Revision of all the elements and the
skills and knowledge requirements of CULINL501A.
How much is
not covered in your blogs? Write your last blog about what you have
covered in and out of class and any gaps which might need addressing ...... and
strategies for addressing these gaps.
We have covered many of the performance criteria in this unit in our blogs over the last few months and anything else, we have covered either in class or as an assessment task.
Personally, I think the one area that I fall down in is not knowing much about some genres - fantasy, young adult, children's, etc. And I don't often read the books that are being "hyped" around the media or even prize-winning books.
So it looks like I will have to change my habits and broaden my reading tastes and at least delve into the bestsellers and prize winners.
Expertise in promoting literature and reading will come with experience as we get to actually practise all that we have learned. Knowledge of various genres and trends will be maintained by reading reviews and trade publications. Ideas for displays and promotional activities can be gleaned from blogs and websites.
I think the most important strategy for maintaining knowledge about any aspect of promoting literature and reading is to keep up with reading magazines, reviews, blogs, web pages, and anything which help you to stay up-to-date.
Thursday 21 November 2013
Wednesday 6 November 2013
Extra Task - Attend an activity or event promoting reading and literature
Write about the promotional value of a promotional activity you have attended
(e.g. author talk or book club etc.)
When I did work placement at Frankston Library in August I got the opportunity to attend a talk by Morris Gleitzman as part of the library's Children's Book Week promotions. For the occasion, the library invited the Grade 5 classes from Frankston Primary School who were very happy to come and listen to this very popular author.
Morris has a very distinctive persona being quite tall, using lots of expansive gestures while speaking. His audience was listening attentively and taking part when required. Morris talked about characters and how to make stories by turning an ordinary occurrence into something really interesting.
So he gave an example, I can't remember exactly, but it was something like "a boy just walking down the street going to school and then some remarkable happening happened" - like something fell out of the sky in front of him. Morris then went on to talk about how you could expand the story and talk about how the character was feeling and what the character could do to solve the problem or mystery that confronts them. Books are a good way to explore feelings about yourself or your friends and family and you can be silly and naughty in books without actually hurting anyone (except in the book).
Morris then went on to say that if you wanted to be a writer you needed to keep writing lots of stories and keep reading lots of stories and look for ways that your characters should think things, feel things and do things.
All in all it was a really interesting talk that engaged the audience - children and adults alike.
When I did work placement at Frankston Library in August I got the opportunity to attend a talk by Morris Gleitzman as part of the library's Children's Book Week promotions. For the occasion, the library invited the Grade 5 classes from Frankston Primary School who were very happy to come and listen to this very popular author.
Morris has a very distinctive persona being quite tall, using lots of expansive gestures while speaking. His audience was listening attentively and taking part when required. Morris talked about characters and how to make stories by turning an ordinary occurrence into something really interesting.
So he gave an example, I can't remember exactly, but it was something like "a boy just walking down the street going to school and then some remarkable happening happened" - like something fell out of the sky in front of him. Morris then went on to talk about how you could expand the story and talk about how the character was feeling and what the character could do to solve the problem or mystery that confronts them. Books are a good way to explore feelings about yourself or your friends and family and you can be silly and naughty in books without actually hurting anyone (except in the book).
Morris then went on to say that if you wanted to be a writer you needed to keep writing lots of stories and keep reading lots of stories and look for ways that your characters should think things, feel things and do things.
All in all it was a really interesting talk that engaged the audience - children and adults alike.
Thursday 31 October 2013
Task 7 - Monitoring and evaluating promotional activities
What strategies would you recommend for the evaluation of the usefulness or
success of the reading and literature promotional activities run by either a
school library or a public library?
A lot would depend on the type of promotional activity undertaken. Some activities could be evaluated by a simple headcount, while other activities might require a more detailed analysis.
Strategies to evaluate the success or otherwise of an author talk could be a headcount and observation of audience interest and participation in question time and book signing. Activities like children's story times could be evaluated by a headcount of children and adults attending. For ongoing activities like story times, statistics could be compared over a period of time to gauge continuing interest and any growth in attendance.
