» 2011 » April

News from the Adult Reading & Learning Team

Another month has flown past and a lot has taken place. The birds are tweeting (and so are we), the nights are lighter and we are busier!

Pamela has chosen Benita Brown as the author of the month for April as she will be visiting the City Library on Tuesday 26^th April at 6.30pm to talk about her latest novel, Memories for You, which is about the Norton siblings who are tragically orphaned and forced to separate. As the thirties lead into the Second World War the four siblings face an uncertain future in this captivating novel of love, loss and the enduring strength of family.

Benita is the best selling author of Family sagas. She was born in Newcastle and still lives in the North East. Her first nine sagas were set in Victorian / Edwardian Tyneside and in 2006 her novel, Fortunes Daughter, was longlisted for the Romantic Novel of the Year Award.

If you would like to borrow any of her titles come along to Level 3 of the City Library during April and while you are there why not pick up tickets for her talk on the 26^th April?

Another book display to look out for in City Library is, ‘Great Ideas’. This is a series of books published by Penguin. They were chosen because:

“Throughout history, some books have changed the world. They have transformed the way we see ourselves – and each other. They have inspired debate, dissent, war

and revolution. They have enlightened, outraged, provoked and comforted. They have enriched lives – and destroyed them. Now Penguin brings you the works of the

great thinkers, pioneers, radicals and visionaries whose ideas shook civilization, and helped make us who we are.”

©www.penguin.co.uk

Pop onto to level 1 and see the range of books on offer.

We have launched the Six Book Challenge again this year as part

of World Book Day. The challenge is (as you might have guessed)

to read six books within a given period of time. We have a new range

of ‘quick read’ materials available for loan which are written by popular

authors. The challenge was very popular last year resulting in very

positive feedback. If you have access to a group and would like to take part in this challenge please drop me a line.

A few months ago Newcastle Libraries subscribed to a software called SmartSM. This system allows libraries to improve the performance of stock within particular subject or genres and recommends transferring of stock internally between branches to meet the demands of the community. Thus reducing time, waste yet improving our stock performance. One of the marketing tools we now have access to is top charts, and this can be service wide, by branch and can be by author or title. Future links will be on the home page of the website, but here is a flavour of the fiction titles for February .

Another resource we have started to use is ‘reader to reader’ cards. These are in the fiction area, hanging from the shelves in all libraries, and suggest alternative authors to encourage you to try something new. So, if you are looking for something new but similar to what you usually read, we can help. In addition, if you have read something good and you are dying to tell someone…tell us! We will happily pass on a card for you to complete and will put it on display for others to read and also add to our catalogue.

Sharon Reeve

Adult Reading and Learning Team

E-mail: sharon.reeve@newcastle.gov.uk