Valued Outcomes for Community Librarians

Valued outcomes for community librarians participating in the Reading Together® programme include:

  • Strengthening partnerships with whānau and schools, sharing knowledge, providing a diverse range of quality resources, and fostering life-long learning.
  • Opportunities to engage with, and provide support for more families, including those who have not previously used libraries.
  • Becoming more aware of the problems parents/whānau face supporting their children's reading, including:
    - misunderstandings about how to help children effectively
    - lack of the confidence, experience and knowledge required to access appropriate resources.
  • Gaining deeper understandings about:
    - literacy education
    - the difficulties experienced by some children when they are learning to read
    - effective forms of support, especially for those who struggle with reading.
  • Opportunities to reassure parents that they are not alone and that they can go to libraries for help and support.
  • Observing positive changes in children's attitudes, confidence, engagement in reading, and use of libraries.
  • Sharing ideas through their collaboration and interactions with Workshop Leaders and parents/whānau.
  • Opportunities to consider the challenges they face as librarians, and renewed enthusiasm for finding solutions and enhancing their services, including the provision of more appropriate books for children in their communities (e.g. high interest, easy material).
  • Feeling 'privileged, enlightened, inspired and also humbled' by:
    - the parents' gratitude for the help and support provided by the librarians during and beyond the Reading Together® workshops
    - being a 'valued and integral part of a community-wide reading development initiative'.

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