan as a result of a fantastic event at City Library, which involved a slide show of photographs of areas in Brazil which were related to Dan’s childhood and his latest book.  Dan took us on a journey through Brazil and identified areas of significance in his life.  I thought it was a fantastic book to read and I would be interested to know what you think of it.

We are currently planning a major book festival in November, ‘Books on Tyne’ in association with Northumbria Press and sponsored by Newcastle College.  This started as a brief conversation which involved a handful of authors and publishers as a one day event to raise awareness of quality authors.  Within a matter of days as word got round, the festival grew into a three day event involving sixteen authors and a programme of entertainment.  A few details are still to be confirmed but publicity will be available very soon.

Our team have also been collating titles for a display for the start of Banned Books Week which will be launched on 25 September and celebrates the freedom to read.  There will be a display of these books which fall into this category and we will be encouraging customers to read and pass on comments, which will be published and shared on our website.  In addition, members from two reading groups based in City Library will be selecting a book from the collection, reading it and writing a short review to indicate why they thought the book was chosen and if they agree.  Look out for these on our website.

Summer is over and September indicates the start of another academic year.  In partnership with Newcastle City Learning we have organised a variety of courses to be delivered throughout Newcastle and our library venues from 27 September. We have a good choice this term and courses are available on computer skills from beginner to advanced. The ever popular “Tracing your family ancestry”, involving the internet and the vast resources at the Heritage department, will be delivered in the City Library. We have various language courses ranging from Spanish to Russian and new courses include “Counselling skills” and “Creative card making”. To enrol on one of the courses or for more information call the enrolment free phone number 08000730911.

Staff are busy preparing for the promotion of the library service at the Student’s Union Bar on Northumbria University campus.  We won’t be socialising with alcohol, but will be offering the chance for new (and old) students to become a member of our exciting library service.

Recently, we attended a Sight Loss and Advice Day on a mobile unit parked on Northumberland Street.  We spoke to fifty customers about the library service and were most impressed as they were all members.  Since this event we have been involved in consultation with customers and partners regarding a designated area to improve access to resources for visually impaired people.  Although we hold a variety of formats and tools, we felt it was time to alter the look of level 3 slightly, rearrange the furniture and bring all resources to one space  A computer will be installed together with a 22” screen. Supernova screen magnification software will be available as well as a  large keyboard and headphones to enable customers to work independently or alongside staff on a one to one basis.  A new book magnifier will be available for use and staff will provide a demonstration of this as well as the new ‘PENfriend’ to assist customers choosing library audio materials.  We are currently working with a volunteer to record the labels for this device.

If you would like to find out more about our programme of events or to subscribe to our author newsletter, please email information@newcastle.gov.uk or phone 0191 2774100.

Sharon Reeve
Adult Reading and Learning Team
sharon.reeve@newcastle.gov.uk


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