Media Centre
Libraries can develop ‘creative reading’
Public libraries are the ‘forgotten players’ in the creativity debate, according to a new report called Creative Readingpublished by Demos.
Libraries can help the next generation develop the higher-order skills of creative reading needed to get the most out of cultural and social life and meet the challenges of the 21st century job market.
“Given the number and variety of creative activities going on in libraries, they should be seen as one of the primary means by which the government can fulfil the cultural pledge given in the white paper The next Ten Years, Culture and Creativity, ”says the report’s author, John Holden.
The report recommends that libraries build on their role in developing ‘creative reading, encouraging young people to make connections between different ideas and information sources. They should create spaces where the flow of ideas stimulated by reading can be recorded using whiteboards or computers.
The report is published at a time when the changing role of libraries is being hotly debated, and library visitor figures are rising. Libraries minister Lord McIntoshis convened a libraries seminar on 21 June 2004. Creative Reading has been produced in partnership with the Reading Agency, whose remit is to help develop an ambitious vision for public libraries ' work with readers and support them in making it a reality.
“Public libraries already play a vital role in nurturing reading, but they are the forgotten players in the creativity debate and their potential is vastly underrated,” says John Holden. “The power of libraries should be harnessed; while maintaining their own sense of identity, they need to work in partnership with schools, youth services and social services to release young people’s creativity.”
Creative Reading also considers ways that libraries could make themselves more attractive to young people by involving them in decisions about books and magazines the library service buys.
“We hope the paper will focus attention on the role of libraries as creative institutions,” says Miranda McKearney, Director of The Reading Agency. “It is time for libraries to be much more fully recognised as part of the creative world – their work to reach and inspire young readers injects creativity into the community in a big way, and deserves much greater attention. Its power to help achieve our national ambitions should not be underestimated.”
Recommendations in the report include:
- Teachers, and others in the formal education sector, need to understand the benefits of working with public libraries on the creativity agenda and to make young people aware of what public libraries offer.
- New-build and refurbished libraries should make connections with other creative resources both in the public sector – such as locating near archives, museums, arts centres or theatres- and in the private sector, where libraries can be part of “creative clusters”;
- The furnishing and layout of libraries should take account of the creative process, providing stimulus, surprise, random connections and different means of recording ideas;
- Young people should be involved not only in stock selection and library design, but can play a role on the front line and behind the scenes in public libraries. Public libraries should offer work experience, volunteer schemes, and adopt recruitment procedures to stimulate this;
Notes to editors
- is published by Demos in partnership with the Reading Agency on Thursday 24 June 2004.
- Demos is an independent think tank with a strong interest in culture and creativity. Creative Reading is part of an ongoing research programme called Valuing Culture.
- The Reading Agency is a UK wide development agency with roots in the public library sector. Its mission is to inspire a reading nation by working with libraries and their partners.