FAQs for local authorities
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How can we access digital resources to support our work with families?
Last year we launched BookTrust HomeTime, a dedicated area on our website, refreshed regularly with activities, games and stories to keep children engaged during this time. We have developed a section of the hub focused on our 0-5 resources, to support your more vulnerable and isolated families, as well as those already highly engaged. All content is categorised by age group so that families can more easily find the right resources to suit them. We will be continuing to improve the hub in response to feedback and commissioning new content to support families with children of all ages.
During the current situation, you can also use Rhymetime content that is on the website and the Rhymetime CD, BookTrust reviews, blogs and features, BookTrust Writer In Residence materials and any YouTube content that is linked from BookTrust website. If you have any specific queries about the use of other resources, please contact your BookTrust Relationship Manager.
Other resources are shared on Twitter via #UnitedByBooks, with children’s reading organisations, authors and illustrators coming together to support families at home.
To share experiences and ideas with other LAs on how to best support and engage families at this time, you can access the BookTrust Local Authority Network on Knowledge Hub.
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What readings do we have permissions for?
We have obtained permissions for the following titles:
Tap Tap: Guess the Toy (Baby programme): Child’s Play is happy to grant permission for online storytimes, until the end of the calendar year in the first instance, with automatic extension for another 12 months should the lockdown still be in place. Recordings can be kept online for the same period. The recording must credit the publisher, by including: 'By kind permission of Child's Play. All rights reserved.'
Baby Play (Baby programme): Barefoot Books is pleased to grant permission to do a virtual storytime with this book, on the condition that you credit the author, illustrator and Barefoot Books as the publisher of the book and include a link to their website www.barefootbooks.com in any posts.
Just Like Me: Looking Good (Corner programme, 2019): Child’s Play is happy to grant permission for online story times, until the end of the calendar year in the first instance, with automatic extension for another 12 months should the lockdown still be in place. Recordings can be kept online for the same period. The recording must credit the publisher, by including: 'By kind permission of Child's Play. All rights reserved.'
Jump and Shout (Corner programme,2019): New Frontier is giving permission for teachers to read the story online. Videos can stay up online until schools return to their regular class structures, and normal school life. They also have a clip of the author Mike Dumbleton reading his book here.
The Cave (Time to Read title, 2019): The Quarto Group is committed to balance protecting the hard work of their authors and illustrators, while also making sure their work is accessible during this unprecedented time. Teachers, librarians, educators, caregivers, and parents are welcome to read the title to their students, patrons, and children via virtual means. However, please do not archive or save the recordings for continuous use. If being used as part of an educational curriculum, recordings must be removed or disabled after 30 days. All videos must be posted only via private platforms or within closed groups. Please mention at the beginning of your video that you are using the book with permission from The Quarto Group and send your name, school/organisation, city and the title, author and illustrator of the book you intend to read online to [email protected]
We are working with publishers to have up-to-date permissions for other titles in our programmes (including Octopants and the Corner 2020 titles) and we’ll update this page as soon as we have them.
For permissions on any other titles, you can refer to publisher’s licensing restrictions shared by Libraries Connected, updated on a monthly basis.
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I’m looking for some books for outreach – can you help?
We're currently distributing My Pet Star resources, the title chosen for the Pyjamarama in the community event last year. If you’ve missed the deadline or would like more resources, please get in touch.
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I’m looking for books for vulnerable children – can you help?
Letterbox Club is our programme aiming to inspire a love of reading and engagement with numeracy in children aged 3-13 who are looked-after. Registration for 2021 is now open.
We are working on further resources to support disadvantaged or vulnerable children in the early years or those preparing for transition to a new phase of education. These resources will be available in due course.
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I need to make changes to my deliveries of Bookstart Baby and Treasure – is that possible?
If you have ongoing deliveries in place, these will continue to arrive as planned unless you advise us otherwise.
We do appreciate that many of you will be facing further changes to capacity, delivery requirements and planned stock levels and we will do our best to support any amendments, additional deliveries or cancellations that you require. If you can give us at least 4 days notification for a cancelled delivery that would be helpful, although we do acknowledge that it may not always be possible.
You can still amend or request deliveries by the 7th of the month before. And if you need any ad hoc deliveries to gifting partners or alternative locations through this lockdown to support you in reaching families your BRM will be happy to discuss this with you.We’re now collating the stock take results and your BRM will be in touch during February with your initial allocations for 2021-22.
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Are you delivering Bookstart Corner this year?
Bookstart Corner resources are usually distributed in July but last summer most settings were closed or struggled to take deliveries. Therefore, we’ve offered some flexibility, such as requesting delivery in a specific month and changing the delivery addresses. Once you’re ready to take all or part of your allocation, please contact your BRM, so we can confirm your delivery needs.
Corner 2021 will be delivered later on in the year. More information will be provided in due course.
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What else is BookTrust working on at the moment?
We are continuing to update the BookTrust HomeTime digital hub with new resources, activities and stories for families at home. We are also aiming to make our digital offer more accessible for all, by providing alternative formats, simplified versions and guidance.
As you’ve heard at the last stakeholder events, we’re launching our new strategy in 2021 and we’ve started to identify how our programmes, resources and support could be improved. Moreover, we are committed to working in close collaboration with our local authority partners, creating opportunities for you to share your expertise, insight and feedback with us. More detail and information on how to get involved will follow soon.
If you have any questions to add to this page, please contact your BRM or email [email protected]
