Librarian Toolkit

Tipsforlibrarians & oTherlibrarysTaffhelping sTruggling & relucTanT readers geT The mosT ouT of The library

Stoke BookSwww.stokebooks.comFirst class short teen fiction, accessible to all

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inTroducTionat Stoke Books we’re all about ‘cracking reading’ – great books commissioned, designed and edited to foster a love of reading in dyslexic, struggling and book-averse children and young people.

There are many reasons why a child may not crack reading the ‘first time around’:

There may be a serious underlying issue, such as dyslexia or Irlen Syndrome•

Somechildrencometoschoolwithoutsignificantlanguageexperienceor•readingcultureandstruggletomakeupthedeficitintimeto‘catchon’toreading at the same time as their peers

ChildrenwhosefirstlanguageisnotEnglishmayneedtomasterthespoken•word before the written word

Disrupted education can have an impact, for example when a family has moved •around, a child has been ill or there has been other upheaval

Manychildrenareusedtotheinstantgratificationandmulti-sensory•stimulation of television and video games and have trouble focusing or perceive reading as ‘boring’ by comparison

Some may have been turned off reading by early experiences with ‘beginner’ •books, which can be less than inspiring

Boys in particular may lack role models for reading and so perceive it as •‘uncool’

once a child has fallen behind in reading, the problem has a tendency to become self-perpetuating. The child doesn’t read, doesn’t get enough practice for reading to become second nature, and continues to view reading as a chore.

It is almost impossible to over-state the importance of the library in getting children into books. Libraries can offer access, inspiration and incentive. This short guide is compiled from tips we have been sent from librarians and school staff around the world. Many of these inspiring individuals feature in our tips and our mini ‘case studies’ dotted throughout the guide.

As the set-up and staffing of libraries varies greatly across different contexts, we have divided the guide into three sections:

Tips for public libraries

Tips for schools with a dedicated library space and librarian

Tips for schools without a dedicated space and/or librarian.

Wehopeyoufindsomeusefulideasforyourownlibrary!

- The stoke books Team

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1. Public librAries

access

groups who have experienced actual or perceived exclusion may need support to understand that they can ask for help in accessing services. encourage dyslexic and less literate readers into the librarywithlarge,simplywordedpostersandleaflets.

use our examples, or follow these tips when laying out your own:

Don’t use all block capitals – sentence case is easier to read•

avoid italics•

Try a font like atuthaya or Monaco•

Don’t fully justify text to the right – uneven lines help readers keep their place•

Use 1.5 spacing between lines•

Keep graphics separate from text, and don’t lay text over patterns•

Try to use pale colored paper for your poster, not white.•

Never use white text on black (also called ‘reverse out’).•

Make sure to treat requests for help from individuals who struggle with reading sensitively. Think of the situation as akin to a consultation between a pharmacist and a customer, when the pharmacist will take the customer aside or come out from behind the counter to consult out of the earshot of others.

Be aware that different accessibility measures are designed for different needs. Large-print books and e-readers with the font size increased may help readers with visual impairment but these are unlikely to help those with dyslexia. Studies show that spacing between lines, words and letters is a key factor in supporting dyslexic readers – this is the approach taken in Stoke Books titles. Be aware that graphic novels may appeal to reluctant readers but these tend to use block capitals and non-linear text and so individuals with less developed decoding and sequencing skills may struggle to process the content.

Try to offer different lighting options for readers, such as seats near windows to take advantage of natural light, or reading lamps on desks. fluorescent lights can cause or exacerbate reading difficulties.

Have selections of ‘Speed Reads’ or ‘Quick fiction fixes’ for children and adults – books which are accessibletodyslexicandstrugglingreadersandofferaquickreadtomoreconfidentreaders.There’s no stigma to a collection of this type. Stoke Books titles are ideal.

offer reading aids such as reading rulers and magnifying glasses, see www.crossboweducation.com

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inspiraTion

The success of online communities like Wikipedia shows that many people value the opportunity to share their knowledge and experience with others. Steal a trick from bookshops and make ‘shelf talker’ cards available for library users to review and recommend the books they have read. These can be as simple as a strip of card with one end folded to hang down from a shelf. Have boxes by the desk for users to post the talkers and put out as many as you can (once you’ve checked they’re appropriate!)

