Six book challenge 2012 Blog

Here we go again at Doncaster College...bigger and better!

2012-02-03T17:00:50Z

So it's Friday evening and I'm planning my lessons for next week. Undoubtedly one of the highlights will be introducing a new cohort to the blogging experience of the Six Book Challenge. But be warned - this year my main ESOL group are 16-19 year olds and are not shy at being straight to the point shall we say. Maybe their ideas and opinions will evolve during the Challenge. If so this blog may be interesting reading!

To all those taking part for the first time, good luck and enjoy! I for one would continue to include the Challenge in my scheme of work even if it no longer existed as we know it today. To see the impact and progress it has made in learners is inspirational. It would be great for my learners to receive feedback from you. Have fun, I know we will - although some of the learners don't know that as yet!

Naomi Nikhata
Doncaster College

Derby College and the Six Book Challenge

2012-01-27T10:57:01Z

Our libraries manager Dorothy Mingay has rolled out the challenge across five of the Derby College sites. The main hub of activities is the Ilkeston campus where we have 50 of our learners already signed up and happily reading away. Some of these are veterans of the 2011 challenge who obviously enjoyed the experience and were keen to have another go. Members of staff have also joined in,including the whole Ilkeston library team some of whom are showing their competetive spirit!

As library staff we are enjoying hearing from our readers about the books they are choosing and being able to proactively encourage reading for pleasure.Although the bulk of our resources of necessity are academic texts,being part of the challenge has allowed us to focus on refreshing our fiction stock leaving a material legacy even after the challenge has finished

What are Challenge participants reading?

2012-01-25T16:03:06Z

Ebooks? Games? Magazines? Short stories? Quick Reads? We'd love to hear more about what everyone is reading to take part in the Challenge. Look forward to your comments. Genevieve

Community project rises to the Challenge

2012-01-23T20:13:26Z

At a recent launch event, fifteen members of Shared Space, a community project based in Westcliff-on-Sea, signed up to the Six Book Challenge in partnership with Southend Borough Libraries. The event was organised by Nicole King and held at the project's shop and community cafe. She said "We are really pleased that so many people are interested in doing the Challenge with us.We would still welcome any Shared Space customers who are interested in joining us to ask in the shop for more details." So far Southend Libraries have signed up 150 people to the Challenge from a wide range of local groups and Southend Adult Community College (SACC) . For more details about Shared Space visit http://churchfromscratch.org/shared-space

Northampton College off to a great start

2012-01-23T16:20:25Z

We are so pleased here at Northampton College to have over 200 registered students to date. Each day more ESOL and Supported Learning groups are signing up! It's going to cost us a fortune in chocolate prizes!!!

Next week around 160 Functional Skills students will also be registering to the Challenge with a mind to using mobile technologies to encourage these uninterested readers to start reading. Tutors are on board and eager to incorporate reading time into their lessons. Only time will tell how successful this will be. Watch this space...

Here we go!

2012-01-20T12:55:31Z

Plans are underway for the 2012 Challenge here at Morecambe Bay Hospitals Trust. We had over 70 start the Challenge last year and we are hoping to beat that figure this year. We are launching on World Book Day on 1st March. Several of last years participants have volunteered to have photographs taken for launch publicity.

Southend builds on 2011 success

2012-01-03T08:57:22Z

Good to hear that Southend Libraries are off to a strong start for 2012. They're promoting the Challenge with a press release as well as using Twitter and Facebook. Hope it goes well again. Genevieve

De Montfort University Six Book Challenge 2012

2012-01-03T07:16:54Z

The Six Book Challenge is open to all staff again, but the main emphasis is helping, supporting and encouraging less confident readers, those who might be rediscovering reading or those such as Yvonne Hirst, a Challenge completer in 2011, who may be getting into reading for the first time.
The launch ceremony is to take place in the
Learning Development Zone, Kimberlin Library
from 12:00 - 14:00 with the official launch by Pro Vice - Chancellor Andy Downton at 13:15pm
We have a book swap area outside Gateway House 1.5B of over 100 books and a separate Quickread library on the 2nd floor of Eric Wood building.
Reading is enjoyable, we need to help people get into the habit of reading, and hopefully we can cultivate a passion here at DMU for picking up and enjoying a book.
You can also follow us on
https://www.facebook.com/?ref=tn_tnmn#!/pages/De-Montfort-University-Six-Book-Challenge/180171602075114

https://twitter.com/#!/DMUSixBook

We've started!

2011-12-19T10:49:52Z

Here at South Leicestershire College we wanted to start before the Christmas break to get everyone reading during the holidays.
We held a launch last Wednesday with drinks and nibbles - a treat as they are not usually allowed in the library - and signed up 77 people. It's good to have enthuisiasm from the teaching staff who are encouraging their students to join.
Now all we have to do is keep up the momentum!

