Public libraries are a national reading service, supporting reading and literacy throughout life. As a free local resource, they are particularly powerful in supporting the development of literacy and reading skills in disadvantaged communities. Libraries have a unique and powerful role to play in raising literacy skills, vital for individuals and…

At a time when neo-liberal policy agenda are resulting in many public services being taken away from families with young children, this paper draws on Basil Bernstein's concepts of visible and invisible pedagogies to reveal how professionals offer 'support' to parents of young (under five years old) children in a small town in the East Midlands…

At a time when government funding cuts mean that public libraries face an uncertain future and need to make sure they stay relevant to young users and their families, this paper explores what counts as literacy for young children in a public library in a town in the East Midlands, UK. It is based on a study which adopted an ethnographic approach,…

Premier League Reading Stars (PLRS) is an educational project that harnesses the motivational power of football to encourage families to enjoy reading. It targets those hard to reach groups in society who may not have shown an interest in reading, but who do have a passion for football. PLRS has been running since 2003 following the creation of a…

Purpose: The paper seeks to describe the provision of access to the Safari Tech Books collection of e-books at Hillingdon Libraries. Design/methodology/approach: Details are given of how the e-books collection is part of a broader range of e-information services provided by Hillingdon. Methods of searching for e-books are described, with…

Describes library programs for children in West Sussex, England. (KP)

A brief history of Stoke Newington and South Hornsey (North London), their literary figures, early volunteer libraries, and the evolution of the Stoke Newington Public Library. (LS)

Described in this article are the trends of library work with young people during the restrictive war years, and the succeeding period of austerity, to the palmier years of the 1950s. (29 references) (Author/MM)

Kick into Reading (KiR) aims to support literacy work among families and professionals such as teachers, librarians and other community workers by using male role models from football clubs to nurture an interest in reading and storytelling. The main planned outcomes are to deliver 18 KiR projects based at football clubs, bringing high-quality…

Three studies of public library users are compared and similarities noted in the nature of library users and their behavior. Extended education and high socio-economic grading are seen to be connected with intensive use of a range of libraries and with book ownership. (Author)

Surveys the development of library services to children and young adults in England and Wales since 1960. Includes information on books, selection aids, non-book materials, staffing, extension activities, services to minorities, young adult services, and public library service to schools. (LS)

Discusses the on-line book circulation system at the Sunderland Central Library, in terms of benefits, operation, and problems. (JVP)

This is the second volume of reports on the work of the Further Education Staff College. Each volume consists of accounts of the proceedings of selected study-conferences and collections of special papers and monographs. Twenty numbers are published each year covering the development of further education, college and industrial relationships, the…

The strengthening of a link between public and school libraries is at the heart of the program in West Sussex. (Author)

Provides a brief background of the new town development in England during the past 20 years, describes the problems caused by lack of community identity and employment in the new town of Skelmersdale, and discusses the role of the library and its services in the new town setting. (JD)