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Everything starts with reading and reading is life changing
2008 is the National Year of Reading and Cumbria Libraries wants to get Cumbria reading!
The National Year of Reading celebrates reading in all its forms. From magazines to manga, romance to rap lyrics, poetry to play scripts, biographies to board books, novels to newspapers, and of course let’s not forget text messages and websites!
To highlight the many different ways we read, every month has been given a special theme by National Year of Reading organizers. The theme for May is Mind and Body.
A Month by Month look at the National Year of Reading
April – Read all about it
People read anything and everything, anywhere and everywhere. April highlights newspapers, online news and journalism.
May – Mind and body
May celebrate the links between reading and health, and the link between body and mind.
June – Reading escapes
The focus for June is holiday reading and how reading helps us escape into different worlds.
July – Rhythm and rhyme
A celebrate of poetry and lyrics from Shakespeare to Snoop Dogg.
August – Read the game
Sport also helps promote reading and this summer there is an abundance of inspiration with the Bejing Olympics and Euro 2008. This year’s Summer Reading Challenge for children also has a sport’s theme
September – You are what you read
September looks at celebrating and exploring cultural, personal and local identities, including family history research and local community history.
October – Word of mouth
Celebrates storytelling, reading out loud, reading together and live literature.
November – Screen reads
This month explores the diversity of reading and writing; scripts, television and films, as well as novels which have been turned into films or adapted for TV.
December – Write the future
What one person writes, others read and technology is bringing reading and writing closer together. The year ends with a celebration of all forms of writing.
You can read for enjoyment, for relaxation, for entertainment and to find things out, and that's what this year is all about.
The National Year of Reading in Cumbria - the story so far….
Cumbria’s Year of Reading got off to a flying start with our 10 at 10 launch event on Wednesday 23rd April. Everyone around the county was encouraged to read for 10 minutes at 10 o’clock, and if they couldn’t manage to do it then, to take 10 minutes out of their day at some other time.
Libraries across Cumbria helped to promote the launch and several special activities were planned for the day. Across the county people were found to be reading in some very unusual places…
- A miner read Journey to the Centre of the Earth, underground at Honister Slate mine
- A keeper read Paddington bear stories with the Spectacled Bears at South Lakes Animal Park
- Jane Metcalfe, a Cumbria Libraries staff member and keen climber, read Touching the Void whilst on Kendal’s climbing wall
- Players from Carlisle United read magazines and newspapers on the pitch, surrounded by books (photo courtesy of Cumbrian Newspapers Ltd)
- Players from Workington Rugby Club were found surfing the internet and reading in Workington Library
- So now it’s your turn! Read on to find a few suggestions for how you can get involved….
- Share a story with your children
- Take your children to storytime at the library
- Join a reading group, or if there isn't one in your area, start one! It's a great way to meet new people and it is very easy to do. For more information contact Helen Towers, the Library Service's Reading Promotions and Stock Coordinator on 01228 22 7287 or via email: helen.towers@cumbriacc.gov.uk
- Set up a workplace book swap with people in your office or base. It's a great way to get rid of unwanted Christmas presents or refresh your book shelves at home, free of charge!
- Become a reading volunteer in a school
- Brush up your own reading skills with courses run by Adult Education - many take place in libraries.
- Check out the National Year of Reading Website www.yearofreading.org.uk (external link)
- Join in with the manyactivities going on in Cumbria’s libraries throughout the National Year of Reading