Displaypostersincommunitylanguagesadvertizingthebenefitsofreadingtochildrenathome.If you can, make books available in community languages, or advertize inter-library borrowing opportunities for these materials so that parents know this is a service they can request. Remember that it’s a myth that parents who do not speak english at home should stop reading to their children in the home language. enjoyment, enthusiasm and many of the skills and strategies required for reading are transferable between languages.

Do you tweet and post to facebook? These are increasingly important ways of communicating with service users, especially young families.

incenTiVe

Main street shops rely heavily on their windows to draw customers in. Similarly, displays in the library window promoting elements of the collection like sport or music, or themed displays tying intocurrenthigh-profileeventsmayhelpyoutodrawinnewusers.Think Super Bowl, Movie Releases, Holidays and so on.

a sense of ownership can contribute to the value users place on services. Consider holding an ongoing consultation on the library’s collections. This can be as simple as a box or pinboard where users can register requests for genres, authors, books or themes they’d like to see more of in the library. even if you can’t change the collections, you can promote inter-library borrowing services.

Do you have a local café that would partner with you in an ‘open afternoon’ for new library users withsampleteas,coffeesandminicakes,inreturnforthechancetohandoutfliersorvouchers?free treats always tempt people in, and if you can persuade your local paper to cover the event, you’ll get free advertizing for next time – just make sure you have the date pencilled in.

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case sTudy

Sighthill Public Library, Edinburgh, Scotland, in a World Record attempt

In 2011 edinburgh City Libraries staff decided to bring the community around Sighthill Public Library together to attempt to break the world record for the longest reading relay. Sighthill is anareaofdeprivation,andsothechallengewasontofindatextwhichcouldbereadbyableandlessconfidentreaders,youngpeopleandadults.StaffsettledonTheresaBreslin’sprisoner in alcatraz, chosen because of its easy-to-read format and themes of responsibility and redemption.

on the day, 218 participants gathered at the Library, from the youngest elementary students to grandmothers, grandfathers and local luminaries. every participant received a copy of the book with the sentence they would read in the relay highlighted. Under the watchful eye of guinness World Record adjudicator Claire Burgess, each read out their sentence before the relay moved on.

Intheend,theturnoutwasnotsufficienttobreaktherecordsetinVienna(290people)butSighthill smashed the UK record and increased awareness of the Library and its facilities in the local community. City of edinburgh Councillor Deirdre Brock said: “We had a tremendous amount of people here of all ages. We had great weather for it and it was fantastic to see such a huge range of ages and reading abilities having a go.”

a former librarian herself, Theresa Breslin was delighted to attend the record attempt. “It was amazing to see all the age range of participants,” she said. “It was great to see the strollers arriving, then grannies and then young people. a good one for the libraries.”

A good one indeed – thanks to all at edinburgh city libraries for letting stoke books get involved!

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2. schools wiTh A dedicATed librAry sPAce & librAriAn

With thanks to Valerie Dewhurst and Fiona Kirk, school librarians, and to Lorna Robertson, Support for Learning Teacher

access

Be aware of lighting. fluorescents can cause eye strain or focusdifficulties,soturnoffsomelightsorputinsomeburned-out tubes to reduce the glare. If you have adequate natural lighting, don’t turn on lights. Make reading lamps

available if you can. Make sure students aren’t facing directly into the sun as they read.

offer varied seating options if you can, including comfortable seats in corners to allow struggling readers privacy. Seating doesn’t have to be expensive – if budgets are very tight, try Craigslist and other community sites where many items are offered free to anyone willing to uplift.

Buy, beg, borrow or steal reading aids such as reading rulers and colored overlays. ask Learning Support staff for advice on colors individual students use. Many children with dyslexia struggle with personal organization and may forget or lose their own reading aids more often than they bring them.

Consider setting up a club for dyslexic students. one elementary school has the ‘D Club’, which meets regularly to read and discuss books and use IT in inspirational projects. Lorna tells us that the Club has seen great results, with students’ attainment and self-esteem boosted.

Students whose conversational english is weak need opportunities to practice. Consider volunteer ‘Library assistant’ jobs for these children.

