BookTrust Storytime updates for Coordinators and Librarians
This page contains information about BookTrust Storytime 2022 for Bookstart Coordinators and Librarians who are involved in delivering the pilot.
Children at a Storytime event at Fakenham Library
If you are looking for more general information about Storytime please click here. We’ll be posting news and updates here as the pilot develops.
BookTrust Storytime returns in 2022
In 2021, we launched the BookTrust Storytime pilot, a new initiative designed to support libraries to inspire low-income families with children aged 0-5, to share stories together and make visiting their local library a part of everyday life.
Thank you to all the local authorities, libraries and staff who supported the pilot and embraced this new initiative to engage local families and help them kickstart their reading habit.
BookTrust Storytime returns this year with some important developments that have been informed by your feedback and which we hope strengthens and improves the experience for both families and libraries.
A shared effort from local authorities and libraries with BookTrust
The first year of the pilot was a huge success thanks to the hard work of all the local authorities and libraries who delivered fantastic and engaging Storytime experiences for families and contributed to our learning and evaluation activities at a time of great upheaval with many Covid-19 restrictions in place.
2,364 libraries participated in BookTrust Storytime across the pilot, learning and national tiers, reaching thousands of families across England and Northern Ireland with Storytime experiences, books, activities and resources.
“I personally really enjoyed the experience. It’s been very interactive. I like the fact that Donna (the librarian) reads the book to us and demonstrates as she’s going through. Besides the words, you get to look at the pictures, colours, numbers and animals. It's much more than just the text in front of you. It’s definitely made me think about reading more books to him. It's something as he grows older, I hope we'll continue to do together.” Lucy, mum to baby Milo aged 5 months
What you can expect from BookTrust Storytime 2022
We have a detailed learning report from the first year of the pilot that we will share with you soon, setting out all the feedback we received from libraries and families and showing how this has been incorporated into the design of Storytime 2022. Headline developments for 2022 include:
- BookTrust Storytime will now form part of our wider reading support for low-income families in their early years. It complements our new Bookstart Early Years pilot by providing an ongoing journey for families and multiple opportunities for engagement in different settings where they can be supported and inspired to share stories together.
- Moving from a six-week model to a nine month programme that spans from September 2022 to May 2023, enabling libraries to provide multiple opportunities for continued engagement with families.
- Simplifying the tiered nature of the pilot. This year all libraries will receive a core offer that consists of copies of the shortlisted books and digital resources. All local authorities will receive an enhanced offer of an additional allocation of the books and expertly curated physical resources for you to use with families in your local population, based on levels of need and deprivation.
- More flexibility and scope for creativity to support and complement the ongoing work of the library and expertise of librarians.
New books for 2022
Six new, fantastic books have been shortlisted based on feedback from families and librarians last year and will form the basis of the pilot and development of resources this year. They include:
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Red Lorry, Yellow Lorry written by Michelle Robinson and illustrated by Jez Tuya (Andersen Press)
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Nature Trail written by Benjamin Zephaniah and illustrated by Nila Aye (Orchard Books)
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The Horse That Jumped written and illustrated by Thomas Docherty (Farshore, Harper Collins)
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Can You Tickle A Tiger? written by Bobbie Brooks and illustrated by Carrie Hennon (Imagine That)
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Zoom: Farm Adventure written by Susan Hayes and Aviel Basil (What on Earth Books)
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The Duck Who Didn't Like Water written and illustrated by Steve Small (Simon and Schuster Children's Books)
Next steps
We’re so excited to work with you to share BookTrust Storytime with so many more families over the coming year, helping to kickstart their reading habit and encouraging repeat visits to the library so they can enjoy the life-changing benefits of reading.
Your relationship manager will be in touch over the coming weeks with more information about Storytime 2022 and details of how the allocation of the additional resources will work. We will ask you to sign up to participate in this year’s pilot and confirm your allocations by early July 2022.
In the meantime, please do continue to use any remaining Storytime resources your libraries may have leftover with your local families.
