New Thinking for Creating a New Kind of Reading Experience
The Love Libraries 2006 project aimed to challenge existing ways of thinking and use the expertise and input from different sources to create a new and revitalised reading experience in public libraries.
Throughout the Love Libraries 2006 project of transforming three showcase libraries, publishers, book retailers and designers gave their time and views to the 3 libraries to help library staff to think about the reading experience in fresh new ways.
In this section, you can download some of the challenging and new thinking which influenced the Love Libraries team during the transformation. We hope that you find it stimulating too!
Books/pamphlets/reports/papers
Swimming Against the Stream, Tim Waterstone, Pan Macmillan
Good to Great, Jim Collins, Random House Business Books
Living Values: a report encouraging boldness in third sector organisations, Geraldine Blake, David Robinson and Matthew Smerdon, Esmee Fairbairn Foundation
GoMAD – the art of making a difference, Andy Gilbert, gomadthinking
Transforming libraries using good bookshop practice, Tim Coates A useful paper by consultant Tim Coates suggesting a step by step approach to improving libraries, both in everyday practice and in a refurbishment
Tim Coates’ paperLinks/Downloads
Arts Council/Henley Centre research on the characteristics of thriving 21st century arts organisationsBBC Public Value documentation showing how the BBC has approached defining its mission and public value.
Not a sideshow: Leadership and Cultural Value: Demos 2006. One of a series of Demos “think pieces” on how cultural institutions can create a more meaningful approach to describing their value, and better systems for creating that value.
From efficiency to value creation: reconfiguring the Public Library Offer by Simeon Moore. Presented at the NAG Annual Conference, University of Reading, Autumn 2006 Simeon Moore looks at key challenges facing library services: the ways in which library users can be mobilised and the models that will make libraries more imaginative and bolder. Placing a focus upon ‘value innovation’ and stakeholder engagement, Moore includes strategic tools, alternative operating models and a reconfiguration of ‘the value space’ in a presentation that is designed to challenge, excite and inspire service developments. There are practical examples and references to case studies throughout.Simeon Moore’s presentation
Creative Reading, John Holden, Demos, 2005 An exploration of the creativity of reading, and of libraries’ work with readers. Linking this to policy agendas and recent thinking.
Talis thoughts on Library 2.0 Do libraries matter?: the rise of library 2.0, a white paper: Ken Chad, Executive Director and Paul Miller, Technology Evangelist, Talis
On the road again, the next innovations for public libraries? Linda Berube A paper challenging libraries to adopt rapidly recent technological innovations.
