Every Child a Member

School Children in Wales encouraged to use their local library with automatic membership.

Staff at Tredegar Library yesterday giving a warm welcome to local children

Yesterday (19th March 2014)  saw the launch of a new initiative from the Welsh Government to support childhood literacy. The Minister for Culture and Sport John Griffiths AM, speaking with school children at Tredegar Library explained how Welsh libraries and primary schools are joining forces to provide every primary school child with a free library card - starting with children aged 8/9 in six local authorities - Blaenau Gwent, Flintshire, Gwynedd, Merthyr Tydfil, Powys and Swansea.

In a Welsh Government press release the Minister said
"The link between library usage and literacy levels is well documented - over 42,000 children in Wales took part in last year’s Summer Reading Challenge which ran in 245 libraries across the country.
"Those children that took part maintained or improved their reading levels and we are hoping to build on this by giving every child the opportunity to use their library to borrow books and access all the other services available to them.”

Patron of the scheme, Dr Rhys Jones, star of BBC Series ‘Rhys to the Rescue’ and ‘Dr Rhys Jones’s Wildlife Patrol’ also spoke to children from Bryn Bach Primary School about the importance of libraries in developing imagination and future life skills. Dr Jones delighted the audience with tales of his animal adventures.

The library card will allow the children to borrow books straight away and get a free goodie bag to carry their books home with them. Once proof of address is provided, they can then have access to thousands of free books as well as many more resources to help improve their school work and enhance their leisure time, including:

• FREE fiction, non-fiction, comics, graphic novels and talking books
• FREE homework help - online and in the library
• FREE e-books and e-magazines
• FREE computer use and internet access
• Clubs, games, events, activities and classes in the library
• Friendly, helpful library staff
• Somewhere safe to meet friends

The project is led by CyMAL (Museums, Archives and Libraries Wales) and the Welsh Libraries Audience Development team and compliments the Welsh Government’s 'Make Time to Read' campaign, just 10 minutes reading a day can make a big difference and reading outside of school can help raise literacy levels and lead to higher achievement in school.
http://www.betterreading.co.uk/

For more information about Every Child a Member, please visit:
http://welshlibraries.org/reading/schools

You can view a video of the launch day here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lo5ZaENRlwE&feature=youtu.be

Mandy Powell,
CILIP Policy Officer, Wales
http://www.cilip.org.uk/about/devolved-nations/cilip-cymru-wales

Welsh Librarian of the Year Award 2014

Nominations are now open for the The Welsh Librarian of the Year Award.

The award recognises and celebrates the contribution of librarians and information professionals to contemporary society in Wales and beyond. Awarded to an individual librarian or information professional, this award champions the achievements, impacts and innovation of those who make a significant difference to either the communities which they serve or to the profession in Wales.

The Award is administered by the Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals in Wales, and is sponsored by SirsiDynix – worldwide library technology specialists.

We are calling for nominations for librarians / information professionals from all sectors of work.

The overall winner, the Welsh Librarian of the Year, will be awarded a cash prize.

Deadline for submission of nominations is Thursday 04 April 2014.

This Award is administered by CILIP Cymru Wales, part of the Chartered Institute of Library & Information Professionals, and is enabled though the kind sponsorship and support of SirsiDynix.

www.sirsidynix.com

The judging panel will be appointed by CILIP Cymru Wales. The sector winners and overall Welsh Librarian of the Year will be announced at the CILIP Cymru Wales Annual Conference on 15th May 2014 in Cardiff.

For more information about the award including Nomination Forms, please follow the link http://www.cilip.org.uk/cilip-cymru-wales/cilip-cymru-wales-welsh-librarian-year-award

Mandy Powell
CILIP Policy Officer, Wales 
Mandy.powell@cilip.org.uk

CILIP Cymru Wales featured on BBC The Wales Report

The latest edition of The Wales Report (26th Feb) included a feature on public libraries in Wales, with contributions from The Minister for Culture and Sport, John Griffiths AM and Dr Steve Davies, Cardiff University, a member of the expert review panel recently announced by the Minister to review current and future plans by Welsh local authorities to deliver public library services.

The panel will be chaired by Claire Creaser, Director LISU, Loughborough University with  Prof Hywel Roberts, a respected authority on libraries in Wales and Peter Gomer, a Policy Officer at the Welsh Local Government Association joining Dr Davies, from Cardiff University who has a particular interest in the management of community libraries. It has been noted that the expert panel does not include a qualified and practising librarian, but many will be reassured by Prof Hywel Roberts involvement.
The panel will be tasked to produce a report by July 2014.

To watch The Wales Report follow the link
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programme...

Mandy Powell
CILIP Policy Officer, Wales

http://www.cilip.org.uk/about/devolved-nations/cilip-cymru-wales

CILIP Cymru Wales Library and Information Conference 2014 booking now open

Making a difference: libraries and their communities

Thursday 15th and Friday 16th May 2014

Online booking now open:

http://www.cilip.org.uk/cilip-cymru-wales/events/making-difference-libraries-and-their-communities

CILIP Cymru Wales give evidence to Public Library Inquiry

Yesterday (12th Feb 2014) CILIP Cymru Wales gave evidence to the Communities, Equality and Local Government Committee for the public library inquiry in Wales.

Carol Edwards, Chair of CILIP Cymru Wales, Jane Sellwood, representing the Society of Chief Librarians Wales and Mandy Powell, CILIP Policy Officer, Wales answered questions from the Committee in an hour long session at the Senedd in Cardiff Bay.

You can watch the recorded session here on Senedd TV
http://www.senedd.tv/archiveplayer.jsf 

To read the written evidence submitted by CILIP Cymru Wales, and other organisations and groups, to the inquiry please click on the link
http://www.senedd.assemblywales.org/mgIssueHistoryHome.aspx?IId=8295

If you have trouble viewing the video, click here http://www.senedd.tv/index.jsf 
and scroll down to
'Communities, Equality and Local Government 12 Feb'

Mandy Powell
CILIP Policy Officer, Wales