Online Book Club @ Mandurah Libraries

As part of The National Year of Reading 2012, Mandurah Libraries have started a new book club: an online one. The Online Book Club @ Mandurah Libraries officially launches on February 1st and will continue throughout 2012.

The Online Book Club @ Mandurah Libraries is open to anyone who would like to take part. Discussions take place over Twitter and a new topic is put forward each month; for example February’s theme is ‘Who done it’. You’re not limited to just books for your discussions; you may wish to explore magazines, blogs, website, journals or anything else as long as it is relevant to the chosen topic.

To join in the discussions, head over to The Online Book Club's blog here where you will find all the information about how to get started. Discussions begin on the first of each month but feel free to join in at any time.

You are invited!

February 14th is the day that libraries around the country will officially launch the National Year of Reading 2012 at a wide variety of events.

The City of Mandurah's National Year of Reading launch event will be held at the beautiful Mandurah Performing Arts Centre and YOU are invited!

Please join us for a continuous reading of

Norman Lindsay's The Magic Pudding

 

Tuesday 14th February 2012

from 11am - 5pm

at the

Mandurah Performing Arts Centre

Craft table, Face painting, Competitions.

Come along and join us for an hour or stay all day. Join in the reading or sit and listen while you enjoy a cup of tea or coffee.  Find out about National Year of Reading events to be held in Mandurah throughout the year.  This is a free event; no tickets required. Suitable for all ages.

By the way, in order to refresh my memory about the book (which I first read with my children on an epic road trip around Australia six years ago) I went to Mandurah Libraries homepage , followed the links through to Project Gutenberg, then downloaded a free copy of The Magic Pudding onto my iPad.  Now all I have to do is perfect my funny voices and I am ready to join in with the reading!

We'd love to see you at our National Year of Reading launch on the 14th.  Perhaps you will join in with the reading too.

National Year of Reading 2012 needs you!

As part of the National Year of Reading 2012, the City of Mandurah will be organising events and activities to help people to discover and rediscover the joy of reading.  We need your help!

We need volunteers to:

• Become National Year of Reading 2012 Roving Readers and provide read aloud experiences in public places, schools, parenting centres and at events;
• Help at events such as Crab Fest, Stretch Festival and the Children's Festival;
• Welcome people to the library at special events; and
• Assist with behind the scenes work such as filling gift bags and information packs.

If you can assist in any of these roles, please collect a National Year of Reading Volunteer registration pack from:

• Mandurah Library
• Falcon eLibrary and Community Centre
• via email to Deidre.Robb@mandurah.wa.gov.au

Together we'll have fun encouraging a reading culture in every Mandurah home.

What is the National Year of Reading 2012?

National Year of Reading 2012 is a nationwide campaign driven by libraries and library associations.  They are working in partnership with a wide range of organisations to promote the vision of:

"Australia, a nation of readers"

This is in response to research showing that:

• 46% of Australians don't have the literacy skills they need to cope with the complex demands of everyday life and
• 75% of surveyed major employers felt that their businesses were affected by low levels of literacy and numeracy in the workplace.

National Year of Reading 2012 is about discovering and rediscovering the joy of reading.  It is about sharing that joy with others. In Mandurah it is also about laying the foundations to increase literacy levels in the City in the future.

For more information about what is happening on a national level, please visit:

www.love2read.org.au/

For more information about what is happening in Mandurah and how you can get involved, please keep an eye on this blog.