Try to stock a selection of books in the home languages of students, and as many bilingual dictionaries as you can. You may be able to borrow from City Council collections.

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inspiraTion

Try ‘guerilla’ poster campaigns advertizing new books. fiona tells us she has had particular successwithpostersonthebackofthestalldoorsinthegirls’bathrooms!

Make sure you have plenty of ‘speed reads’ available – short novels accessible to strugglers and alsosuitableformoreconfidentreaderslookingforaquickfictionfix.Valerietellsusthatsheshelves Stoke Books titles in a Quick Reads section with short stories and graphic novels, and that they are extremely popular.

Jumponbandwagons! If there’s a big sporting tournament, holiday or similar happening, try a themed display. Spread books out on tables and trim and decorate with related items like bunting, masks and hats or confetti. get the kids involved in setting these up.

incenTiVe

Peerreviewsareagreatboosttotheconfidenceofcontributorsandagoodmotivator.Steal a trick from booksellers and ask students to create ‘shelf-talkers’ with hand-written reviews of their favorite books. Use our template, or simple pieces of card stock slotted under books with a foldedflaphangingdowninfrontoftheshelf.SchoollibrarianValerietellsusthatherstudentsarealways dying to contribute reviews to the Quick Reads section.

feed ‘Library news’ into any newsletters or newspapers your school has. Include reviews of new bookscontributedbystudents–again,thisisagreatboosttoconfidence.Fionatellsusthisiskeyto her strategy for ensuring the library is seen as central to school life.

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case sTudy

Eileen Armstrong, School Librarian plans a ‘military campaign’ to get reluctant readers into the library

entering the arena

Commission students to give the library a makeover. This could involve creating themed book-display pockets, shelving units, magazine and CD racks as well as creating giant suitcases for holiday reads and rockets for Sci-fi.

The battle plan

Startfromwheretheyare!•

ensure high-interest teen magazine-type articles which match their •enthusiasmsarecopiedanddisplayedintheclassroom–celebrityprofiles,personalityquizzesaswellasin-depthissues.Highlightwebsitesworthsurfingtoo.

Timetable extra library time or after-school catch-up sessions for special needs •students in conjunction with Support staff. offer themed activities or book talks withsmallgroups–andprovidesnacks!

Aim at inclusion

Library induction sessions should be interesting, ongoing and immediately •accessible to everyone regardless of age, ability, upbringing or reading experience and re-inforced regularly. Identify reading personalities with teen magazine-stylequizzes–useflowchartsinsteadofpointscoring.

Suggest reads to match zodiac signs.•

engage and enthuse, intrigue and interest

Nothing creates a need to read like wandering up to a bookshelf, taking down a book and hooking the students in with a witty one-line plot summary, a comment on the cover or a fascinating and little-known fact about the author – and then pushing the book back into its space. Try it during break and mid-class and encourage other passing teachers to do the same.

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book waving and raving

Silence students with lollipops while showing covers and reading blurbs – out loud or to themselves,thencomparefirstimpressions.

a reason to read

E-mailtheauthororpublisherwithfirstimpressions,goodorbad,onthebooksortheirwebsites.Most welcome feedback and provide motivating replies. Publishers often provide promotional materialtooaswellassneakpreviewsofbookscomingsoonandfirstchaptersfromwebsitestomake every opinion matter. also try:

Book backchat: display student comments and star-ratings on book jackets•

Reward reading: hold an exclusive, invitation only Reading achievement party •(rather than whole school assembly) for readers, teachers and parents to presentcertificatesandprizes

Wired-up reading: publish comments on the school website•

Hold fiction festsivals•

Try an annual themed week-long celebration of books and author visits with a •dripfeed poster promotion: select students to meet and greet author visitors, water and dine them in the school cafeteria. Carefully engineer ‘exclusive’ whole class sessions - issue personal invitations to students and organize special sessions to familiarize students with the author’s work.

NotablehighlightsfromourownfictionfestivalhaveincludedthecreationoftheCramlingtonSuperhero, didgeridoo playing and inventing urban myths with a visiting cartoonist, performance poetandstory-tellerrespectively!Perfectperformersarenotallnecessarilyauthors-forexample, chefs, travel agents and local policemen can all link to reading beyond the book.

incorporate other Artforms

Use screen-savers and scrolling textbars to promote library events, bookbites •and winning websites.

