Warwickshire County Council’s libraries service is delighted to announce that Bedworth Library is part of a nationwide community book distribution project...
Warwickshire County Council’s libraries service is delighted to announce that Bedworth Library is part of a nationwide community book distribution project for World Book Day® on 6 March, bringing books and the enjoyment of reading to the children of Warwickshire.
Bedworth Library has received a share of 104,000 copies of the World Book Day® £1 books to distribute to children in disadvantaged and low literacy areas, helping more children discover reading for fun.
As Bedworth Library is one of the World Book Day® community token exchange hubs, children will have the opportunity to exchange their £1 World Book Day book token at the library for a £1 book of their choice – completely for free. To view the list of books available through this initiative, visit worldbookday.com/books.
The community token exchange hub partnership with the charity has been made possible with support from The Foyle Foundation and The Julia Rausing Trust.
Warwickshire Libraries’ World Book Day® celebrations on Thursday 6 March will also feature storytelling workshops by Aunty Jen Productions for Bedworth primary schools. Additional programming developed with the Youth Advisory Board to champion World Book Day®’s focus on literacy enjoyment, includes:
- Tangled Up Tales: Oral storytelling for 5–11-year-olds on 22 March at Bedworth Library (11.30 - 12.30pm)
- Plot Twist: Storytelling workshop for 12–16-year-olds on 29 March at Leamington Spa Library (12.30 - 2pm)
- Words of Our Own: Teen creative writing workshop on 17 May at Stratford upon Avon Library (12.30 - 2pm)
Councillor Yousef Dahmash, Portfolio Holder for Customer and Transformation, said:
“World Book Day® is a fantastic opportunity to introduce children to the enjoyment of reading in vibrant and child-friendly library settings across Warwickshire. Reading can provide children with incredible benefits to their learning and personal development, from communication skills to learning new information about the world or even enhancing their creativity.
“We are delighted for Bedworth Library to be selected as a community token exchange hub for World Book Day®, and hope that this initiative encourages more children and young people to discover a new-found love for reading as well as the many activities and resources that all of our libraries across Warwickshire have to offer”.
World Book Day®’s community book distribution project is part of the charity’s mission to improve children’s access to books and provide them with opportunities to develop a lifelong habit of reading for pleasure. Reading for pleasure is the single biggest indicator of a child’s future success – more than family circumstances, parents’ educational background and their income (1). However, research from National Literacy Trust found that fewer than 1 in 3 (34.6%) children now say they enjoy reading (2). This is the lowest level since 2005, and reading enjoyment is lowest among children from disadvantaged backgrounds (3). With up to one million children in the UK never owning a book (4), the charity is working in areas with above-average percentages of children receiving Pupil Premium support, and limited access to local bookshops.
Cassie Chadderton, CEO of World Book Day®, said:
“With reading for pleasure at its lowest level since 2005, our charity’s mission to change lives through a love of reading is more vital than ever. We are grateful to The Foyle Foundation, The Julia Rausing Trust and our partnering publishers for their generous support to help bring books to children across the country. We look forward to seeing more children enjoy their reading adventures this World Book Day®.”
For more information visit www.worldbookday.com, and remember to Read Your Way this World Book Day®!
Children who would enjoy regular access in to reading in Warwickshire can join Warwickshire Libraries as members for free. As a member, books are available to borrow in-person at a local library, to find through the online library catalogue, or by browsing the BorrowBox collection which includes a great range of eBooks and eAudiobooks.
Warwickshire Libraries is also a friend of Child Friendly Warwickshire, which is bringing the county together in a collective effort to ensure all children and young people have a voice that is heard, that they are safe, happy and healthy and that they are equipped with the skills to have the best lives they can.
To keep-up to date with Warwickshire Libraries’ latest information and events, follow the service on Facebook and Instagram, or sign-up to the weekly newsletter.
- https://www.oecd.org/pisa/pisaproducts/pisainfocus/48624701.pdf
- Children and Young People's Reading Research Report 2024 | National Literacy Trust
- Children and Young People's Reading Research Report 2024 | National Literacy Trust
- Book ownership in 2024 | National Literacy Trust