Libraries for Life aug 08 Latest News As you will have seen in recent Entitlements news coverage we now have a This autumn will also see the official launch of the new Heritage Minister. eight citizen entitlements, with the first five already in place and being promoted throughout has been the Happy Days campaign and beyond: appointed as Heritage Minister following the resignation of Free to join Rhodri Glyn . He is an Borrow books for free Assembly Member for the Free use of the internet and computers Arfon constituency and sat on Free use of online information resources the Assembly's Finance and Friendly staff on hand to help Rural Development As from April 2009 two more entitlements will Committees. come on board: Children free from overdue charges (this is already in place in most Welsh libraries) Year of Reading Free reservations or requests for books within The last few months have been extremely busy for the National Year of Reading Wales team at the And from April 2010: Books Council and their many partners. With the help of libraries and other organisations across Borrow anywhere, return anywhere in Wales Wales, we are now almost halfway to meeting the target set by of holding 2,008 reading events during 2008. The NYR coordinators in the 22 authorities have contributed substantially to this The Reading Communities of Barry and Llanelli total and their help is greatly appreciated! announced their book shortlists at the end of July and people in both areas will vote for their favourite The website (www.yearofreadingwales.org.uk), with books during August. The polls will close in early its lively design and animation, invites people in all September, when the chosen titles for both areas parts of Wales to support the campaign and to will be made public. An event-filled autumn, submit details of their reading events and activities. organised by the respective library authorities, Give a Book Week - the first of the Year's three key will then follow. Visit the microsite projects - was a resounding success and attracted a http://ReadingCommunities.yearofreadingwales.org. great deal of media attention. The campaign uk to follow developments in both locations. encouraged members of the public and celebrities to give books as gifts during the week of 7 to 12 July. The final key project will kick off in mid September when 50 reading clubs aimed at teenage boys meet for the first time. This project - known simply as 08 - will have its own website, which will go live at the beginning of September and will offer club members a space of their own to showcase club activities.

For further information, please contact: Delyth Humphreys World Book Day & National Year of Reading 2008 Wales Coordinator Welsh Books Council Phone 01970 624151 Email [email protected] Libraries for Life Programme Updates Strand 1 Strand 3 Professor Hywel Roberts has been appointed as a special adviser to assist CyMAL with the library Regional Development Officers modernisation programme and the implementation of Regional Action Plans for 2008-09 have now all been the Welsh Public Library Standards. signed off. Caerphilly Library Service has received a grant to The next workshop for the RDO's, SCL Officer and modernise their Rhymney branch following the Strand Leaders, arranged by Libraries for Life Project withdrawal of another project. Team, is to take place on September 9th 2008. Strand 2 Congratulations to Angela Haynes Lots of new services have been launched on the (North Wales RDO) who gave birth library.wales.org portal over the past few months. to a beautiful baby daughter, Cecelia Not only has access to KnowUK and NewsUK Elisabet Christine Goddard, on 1st resources been expanded to include the Health and July. Angela is due back in Assembly Government libraries, with further training September this year and in the being provided to staff in all sectors, but we have two meantime her role is being covered by various people brand new features: on the Steering Group. At the CILIP Cymru conference the team was proud Ethnic Minority Services to launch Cat Cymru - the all-Wales cross-catalogue Research reports from the Mid Wales Library search tool which brings together the results from Partnership and Rhondda Cynon Taff have been Public, HE, FE, Health, National and Government received by CyMAL following their 2007-08 grants for libraries from across the country. This service, research into ethnic services. Cardiff have also suc- launched in 'beta' to encourage comment and feed- cessfully implemented two ethnic services projects. back, is available at http://library.wales.org/catcymru/. The second round of Challenge Grants applications A consultation process is also currently underway with under Libraries for Life have now been received and all the library sectors as to the potential of Cat Cymru the successful grants