Play Point Horror tapes and goosebumps reruns for Halloween night•

Screenfilmadaptationsofbookseverymonth.•

cross-curricular reading

a teen pregnancy novel (currently only available in the UK) became the focus of an extended Health and Social Care class: activities included reading aloud Chapter 1, writing in character to an advice Column, writing the best friend’s diary entry, role-playing and recording the ‘confession conversation’ to the mother. The novel and its two sequels had a bigger Mexican Wave effect than anyother:read,returned,debatedandeagerlyawaitedbyEVERYstudentinthegroup(maleandfemale) however book phobic previously. a vital lead-in to other authors.

Thanks to eileen for sharing her inspiring practice!

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3. schools wiTh no dedicATed librAry sPAce/librAriAn

access

If space is a real issue, think about clever uses of hallways, cafeterias and other communal spaces, or split your book collection across a number of locations throughout the school. one of the remotest library outposts we’ve ever visited is on the tiny island of Yell in the Shetlands, Scotland. Shetland Islands Council has no library there and so has installed a small collection in a corner of a café by the ferry pier.

Think ‘access to books’, not ‘risk of theft’. a teacher in england (to whom we have promised anonymity) tells us she feels it is a big victory when a reluctant reader is inspired to steal a book fromherQuickReadscollection!

arrange to visit the local library with your class and make time for everyone who does not have a membership to join. If you are in a remote location with a library van service, request a regular stop at school.

Make time for personal reading in your students’ week.

No matter its size, make sure your school is equipped with reading aids including reading rulers and overlays in the colors students require.

inspiraTion

Tie your class library displays into authors the class are reading. Stoke Books has a wealth of author posters on-line to print and display on the wall. get in touch with other publishers or browse their websites for promotional materials to theme your displays.

although it may be stored in a classroom, try to ensure your collection is not overly earnest. Humor is a brilliant way of getting children into books – joke books and comics are more appealing to many beginning readers than ‘serious’ novels. ensure there is also a goodselectionofnon-fiction(nottextbooks!).

incenTiVe

Alibraryisnotdefinedbyitssize–anythingthatcanworkinalargerlibrarycanalsoworkinalibrary corner. ask students to contribute reviews of the books they have read on ‘shelf-talkers’ – rectangles of card stock folded to hang down over the edge of the shelf. Use our template or make your own. Run reading challenges, set up Quick Reads sections and use postering, articles in school newsletters and the other ideas above to promote the collection.

Source beanbags and other comfy seating. Use community websites like Craigslist when money is very tight – often items are available on a ‘free for collection’ basis.

Many students will enjoy ‘library duty’ – signing books out to classmates in a record book and keeping shelves tidy and in alphabetical order.

Make sure other books by the authors of your class novels are available for loan – plus copies of the class novel itself.

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case sTudy

Martha Mendes da Costa, Class Teacher/Librarian on her library ‘Menu’ for reluctant readers

When selecting books to read to groups of children or suggesting books for them to take home to read for themselves, I learned early on that it’s important to be able to offer a wide menu of options. The children arrive with a natural hunger for books and a huge variety of interests but the choice of books suited to them is limited by their ability to read. Not all children like burgers and fries; some like broccoli and carrots, and not all children can cope with the complications of eating ricewithchopsticks!

The consumers: reAders

During my experience working with elementary aged children, I have noticed that although boys and girls seem to have a similar appetite for books, they gravitate to different types of reading material. Most boys enjoy the challenge of mazes, adventure puzzle books and graphic novels and browsing the ‘great reads’ shelves containing joke books and books on the supernatural. girls, on thewhole,arehappierlookingintheA-Zfictionsection.

Up to nine years of age, the children really enjoy exploring books and can be quite adventurous in their selections. The appearance of the cover, the size of print and the quality of illustrations all form parts of the puzzle which determine which book a particular child will choose. experience of reading and personal taste together with personal recommendations play important parts in determining which book an older student might choose.

