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The Vital Link: Successes and Challenges

The Vital Link is an improvement program that focuses on integrating reading for pleasure into literacy learning. It brings together libraries and Skills for Life providers to support the skills agenda for literacy. Through partnerships and the provision of appropriate resources, the program aims to raise awareness of libraries' role in supporting learners and facilitate mutual understanding between stakeholders. Despite challenges in partnership working, prioritization, and resource allocation, the program has achieved increased awareness, developed a framework for service standards, and provided guidance and case studies. Moving forward, it seeks to generate more impact evidence, advocate for recognition and support, and continue its partnerships and engagement with national initiatives.

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The Vital Link: Successes and Challenges

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  1. The Vital Link: Successes and Challenges Ruth Harrison, Project Manager, The Reading Agency

  2. What is the Vital Link? • Improvement programme for building and promoting libraries’ capacity to support skills agenda for literacy • Focus on integrating reading for pleasure into literacy learning • Bringing together libraries and Skills for Life providers • Partnership between The Reading Agency, National Literacy Trust and National Reading Campaign • Books, Reading & Learning strand of Framework for the Future funded by Museums, Libraries and Archives Council • Target audience: adults 16+ with a readability level 9 - 14

  3. What we’ve achieved: • More awareness of libraries’ role at every stage of a learner’s journey • A clearer idea of the potential ‘offer’ from libraries • A framework to identify a minimum standard of service • Guidance and case studies • Involvement with major national initiatives that are recognised by the public (BBC RaW campaign and Quick Reads) • Unique database of selected titles www.firstchoicebooks.org.uk • Creative reading ideas • Links into library and adult literacy policy • Some evidence of impact • Some staff training • Models for building partnerships

  4. Key Challenges: • Partnership working • Prioritisation and Consistency • Mutual Awareness and Understanding • Capacity and Time • Advocacy • Appropriate Resources • Impact Evidence

  5. Partnership Working • Needs to be at the right level • Clarity of roles • Understanding of benefits • Written into action plans/library policies • Having confidence and being opportunistic! • Nurture your partnerships!

  6. Prioritisation and Consistency: • Why is it a priority? • Commitment vs Reality • Catering for adult literacy learners not seen as something the library automatically ‘does’ • If you’ve invested in book stock, use it or waste them!

  7. Awareness and Understanding • Mutual awareness essential • Library staff need specialist training • Include in basic induction and customer care training • Regular staff briefings • Tutors need awareness on using reading for pleasure in regular literacy delivery

  8. Capacity and Time • This work takes time and commitment • Works best where development capacity in the system • Once partnership and outreach methodology established takes less time • Invested time means more learners using the library, books taken out etc.

  9. Advocacy: • Partnership needs advocacy to support and extend it • Recognition at local, regional and national levels • English Skills for Life strategy target driven • Reading for Pleasure programme

  10. Appropriate Resources: • What are the right books? • Staff understanding of this area of stock: • Where it ‘fits’ in the library • How and where it is displayed • How they can use it imaginatively to engage learners • On-going challenge – getting more titles! • Providing ‘ways in’ to reading for pleasure for tutors

  11. Impact Evidence: • Difficult to achieve but vitally important • Generic learning outcomes (www.inspiringlearningforall.gov.uk) • Need large cohort of learners to show real impact

  12. The Future: • Quick Reads confirmed until 2010 • Impact of Leitch report • Six Book Challenge • National Year of Reading (April 2008) www.vitallink.org.uk

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