1998-2001 Branching Out - first phase
Branching Out was awarded a grant of £300,000, one of the largest literature grants made by the lottery and a great recognition of the potential of libraries and reader development. SCL invited tenders for the work of directing the project and Opening the Book won the contract.
Branching Out had a sustained impact in raising standards and creating new practice in reader development. It succeeded in moving reader development into mainstream library work. These are just some of the areas where measurable change took place:
- Increase in staff knowledge of and confidence in contemporary literature, especially for a young adult audience 18-40
- Wider range of titles purchased, especially literary fiction, poetry, Black British and Asian writing, translations, gay and lesbian writing, science fiction, world literature and books from independent presses
- New connections between books and ICT
- New standard for national promotions set with Open Ticket, a world literature promotion
- New partnerships with booksellers, publishers, universities, regional arts boards and development agencies
- Explosion of reading groups, book chains and reader-to-reader activity
- New approach to including visually impaired readers
- Creation and strengthening of regional networks
- New focus on stock selection and book promotion as integrated processes
- Reader development embedded in authority structures and daily work