New and old sign up for 2012

2011-10-21T13:00:01Z

More than 100 organisations had invested in materials for the Six Book Challenge 2012 by our Early Bird deadline of 12 October and many more since. We're delighted by increased interest from several library authorities including Cumbria, South Tyneside, Stockton and Greenwich. We also welcome colleges from around the UK getting involved for the first time and workplace Sodexo who will be trialling the Challenge with staff in a range of locations.

14 October training day

2011-09-11T20:13:05Z

Great to see 17 delegates at our training day on Friday from public libraries, colleges and workplaces - a lively session which was enjoyed by all!

Southend's Six Book Success Story

2011-07-06T09:02:01Z

On Monday 27th June 2011, Southend Libraries and Southend Adult Community College (SACC) held a special awards ceremony for thirty five students, tutors and college volunteers who had successfully completed this year's Six Book Challenge scheme.

Guest speaker was journalist and author Lucy Cavendish, who talked about her writing before reading excerpts from her acclaimed Quick Reads title Jack and Jill. Lucy also shared details of her fascinating career as a journalist, before presenting Six Book Challenge certificates, signing copies of her book and chatting to guests over lunch.

Sarah Holmes, Skills for Life Co-coordinator at Southend Adult Community College said "Southend Libraries and Southend Adult Community College (SACC), provide a great supportive partnership, and the Six Book Challenge is a highly successful method of engaging existing and potential learners in reading for pleasure as part of their skills development."

Quotes from some SACC students taking this year's Six Book Challenge included
"I have so enjoyed the Six Book Challenge. Never thought I would have time to read six books, but now I'm addicted to reading. I have already started my next book..."

"It was more of a joy than a challenge. An excuse to devour books without feeling guilty about that pile of ironing that has to wait one more chapter"

The challenge was good. As I was not reading much before, it has encouraged me to read...I will continue to read more in the future."

The first chapter of Lucy Cavendish's acclaimed book Jack and Jill (published by Penguin Books can be downloaded free from the BBC Skillswise website. There is also a podcast featuring the author is available on the Quick Reads website at http://www.quickreads.org.uk

Northampton College - 134 finishers!

2011-07-04T13:50:35Z

We are so pleased to announce that we have had a 89% improvement on last year. This is our fourth year and our figures have risen substantially:
2008=28; 2009=64; 2010=71; 2011=134

Students are very proud of their achievements and have loved receiving their certificates and prizes from the Library.

A satisfying quote from one of our support tutors:
I would like to thank you and the library staff for organising the 6 Book Challenge again this year. I took part in it myself to motivate my learners and there was a good take up from them. There was a noticeable improvement in the literacy skills of the learners who took part. One learner told me she had never read a book before, but since completing the challenge she now regularly reads to her grandchildren.

Certainly we will be running the Challenge again next year, it is one of the highlights of our year.

Lynn Goodman, Librarian, Northampton College.

Six Book Challenge Success at Community Lives Consortium

2011-06-21T11:32:18Z

Hi - My name is Karen Fisher, and I am the Project Manager at one of UNISON's lifelong learning projects. Connecting Learners in the Third Sector supports staff and volunteers between the areas of Pembrokeshire to Monmouthshire. The aim of the project is to support and complement work based learning opportunities - with a particular focus on literacy and numeracy.

I'm very lucky to have an excellent Project Administrator in Nicola Bujega. As part of her work pacakge Nicola suggested that we trial the Six Book Challenge at our hosting organisation Community Lives Consortium. The Consortium provides social care and support to adults with learning disabilities in the Neath-Port Talbot and Swansea areas.

Following a focused advertising campaign, Nicola set up her "Sign Up Session" where approximately 50 members of staff attended. To ensure that a wide range of books were available, Nicola invited staff to donate old novels. The Project also purchased a series of Quick Reads - specifically targeting reluctant readers. We were both lucky to "win" books via the World Book Night promotion - so were also able to offer "Dissolution" by CJ Sansom as an incentive to join in.

Thinking about participation, Nicola also arranged a Prize Draw of £20. On completing the challenge, all participants will be entered into the prize draw. To monitor progress, the Project purchased Passports and promotional items from the Reading Agency. We have also drafted support from Union Learning Reps, who have been helpful in promoting hte opportunity.

Nicola continues to engage with learners at a monthly swap session - with the challenge planned to end in September. Many learners have already completed the challenge - but continue to attend the Swap Shops.

In recognition of the learners efforts, we have planned a Prize Giving event at the end of September, which will be supported by the Reading Agency and also a local author.

We hope to run this initiative again over the winter months, and will encourage the ULRs to play a more active role in this. We are conscious that our project runs for a limited time - and envisage the ULRs eventually taking ownership in the future.

De Montfort Vice Chancellor celebrates

2011-06-17T12:24:28Z

Great to have the endorsement of Dominic Shellard, Vice Chancellor of De Montfort University in Leicester, for the Challenge. He took part alongside a wide range of teaching and support staff at De Montfort and clearly enjoyed the experience. News of their celebration event coming soon from Andrew Jennison, UNISON Education Officer and ULR at De Montfort, who organised it all.