ASCEL: Libraries and co-production
Claire Styles:
Programme Manager
The Reading Agency
Project aims:
• Support libraries to develop year-round youth
co-production built on libraries’ Universal
Reading Offer (URO);
• Identify partnership opportunities with
Bridges and arts organisations;
• Increase awareness of relevant accreditation
schemes and funding opportunities.
Why develop a year-round offer?
Benefits for libraries:
• Engages the library users of the future
• Benefits young people; develops skills and
community engagement
• Increases capacity to run key activities
• Contributes to community cohesion
• Raises library profile as a volunteer provider
• Helps libraries meet statutory duty
Statutory Guidance for Local
Authorities
• Connect young people with their communities,
enabling them to contribute to society, including
through volunteering;
• Have a voice in decisions which affect their lives;
• Opportunities to take part in activities;
• Support personal and social development to
build the capabilities they need for learning,
work, and the transition to adulthood.
Why prioritise young people now?
•
•
•
•
17.5 million under 25s in the UK today
21.9% of under 25s unemployed
40% of young people volunteer
88% of youth media stories are negative
Recession impacts disadvantaged disproportionately:
• 70% of excluded pupils have poor basic literacy.
• People with poor literacy least likely to be employed at 30
• Reading for pleasure is the only out-of-school activity for
16s linked to securing managerial/ professional jobs
Benefits to young people
• New skills and experience
• For CV for education/ employment
Recognition/ accreditation
• Work experience
• To meet new people/ for fun
• To give something back
• Incentives
Libraries’ youth volunteers, 2012
• 4,375 Summer Reading Challenge volunteers
• 728 Reading Activists running 24 hubs
• 950 World Book Night book givers
Book selection
Design library spaces
Help with Under 5s
Book reviews
Book awards
Work experience
Mood boosting books
Reading groups
Manga clubs
Get It Loud
Library consultation
Magazine projects
Six Book Challenge
Bookswaps
Steering groups
Friends groups
Fundraising
Intergenerational
Film clubs
Young Inspectors
Performances
SCL Prioritised Toolbox
Universal
Library Offer
Free
Community
Space
Reading Offer
Reading groups
and social
reading
activities
Programme
Summer
Reading
Challenge
Six Book
Challenge
Online
access/Virtual
Services
Reading
promotions
Expert Advice
and Support
Reading
challenges for
adults and
children
TRA Reading
Promotions
Programme
Author event /
performances
Mood
Boosting
Books
Free Books
Multimedia
Reading
Resources
Community
Outreach
Services
Targeted
audiences
(families, CYP,
Older people)
Information
and
signposting
Learning space
and support
Local and
family history
resources
Bookgifting
Public
involvement/
Coproduction
Information
/sign posting
Accessibility
Services
Targeted
activities for
specific
audiences e.g.
ethnic
Online reading,
resources and
activites
Reading
Groups for
Everyone
including
Chatterbooks
Bookstart and
BookTime
Calendar
hooks
World Book
Day/World
Book Night
Learning Hook
Bookstart
Week
Summer
Reading
Challenge
Enhanced Offer Toolbox
Programme
Letterbox Club
National story
telling week
Premier
League
Reading Stars
National
library day
Booked Up
Black history
month
Other
Programmes
TBC
Partnerships
Health and
Well Being
Hook
Calendar
Hooks
TV Book Club
Local history
month
National RG
Day
Make noise in
libraries
Carers Week
Older people
day
Local Activities
Art org
Partnerships
Reading
Partners
BBC
Quick Reads
Health
Schools
Literature
Festivals
Readers Days
Charities e.g.
RNIB,
Booktrust
Local Launch
Events
Innovation &
Development
Evidence
Shared
evidence bank
Innovation
ns
Digital
Health
Co-production:
Young
people/My
Voice
Workforce
Developments
Training to
support the
URO
Local
Reading
Service
Calendar hooks
First hooks: World Book Day/ Night
• Join the Book Herd – WBD/N ambassadors
• Social networking and website teen resources
written by young volunteers
• ‘Party pack’ of ideas being produced
• to become book givers
• Teen-friendly titles
Co-production
- Approach
underpinning
Volunteering
- Characteristics of
co-production?