There’s nothing like a personal recommendation from a friend, not a teacher, so chats and discussions in the classroom may help to ‘sell’ a book.

menu selecTion: TyPes of books

Appetizers for younger ones: 6–8 year olds

fiction or information books with large format clear print and limited quantity of print on each page and with some illustrations clearly separated from the print. Too many pictures interspersed between small blocks of print are often confusing. Simple storylines are appropriate.

main courses for independent readers: 8–11 year olds

fiction or information books with a greater quantity of clear print per page. Illustrations may still be important at this stage but are not essential.

desserts for able, committed readers: 10–13 year olds

Plenty of reading to get stuck into. Illustrations are not a must. assuming that most children learn to read between the ages of 5 and 8, any reluctance to read, usually brought on by the child findingthereadingprocessdifficult,setsinaftertheageof7.

Ifthechilddoesnotfitclearlyintooneoftheabovetryacombinationofcoursestosuittheinterest to the age of the child.

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Aperitif: reading alone?

Does it matter whether a child is reading alone or with a teacher, parent or aloud with friends?

no

Is the child really reading if they have help?

yes

Children learn to read over a period of time. That period of time is not prescribed or set in stone and it varies with the individual. Reluctant readers do enjoy being read to but they are not ready to enjoy a book by themselves. They need more time; more time to be read to, more time to share a book with someone and more time before they are ready to go solo.

from my experience as a teacher and a parent I know that reading with children plays a vital role in the child’s assimilation of the reading process. adults enjoy being read to so is it a myth that a child is too old to be reading with someone? I think so.

Thanks to martha for sharing her ‘menu’ with us and demonstrating that all schools can have a book culture for their students.

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T i t l e s fo r M i dd l e S c h o o l

Alien

by Tony Bradman

978-1-78112-026-2

CAndy Girl

by Karen McCombie

978-1-78112-012-5

desirAble

by Frank Cottrell Boyce

978-1-78112-014-9

Hide And seek

by Catherine MacPhail

978-1-78112-024-8

MutAnt

by Theresa Breslin

978-1-78112-028-6

ninjA: First Mission

by Chris Bradford

978-1-78112-022-4

slippy

by Catherine Forde

978-1-78112-032-3

sterlinG And tHe CAnAry

by Andy Stanton

978-1-78112-030-9

tHe dyinG pHoto

by Alan Gibbons

978-1-78112-020-0

tHe GHost box

by Catherine Fisher

978-1-78112-018-7

tHe sHAdow on tHe stAirs

by Ann Halam

978-1-78112-016-3

wolF

by Tommy Donbavand

978-1-78112-034-7

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T i t l e s fo r Te e n s

2 die 4

by Nigel Hinton

978-1-78112-109-2

blACk bones

by E. E. Richardson

978-1-78112-100-9

Crow Girl

by Kate Cann

978-1-78112-121-4

Fury

by E. E. Richardson

978-1-78112-097-2

kill swAp

by James Lovegrove

978-1-78112-112-2

niGHt HunGer

by Alan Gibbons

978-1-78112-179-5

pAle

by Chris Wooding

978-1-78112-091-0

prisoner in AlCAtrAz

by Theresa Breslin

978-1-78112-124-5

tHe Curse box

by E. E. Richardson

978-1-78112-176-4

tHe FAll

by Anthony McGowan

978-1-78112-094-1

tHeM

by L. A. Weatherly

978-1-78112-185-6

triCk or treAt

by Robert Swindells

978-1-78112-118-4

GHostinG

by Keith Gray

978-1-78112-103-0

joHnny delGAdo: privAte deteCtive

by Kevin Brooks

978-1-78112-115-3

text GAMe

by Kate Cann

978-1-78112-170-2

tHe CHAin

by Keith Gray

978-1-78112-173-3

wAtCHer

by L. A. Weatherly

978-1-78112-106-1

wild sonG

by Jane Eagland

978-1-78112-182-5

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Coming Fall 2013—An epic series of magic and mayhem for teens!

Tom Yamada seems like any 15-year-old, but he’s actually a supreme martial artist, training to face a terrifying challengewhenheturns30calledTheContest.It’shisdestinytofightthe5LordsofPain–demonswhohavebeen trying to break into our world for centuries. But something’s gone wrong. Tom must face the 5 Lords now – and no way is he ready. If he loses, a new Dark age will begin. No pressure, then …

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