22 April 2008
Book lovers snap up new De Bernières novel in new joiners prize
give-away at Barbican Library
Barbican Library is preparing to welcome new members this
weekend (Saturday 26 April 2008), as part of the National Year of
Reading’s new initiative, ‘Join a Library Day’.
The first 10 adults to join the Barbican Library on Saturday
will receive a free, signed copy of Louis de Bernières’ latest
novel, A Partisan’s Daughter, and the first 100 children, young
people and families to join the Children’s Library will be given a
free copy of the National Year of Reading’s The Ultimate Book Guide
and a library welcome pack. All new members will be entitled to a
special 10% discount on books and CDs at the Farringdons store.
Digby Trout’s Waterside Restaurant is offering a coffee-and-cake
deal for £3.25 during the day – and one lucky raffle ticket owner
will win a three-course meal for two at the Balcony Bistro
Restaurant at the Barbican Centre.
During ‘Join a Library Day’, Barbican librarians can advise
members on the wide range of reading opportunities available and on
other events and reading projects. Barbican Library offers many
free resources and services to support reading, including internet
access, readers’ groups, author events, reading festivals and baby
rhyme times.
Supported by all libraries across England, ‘Join a Library Day’
is part of the National Year of Reading’s campaign to encourage
parents, children and young people to join their local library. For
the first time, the National Year of Reading and the Society of
Chief Librarians have developed a universal library membership form
– a simple form that can be used to join any library in England by
filling it in and taking it along with proof of your identity.
Stephen Quilter, Chairman of the City of London Corporation’s
Libraries, Archives and Guildhall Art Gallery Committee, says: “Our
libraries play a vital role in helping make the City an efficient,
effective and enjoyable environment in which to live, work and
learn, and we’re very keen to encourage City residents and those
working in the Square Mile to visit us and see what we’ve got to
offer them.”
Honor Wilson-Fletcher, Project Director of the National Year of
Reading, says: “We wanted to launch the Year of Reading with a
reminder that we all have the right as citizens to read for free,
and that our libraries are brimming with ideas - dangerous, fun and
diverting, as well as educational and practical, that can
change our lives.”
Devised in partnership with The Reading Agency, the Museums,
Libraries and Archives Council and the Society of Chief Librarians,
the library membership campaign aims to recruit 350,000 members
throughout the course of the year.
Ends
Notes for editors
Barbican Library, situated at the heart of the Barbican Arts
Centre, is the largest of the lending libraries with an excellent
general library, one of London’s largest and best stocked music
libraries and a large reference collection. Barbican, Shoe Lane and
Camomile Street libraries offer collections of books, large print
materials, spoken word recordings, DVDs & compact discs for
loan plus, at Camomile Street, books in Bengali for both children
and adults. Reservation and inter-library loan services are
operated and limited quick reference and information facilities,
including access to the internet and a range of CD-ROM services,
are also provided at each library.
The 2008 National Year of Reading is a year-long celebration of
reading, aimed at building a greater national passion for reading –
for children, families and adult learners alike. The Year will
encourage people to read in businesses, homes, and communities
around the country, providing new opportunities to read and helping
people to access help and support through schools and libraries.
Campaigns and activities throughout the year will inspire everyone
to read more, with a focus on reluctant readers, those with low
confidence, and boys and dads. The 2008 National Year of Reading is
being managed by The National Literacy Trust and lead partner The
Reading Agency.
Press contact:
Andrew Buckingham, Press Officer, City of London: 020 7332 1452,
07795 333 060,
andrew.buckingham@cityoflondon.gov.uk