Co-production means…
“… delivering public services in an equal and
reciprocal relationship between professionals,
people using services, their families and their
neighbours. Where activities are co-produced in
this way, both services and neighbourhoods
become far more effective agents of change.”*
(*Right here, right now: taking co-production into the
mainstream, NESTA; July 2010)
Features of co-production:
•
•
•
•
•
•
Recognising people as assets
Building on people’s existing capabilities
Mutuality and reciprocity
Peer support networks
Blurring distinctions
Facilitating rather than delivering*
(*Right here, right now: taking co-production into the
mainstream, NESTA; July 2010)
Volunteering: plan and sustain
Involving Young People in Advisory Groups – Flow Chart
Can you answer these questions?
- Can you explain the purpose of young peoples’
involvement?
-Will it make a difference?
Yes
Do you know why you
are setting up a young
people’s advisory
group?
-Do young people want to get involved?
-Can you resource and support the group?
No
-Will you act on young people’s recommendations?
- Are you willing to give up some power?
No
This is not the right
thing for your
organisation and
young people at
the moment
Having thought about it and
talked to young people and
your organisation do you now
know why you want involve
young people?
Yes
Now there are more things you to think about:
How will you recruit young people? How will you make sure young people
with additional needs can get involved? How will you make sure the group is
open and new members are able to join? How will you support the young
people find out the views of their peers? How will you promote the young
peoples’ power and influence? How canyou make sure people from across
your organisation are convinced of the need to change?
Will it make a difference?
Yes
Are you clear?
-Do young people want to get
involved?
-Can you resource and support
the group?
No
-Will you listen and act on
young people’s
recommendations?it make a
difference?
This might not be
thepeople
right time
to to get
-Do young
want
involve
young
involved?
people
-Can you resource and support
the group?
-Will you listen and act on
Accreditation
Award
Duke of
Edinburgh
Award
Youth
Achievement/
Challenge
Getting
Connected
ASDAN
Activities
V50 and other
vinspired
awards
Arts Award
Age/
ability
Age 14-25
highly
motivated.
Age 11-19
Any ability
Partners
Schools
Youth service
Time to
achieve award
12-18 months
30-120hrs. 615hrs for a
Challenge
Age 14-25 Youth worker; 120hrs for a
Suitable
school
Profile of
for NEET
learning
Achievement
YP.
mentor, PRU. 30hrs per unit
Age 13-19 Youth work
10-60 hours
Any ability partners
(Usually 30 hrs
for the Award)
Age 14-25 Cabinet
Ideally within
Any ability. Office
12 months.
England
only
Age 7-25
Youth work
partners
Arts Council
England/
Trinity
No time limit.
Gold- 90hrs;
Silver - 60hrs;
Bronze - 40hrs
Explore - 25hrs;
Discover -20hrs
Content
External
requirements
Volunteering: library volunteer. Expedition:
Skills: Taking part in library
N/A to libraries.
activities e.g. reading groups
Any library based activity can None
be counted towards Awards
aligned to YP needs/ interests
Units on Using Information,
Exploring Risks and
Getting and Giving Support
Coping with Feelings
are particularly relevant to
more appropriate to
library activities
youth workers.
Any library-based activity can None
be counted. Awards aligned to
YP’s needs & interests
Volunteering: YP volunteer for None
10hrs (v10), 50hrs (v50)
100hrs (v100). Hrs logged
online or by mobile app. Once
hrs completed, YP receive
certificate.
Creative - Any art or media
None
activity can count towards an
Arts Award.
How
Approximate costs
assessed?
No cost for library
service
£48 p/a to register.
£5-11.20 per YP.
£130 staff training.
£20 per YP plus £8
per unit. £350 staff
training - optional
V100
needs a
referee.
Portfolios
assessed
by a
moderator.
£58.75 to register;
£4.75 per YP;
£79 staff training.
None. Organisations
can advertise
opportunities on the
site too.
Adviser training 95£110; YP’s materials
£3-£6
Moderation &
certificates:
£2.50-£32
Fundraising and collaboration
• Youth Voice funds
• National Citizenship
Service
• vCashpoint
• O2 ThinkBig
• European Youth
Programme
Using the URO as a framework, plan a
year-round youth volunteer offer
Consider:
• Volunteer role(s) for each hook
• Who you will work with
• How you could involve young people
• Timescales and milestones
• Resource implications
• Next steps
“Before being involved in Reading Activists, I would
never have dreamed I could help organize author
events or interview people, I would have been
really scared and worried. There’s so many skills
I’ve learnt, and things it’s opened me up to do, and
I’m much better at reading now, and more
confident all round. Having Padgate Library with
Reading Activist opportunities stops kids hanging
around on the street, and gets them to see what
libraries can do for them”.
Tom Hotson, 15, Reading Activist, Warrington