New Bookmark site goes live!

Ten years ago, Booktrust developed the beginnings of a resource on the subject of books and disability issues. 

It was created as our response to the untimely closure of a charity called REACH, a resource centre for children with reading difficulties. The centre had been home to a valuable library of books and resources and a small team of highly knowledgeable staff. It provided precious (if labour-intensive) advice to disabled children and their families on all aspects of books and reading. 

After discussions with its former trustees, we were very pleased to agree to offer at least some small part of what REACH had been able to provide, but in a new - and ‘Booktrusty’ - way. So we started Bookmark, an online source of advice and information on all aspects of books and disability issues. It was a small gesture, but one which we hoped would be sustainable and be able to evolve with time.

And evolve it has. This week, the latest reincarnation of Bookmark is being launched, with a wealth of new material – not to mention some rather dramatic plans for yet further improvement. As well as looking all shiny and refreshed after its makeover, it has some lovely new features to offer. The original elements are still there - articles, book reviews, basic information on reading difficulties, guidelines for publishers and list of relevant organisations (now available as a downloadable PDF) but it now also boasts regularly-updated news items, a book of the month and of course this blog. It also features an eminently more user-friendly bookfinder. 

In due course, Bookmark will also become home to a range of new resources for teachers, writers, illustrators and publishers, on the subject of developing positive and inclusive attitudes to disability.

The Bookmark site of course forms part of Booktrust’s wider portfolio of web resources, all of which have undergone a major facelift. 

We are really excited about what the future holds for this little Booktrust gem and confident about what it has to offer in terms of helping different audiences to find advice, information and books relevant to all aspects of disability.

Alex Stick is Booktrust's Disabilty Consultant