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Get Ready for the Reading Rush
National Join A Library Day 26th April 2008.
This Saturday 26th April, libraries across Wigan Borough are gearing up
to receive high numbers of new library joiners as part of the National
Year of Reading’s ground-breaking new initiative ‘Join A Library Day’.
Following the successful launch of the National Year of Reading earlier
this month, with Patron of Wigan Libraries Stuart Maconie and Hollyoaks
star Leah Hackett, Wigan Leisure and Culture Trust are urging people to
join their local library. The Day is supported by all libraries across
England and is part of the National Year of Reading’s campaign to
encourage parents, children and young people to become library members.
For the first time ever, the National Year of Reading and the Society of
Chief Librarians have developed a universal library membership form that
can be used to join any library in England. To join any of Wigan’s
eighteen libraries, simply download the form from www.wlct.org/libraries
or cut it out of national press. All you have to do is fill in the form
and take it along to your local library on Saturday – or any day during
the National Year of Reading- along with one form of ID, to join up.
Join A Library Day launches a diverse on-going programme of activity in
libraries across the country throughout the National Year of Reading
including reading festivals and author visits. Full details of what's
happening locally can be found at
www.wlct.org/nyr
Libraries offer a wide range of free services such as access to the
Internet, book loans, reading groups and learning opportunities. For
more information visit
www.wlct.org/libraries
Wigan Leisure and Culture Trust Executive Director Pete Gascoigne said
“There are currently around 100,000 library members across Wigan
Borough, which is about 1 in 3 people. As part of the Join A Library Day
and the National Year of Reading we would like to
see this figure dramatically increase so that the people of Wigan and
Leigh can reap the benefits of becoming a library member. Reading is a
great way to entertain, educate and enthrall!”
Honor Wilson-Fletcher, Project Director of the National Year of Reading
said:
“We wanted to launch the Year of Reading with a reminder that we all
have the right as citizens to read for free, and that our libraries are
brimming with ideas - dangerous, fun and diverting, as well as
educational and practical, that can change our lives. Libraries offer a
place to read too – where you don’t have to buy anything! We are
delighted to have kicked off the year with a groundbreaking
collaboration – and we will continue to promote libraries for the rest
of the Year.”
Devised in partnership with The Reading Agency, the Museums, Libraries
and Archives Council and the Society of Chief Librarians, the library
membership campaign aims to recruit 350,000 members throughout the
course of the year.
-ends-
NOTES TO EDITORS: For further information on this press release please
contact Georgina Bentley, Marketing Manager, on 01942 486930 or at
g.bentley@wlct.org.
Wigan Leisure and Culture Trust: Wigan Leisure and Culture Trust is a
charitable trust working on behalf of Wigan Council to manage and
support leisure and cultural facilities, initiatives and events for over
300,000 residents in the Wigan Borough. See www.wlct.org.
Getting Wigan Active: Getting Wigan Active is Wigan Leisure and Culture
Trust’s vision to help people across the Wigan Borough to become more
physically, mentally and creatively active. It also aims to increase
community activity and to encourage good citizenship.
National Year of Reading: The National Year of Reading (NYR) is a
nationwide campaign, promoting the power of reading to change the lives
of individuals and communities. The NYR will celebrate reading for
purpose and pleasure and the reading of all texts across all media. It
will create opportunities to motivate the wider community to start
reading – or to read more.
Activities in the National Year of Reading will include the following
themes:
• April: Read all about it!
• May: Mind and Body.
• June: Reading escapes.
• July: Rhythm and Rhyme.
• August: Read the Game.
• September: You are what you read.
• October: Word of Mouth.
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