CDNLAO Newsletter
No. 70, March 2011
The National Year of Reading 2012 is an ambitious campaign to help turn Australia into a nation of readers by supporting a universal appreciation of the benefits of reading and promoting the idea of a reading culture in every home, school and community.
Image and logo of the National Year of Reading 2012
Why is it needed? There is plenty of evidence to show that literacy is a major issue for the nation. According to the 2006 Adult Literacy and Life Skills Survey1, nearly half of all Australians (46%) don't have the literacy skills they need to cope with everyday life and work. A survey by the Australian Industry Group in May 2010 of major employers found that more than 75% felt their businesses were affected by low levels of literacy and numeracy in the workforce.
Fifteen library-related organisations2 have got together to launch the National Year of Reading 2012.
Although libraries are the driving force behind the campaign, partnerships are being forged with writers, publishers, booksellers, schools, government, media and the companies behind some of Australia's most famous household name brands.
The countdown began on 14 February 2011, with the announcement of award-winning actor and bestselling author William McInnes as patron and the release of new resources, including a campaign guide and a National Year of Reading wiki. The public launch will be on 14 February 2012.
A highlight of the campaign will be the launch of The Reading Hour, like Earth Hour, encouraging families not only to join together for a simultaneous reading session around Australia, but also to continue the idea of reading together for an hour or so a week – whether that's 20 minutes three times a week or 10 minutes nearly every day.
Another major national initiative will be a One Country Reading program, based on Alison Lester's much-loved book Are We There Yet? describing a journey around the continent. The theme of travel, exploring the Australian landscape and making connections with people from diverse backgrounds, will be extended through competitions for children, teenagers and young adults, and a reader's choice initiative to find the book that best represents each state and territory in 2012 – eight books in total.
The Australian National Year of Reading is based on a successful campaign in the UK in 2008, which saw:
- 6,000 National Year of Reading events registered on the website
- 2.3 million new public library members
- 12% more children from lower socio-economic groups becoming library members and 5% more parents from these groups saying they read with their children every day (20% compared with 15%)
- 23,000 more boys taking part in the Summer Reading Challenge
1 http://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/mf/4228.0
2 Australian Library and Information Association, ACT Library Service, Northern Territory Library, Public Libraries Australia, Public Libraries New South Wales (Country), Public Libraries New South Wales (Metropolitan), Public Libraries South Australia, Public Libraries Victoria Network, Public Libraries Western Australia, State Library of New South Wales, State Library of Queensland, State Library of South Australia, State Library of Tasmania, State Library of Victoria, State Library of Western Australia
| For more information, contact | |
| Sue McKerracher T:0404 456749 E:sue@thelibraryagency.org.au Website:www.love2read.org.au |
Donna McDowell T:0406 575321 E:donna@thelibraryagency.org.au |
Copyright (C) 2011 National Library of Australia