will be announced in early to offer enhanced inter library loan services in the September, with projects to be completed in this future. financial year 2008-09. There is also a fantastic additional database The grant themes are: available in the Reference Resources section of the WiFi provision site - European Sources Online. Provided by Cardiff Ethnic Services provision University, this resource contains listings of all types Innovative projects and enhanced service provision. of European information and is available either to registered users of the portal or directly from libraries. Strand 4 The re-launch of library.wales.org as a framework for local 'microsites' has been very successful with Welcome Back librarians from all across Wales adding information To Nicola Williams who returned to the Marketing about their library to the site. Over the coming months Project Officer post in March after having her the site's design will be refreshed in order to daughter, Freya last year. Nicola is working part time accommodate this growing area as well as the (usually Tue/Wed/Thu) alongside Jane Purdie who is increasing range of features available through the full time. portal. Nicky can be contacted on 01978 297439 or Welcome to Nia Mererid Morgan, the new project via nicola.williams@.gov.uk officer who is now in post to take this forward. Please note that Ceri Skinner is now working from home three days a week. If you need to contact her over the next few weeks, please email her ([email protected]) - a new phone number will be circulated as soon as possible. Bringing marketing to life workshops Celebrities Feedback on the workshops held in May/June show We will be using Welsh celebrities at several events. that 86% of respondents rated their overall enjoyment The main event is the launch in early October and of the day as either very good or excellent and this would be where we will have a high profile 80% rated the presentations as either very good or celebrity involved. The regional events will enable us excellent. to gain press coverage all over the country and ensure local buy-in of the campaign and will take It is also pleasing to note that almost 90% of place throughout the campaign during October and respondents were both more interested in marketing November. We are keen to work with celebrities who and had a better understanding of the topic following have a genuine interest in the promotion of the library the workshop and that 85% felt more able to service and will be willing advocates of libraries. undertake marketing activities. Some of the comments received: Your Events Let us know about the events you are organising, “Innovative and interesting. Opened up and broke make sure they are up on the calendar on down barriers.” library.wales.org and librarytoolkit.org. “Fun but constructive.” If you have an event that you would like a celebrity to attend, please get in touch with Jane or Nicky asap “Brilliant ideas, well organised day without feeling too as we are scheduling celebrities throughout the 8 pressurised.” weeks. “Well paced, real world stuff!” Strand 5 There are still bursaries available for leadership, Made me realise that marketing is everyone's “ distance learning, and vocational qualifications. responsibility.” Staff are encouraged to apply as soon as possible. The main benefit from the day seemed to be the See the Grants section of the CyMAL website. opportunity to network and share ideas with staff from other organisations and it was clear that this was new Strand 6 experience for many of the attendees and one that Framework three for 2008-11 and the Users' Guide we will be looking to repeat in the future. are still in the process of being printed. Library services will be notified as soon as they are available. Happy Days… take a fresh look Annual Reports for 2007-08 from library authorities at your library are currently being assessed. Happy Days… is the name of the eight week campaign that will be running in Photo Caption Competition Welsh libraries through October and For your chance to November, urging people to 'take a win £25 of high fresh look at their library' and to tell us street vouchers, how libraries have a positive effect on come up with an their lives. amusing caption for Staff briefings are being sent out to keep you all up to this photograph and date with latest developments and all documents, send it together with artwork, etc. will be available for downloading from your contact details librarytoolkit.org. to jane.purdie@ The initial activity will be a survey of existing library wrexham.gov.uk. users by you to gain a Top Ten list of reasons why Closing date - libraries make people 'happy' and also to gain some Friday 12th anecdotal evidence for use in press releases, etc. September 2008, Watch out for the briefing and survey coming round the