ALIA’s Australian Public Library Alliance has been running the annual Reading Hour since 2012, mainly through public and school libraries. This year we are very excited to have the publishers, booksellers and authors involved in a big way. They not only bring energy and enthusiasm to the event, they also bring their incredible networks – celebrity writers, media partners, major businesses, politicians. They are helping us expand the Reading Hour from something that has been almost exclusively about children, into an opportunity for all ages, and they are extending our reach exponentially. You can expect to see coverage in national newspapers and other news channels in the lead up to the day.
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Image courtesy: facebook.com/love2readAU |
The Australian Reading Hour will take place on Thursday 14 September. It’s not a fixed time, it’s simply an hour of your choice on that one day. Libraries that have been involved in previous years know that it’s a fun and flexible occasion, which helps raise your profile with the local community, school staff and students, local MPs and others. If you haven’t participated before, please think about being part of the campaign this year. Of course, it’s an obvious one for public and school libraries, but it can also work for academic, TAFE and special libraries – especially as the aim is to make it something for everyone.
If you work outside a library setting, think about running your own Reading Hour event for colleagues, friends, family or with a local community group. Our intention is to encourage people to discover and rediscover the joy of reading. That’s something we can all get behind.
There is more information on our website, and you can register your library event on the official website. On the day and in the lead-up, you might like to share or promote your event via: Twitter @love2readAU and #readinghour; Or Facebook facebook.com/love2readAU
About Jessica Pietsch | ALIA WA State Manager
