Year One
In the first year of Branching Out there were 10 core training days in different parts of the country from Newcastle to Newbury. Topics covered included:
Mapping literature activity in the region
Keeping up to date with contemporary writing
Setting up regional reading promotion networks
Presentation skills in relation to different contexts
Differentiating audiences and targeting promotions
Using bought-in promotional materials
Issues in selection
Understanding research skills
Designing and carrying out research into reader behaviour
Promoting contemporary fiction in main town libraries
The work of The Reading Partnership
Best practice in creating a Literature Promoters' Resource
Quantitative and qualitative research in relation to the Loud and Proud promotion
Building Branching Out activity into Annual Library Plans
Libraries, literature and the internet
Running an online readers' chatroom
Designing the content structure of the Branching Out website
Making websites accessible for visually impaired users
Year Two
In the second year of Branching Out there will be 6 core training days.
September 22, 1999 - Stockport - concentrated on evaluation of Year One and sessions on setting up and working with reading groups.
October 13, 1999 - Flitwick - consolidated plans for Year Two. All the Branching Out national project partners joined us to work with a group of Branching Out librarians to plan the Year two projects:
Open Ticket - Jonathan Davidson and Helen Thomas of Book Communications Ltd
Loud and Proud - David Lindley, Sales and Marketing Director of BfS
Forager - John Turner of Applied Psychology Research Ltd
Paperback originals - Guy Pringle, Retail Marketing Manager, and Terrie Riley, Library Sales Manager, HarperCollins
Access all areas - Helen Brazier, Director of Customer Services, National Library for the Blind
Unclassified - Anne Downes of Opening the Book
15 November, 1999 - Croydon - in-depth training on fundraising led by Anne Downes of Opening the Book, and with presentations from Liz Napier of DCMS and Gary McKeone of the Arts Council of England (Click here for resources to support fundraising)
10 February, 2000 - Wandsworth - day focussed on talking and writing about books. Featured presentation from John Grindrod of HarperCollins.
5 July, 2000 - Shrewsbury - a day looking at working with designers. Featured presentation from Helen Thomas of Book Communications.
19 September, 2000 - Bath - members of the Branching Out Board joined the Branching Out librarians to discuss the evaluation of the project and to look at the UCE evaluation of the impact of Branching Out in library authorities.
Year Three
20 November, 2000
15-16 January, 2001 - Liverpool - This was a two day session. On day one Branching Out participants looked at linking reader development to Best Value. Marilyn Lister, an Audit Commission Best Value Inspector, was the guest speaker. Day two looked at ICT and Reader Development. The guest speaker was Rob Nichols of Bol.com.
24 April, 2001 - Durham - a day looking at reader behaviour in the public library environment.
6 June, 2001 - Birmingham, Library and Information Show - the Branching Out participants gave a programme of presentations about the work carried out during the project.
18 September, 2001 - Norwich - the final core training day covered the promotion of literature in translation and included presentations from the British Centre for Literary Translation. The new promotion, Rearranging the World, was launched.