winner will be notified by the end of via email. September. The winner will be selected by a This year we are also holding a staff marketing panel of judges and their decision is final, no innovations awards competition where you will have correspondence will be entered into. the chance to win substantial prices - again, watch out for the emails! Blogspot Library Images Check out some of these blogs from different library As some of you may know we are trying to source sectors - or why not have a go at setting up your own copyright free images to use on library.wales.org - - have a look on librarytoolkit.org for more blogs and Paul at the National Library is trying to make sure that some help on how to do it yourself! every library has a photograph of the outside of its building to accompany the information on the relevant HE: page. For more information or to submit a http://www.lampeterlibrary.blogspot.com/ photograph please email [email protected] Andrew Prescott - Manager of Library Services at University of Wales Lampeter FE: http://rsckarl.blogspot.com/ Keep in touch LR @ RSC Wales - the blog Karl and Sam share, This newsletter will keep you up to date with what's covering their recent activities and FE news. Aimed at going on across Wales as part of the Libraries for Life practitioners project. We are also hoping to include more 'readers' stories, so if you have any stories you would like to be Public: considered for inclusion, please send them to me at http://swansealibraries.blogspot.com/ [email protected] or call on 01978 Paige Turner - Librarian. "The (semi) official blog of 297437 Swansea public libraries." Health: CyMAL http://hlgwales.wordpress.com/ Museums Archives and Libraries Wales A network of health libraries in Wales - HLG is a CILIP Welsh Assembly Government sub-group Unit 10 Science Park Llanbadarn Fawr Partnerships: Aberystwyth http://cadwynycanolbarth.blogspot.com/ Ceredigion SY23 3AH Cadwyn y Canolbarth - a blog for a library partnership of several Mid Wales libraries E-learning http://catspjs.wordpress.com/ Interesting e-learning stuff from Lis Parcell Web Links www.cymal.wales.gov.uk www.librarytoolkit.org http://library.wales.org

Edited by Jane Purdie 01978 297437 [email protected] Produced by Wrexham County Borough Council on behalf of CyMAL UPDATES from RDOs It has been all go in mid Wales! Latest Developments in the The Six Book Challenge finished in May and we were inundated with entries to our book review South-West competition. Finally a lucky winner was chosen, Vera Under the Community Learning Libraries: capital Brabncová an ESOL student at the Newtown site. For Expenditure Programme the four authorities of the more information and pictures visit http://www.coleg- SWAP partnership have reported the following powys.ac.uk/news/archive/vera_takes_on_the_six_boo activities: k_challenge_and_shines.htm. A great big thank you to all the staff across the partnership that helped to make Pembrokeshire: Neyland Library has been it a success, hopefully we can run the challenge again re-opened. Pembroke and Pembroke Dock next year. libraries will be closed for refurbishment during September and October. The Department of Information Studies at have produced two research reports, Ethnic Carmarthenshire: Carmarthen Library Service Provision in Mid Wales and Rural/Health refurbishment has taken place during 2007/8 Information Needs. Although specific to our region and Llandeilo Library is being refurbished during there are lots of interesting points for discussion and 2008/9. The authority is bidding for the ideas for future development which may help other refurbishment of Burry Port Library next year. regions. The reports can be viewed on the Library Swansea: Work is being programmed to start at Toolkit under Marketing Resources, Research Reports. Pontarddulais Library in September. We've also organised several library staff visits to Neath Port Talbot: Neath library has been libraries in the region including a behind the scenes refurbished. The refurbishment of Sandfields tour of the National Library of Wales and we are library should commence during Autumn 2008. having our staff conference on Tuesday 12th August at Aberystwyth University. The conference is a great An event held to celebrate partnership activities in opportunity to meet with other library staff in the south west Wales took place on Wednesday 9th July region, hear what's been going on and tell us what you in Saundersfoot. Sixty five delegates from Public, think and what you want from the partnership. You FE, HE, health and school libraries in the region can find out information on any of our events by going attended the event. the events calendars on the Library Toolkit or by visiting our blog. If you fancy coming along to any Following on from the training needs analysis, a events but aren't in mid