Viv Bird, Chief Executive's November 2011 Update

Viv Bird, Chief Executive

Welcome to Booktrust's new website. Take an imaginary walk down our Reading Journey and get ideas for your Christmas list (or just treat yourself!). There's a brand new writing section with practical writing tips for children and adults, a new writer in residence, former Booked Up author Bali Rai, and book searches to suit all ages and tastes. Look at the exciting Bookstart Bear Club and find our which books our readers with very young children recommend.  

Our new website coincides with the launch of our new vision and mission, which clearly states that Booktrust's agenda is not just about reading for pleasure:

Our vision: Empowering people through reading and writing

Our mission: Booktrust inspires everyone to enjoy books, reading and writing and the lifelong benefits they bring. Our aim is to build a literate, connected and creative society.

• By empowering, we are helping people to change their own lives;
• By inspiring, we will make a real difference in people's perceptions of reading and writing;
• Writing is a key part of what we do and is interwoven in our activities and programmes;
• For lifelong benefits, we will highlight our research and evaluation to demonstrate the impact of what we do.

One of the most worrying aspects of recession and public spending cuts has been the impact on public library closures. The evidence from a Government report, Taking Part: The National Survey of Culture, Leisure & Sport, DCMS, 2011, shows that unemployed people are more likely to use the public library than those in work. The report also found that a cultural experience in childhood is positively associated with engaging in culture as an adult. Good examples are library-based 'Rhymetimes' which are supported by Booktrust's Bookstart programme. Bookstart Rhymetimes encourage regular visits to the library - a vital cultural resource - among families with very young children and, critically, contribute to the development of children's early literacy skills.

Booktrust, along with the Campaign for the Book led by author Alan Gibbons, welcomes the Select Committee on Culture, Media and Sport's announcement of an enquiry into library closures. Of course, local services need to adapt and change, but closing a library especially when they run an imaginative and inclusive range of activities has long term implications for the whole community and must be a cause of deep concern.