Wales contact Sharon, there training programme is being developed for the may be a few places available. delivery of courses at a range of venues throughout the region during the period September 2008 - April Last year the partnership was successful in obtaining 2009. grant money from CyMAL to pilot projects to support Meetings are held at a different location each time ethnic service provision in the region. As part of that and take place approximately quarterly. The next money we successfully implemented the Life in Great Britain course in Ceredigion public libraries and meeting is scheduled for Thursday 2nd October at developed a small foreign language book collection. Fishguard Library. We hope to develop these projects further and will keep you posted either via our website or the Library Contact Angela Jones-Evans Toolkit forum. 029 2047 0155 or 07766 138785 [email protected] If you would like more information on what's been going on in mid Wales you can check out the partnership website at www.canolbarth.org.uk or the blog at cadwynycanolbarth.blogspot.com. We are also hoping to develop the mid Wales pages on www.library.wales.org/ so keep checking! Contact: Sharon Crossan Cadwyn y Canolbarth 0845 4086 308 [email protected] Merthyr Tydfil: “All Aboard – Are we there yet?” News from the South East Bridgend: “Story of a grand day out” Tots and toddlers turned out in force for a fun day at Bryngarw Park. Hundreds of children from playgroups and nurseries enjoyed puppet shows, listened to stories, made teddy bear hats and jumped on the bouncy castles. Adults and children even went hunting for little blue bears, acting out the story from Michael Rosen’s book “We’re Going On A Bear Hunt”. There was also an Over 40 schoolchildren from Merthyr Tydfil attended opportunity to buy a book to take home. this year’s Hay on Wye Literature Festival. The group, The event, organised by Bridgend Library and made up of Year 6 Reading Groups, the Pen y Information Service formed part of the celebrations for Dreadfuls and the Exciting Writing Squad, arrived very the National Year of Reading, which aims to raise the early in the morning in a variety of clothes, including profile of reading among all age groups. an array of wellies! Over the course of this day-long, mud-free, literature-fest, we saw Eoin Colfer, Nick Monmouthshire: “Old McDonald and the Sharratt, Jenny Valentine, Roger McGough and a 3 Pigs Plus” Dalek!! The children even had a chance to glimpse Crowds gathered at Caldicot library to see a Jeremy Clarkson! storytelling show with a difference. The company For many of the children this was their first visit and Booster Cushion specialises in wonderful comical from the many comments we received – they hope it fantasy stories for children, which are designed to won’t be their last! encourage audience participation and maximise entertainment. Philip Sherman of Booster Cushion Torfaen: “Delightfully Rude” Theatre Company used miming and voice techniques Cwmbran Library was the host for “Delightfully Rude”, with Big Books up to 6’ tall. The children visited the an authoritative talk on slang. The talk was given by farm, helped with the harvest and sang Old Terry Victor, who numbers among his many talents Macdonald’s favourite song. The pigs moved out of and occupations actor, writer and performer. Terry is the barn to live in a 5m wide concertina book with the joint editor (with Tom Dalzell - also the author) of a strawberry fields and then the wolf made a scary visit! “Dictionary of slang and unconventional English”. An audience of around 40 were engaged and entertained Cardiff: “Children’s Festival” by Terry’s knowledge of the origins and history of slang The Booster Cushion tour continued from words and expressions. There was lots of audience Monmouthshire to Cardiff castle’s grounds for Cardiff’s participation with everyone encouraged to add to the Children’s Festival. Thousands of visitors joined in the list of slang terms for “drunk”, of which there were no fun and entertainment, with telescopic books and shortage. A fun evening greatly enjoyed by all who some up to 3m tall being the centre of performances. attended. A mixture of retold stories such as Alice in Wonderland Contact Rachel Rosser and the 3 Goats, Little Red Riding Hood dancing with 01446 422401 or 07841568739 Cinderella and Big Goldilocks and the 3 Bears Plus [email protected] were showcased. or Christine Clarke Vale of Glamorgan: “Poets ‘n Pints Evening” 01633 432208 The Bear Hotel in Cowbridge formed a perfect setting [email protected] for getting the spirits of a community together over a pint of beer and poetry. The poet Robert Minhinnick was the main attraction of the evening, in which he read an array of his own literary and entertaining poems and then invited people from the audience to read their own pieces of poetry.