The effectiveness of promotional activities like themed displays is not always easy to measure and could rely a lot on circulation reports and staff observation of borrowings and returns. Reports would need to be tailored to reflects statistics for the specific genre/author/subject and for a defined time period.
Useful information about the effectiveness of the promotion could be gleaned by reporting statistics for a time frame spanning from before the promotion to a period after the promotion. As well, anecdotal evidence from staff will form a large part of feedback on what strategies prove more effective than others.
A lot would depend on the type of promotional activity undertaken. Some activities could be evaluated by a simple headcount, while other activities might require a more detailed analysis.
Strategies to evaluate the success or otherwise of an author talk could be a headcount and observation of audience interest and participation in question time and book signing. Activities like children's story times could be evaluated by a headcount of children and adults attending. For ongoing activities like story times, statistics could be compared over a period of time to gauge continuing interest and any growth in attendance.
The effectiveness of promotional activities like themed displays is not always easy to measure and could rely a lot on circulation reports and staff observation of borrowings and returns. Reports would need to be tailored to reflects statistics for the specific genre/author/subject and for a defined time period.
Useful information about the effectiveness of the promotion could be gleaned by reporting statistics for a time frame spanning from before the promotion to a period after the promotion. As well, anecdotal evidence from staff will form a large part of feedback on what strategies prove more effective than others.
Thursday 17 October 2013
Task 6 - Assisting people with their reading & literary queries
Write about your views on reader advisory roles in libraries and what competencies would be essential to work well in that role.
I don't think many Australian libraries have specific positions for reader advisory roles - it is usually left to the staff on the information desk. But to properly help a patron with a reader advisory question, staff do need some basic skills. Questions from patrons about what else has this author writen who writes like this author or what can I read next are fairly common at the information or reference desk, and librarians working on these desks need to be fairly knowledgeable about authors and genres and need to know where to source such information.
The website of the Arrowhead Library Service in USA has a quite detailed page about the various aspects of reader advisory work and the skill levels required. At a basic level, staff should be aware of current culture, formats and publishing trends. They need to be willing to read books in all genres and should have a thorough knowledge of their library's collection. Staff would also need to have some knowledge of the different genres and which authors write in those genres, and should be aware of new books due soon and even know a bit about those new books.
More advanced or specialised skills would include being able to develop reading lists, do book talks, write reviews or annotations, and help develop reading plans. Anyone taking on a reader advisory question needs to be able to conduct an effective interview to determine reading requirements (genre, reading level, etc) and then needs the research skills to find suggestions for the reader.
Personally, I think that a willingness to read books in a variety of genres and age groups is probably the most important skill, as it gives you a grounding in what is being written at the moment - and writing styles and topics change all the time. Not all books within a genre are the same type of writing either. Advisers need to know who writes the comedic detection fiction and who writes the forensic procedurals, because a reader of one may not necessarily like to read the other. Taking on a reader advisory role is much more than knowing your way around your library's collection - it's knowing who is writing what sort of fiction, what are the current hot topics; and it's knowing this for kids, teens and adults because they are all your customers.
Reading list:
http://www.arrowhead.lib.mn.us/renewal/readers.htm
http://www.bookbitch.com/READERS%20ADVISORY.htm
http://www.olc.org/ore/2readers.htm
http://training.gov.au/Training/Details/CUL50111
I don't think many Australian libraries have specific positions for reader advisory roles - it is usually left to the staff on the information desk. But to properly help a patron with a reader advisory question, staff do need some basic skills. Questions from patrons about what else has this author writen who writes like this author or what can I read next are fairly common at the information or reference desk, and librarians working on these desks need to be fairly knowledgeable about authors and genres and need to know where to source such information.
The website of the Arrowhead Library Service in USA has a quite detailed page about the various aspects of reader advisory work and the skill levels required. At a basic level, staff should be aware of current culture, formats and publishing trends. They need to be willing to read books in all genres and should have a thorough knowledge of their library's collection. Staff would also need to have some knowledge of the different genres and which authors write in those genres, and should be aware of new books due soon and even know a bit about those new books.
More advanced or specialised skills would include being able to develop reading lists, do book talks, write reviews or annotations, and help develop reading plans. Anyone taking on a reader advisory question needs to be able to conduct an effective interview to determine reading requirements (genre, reading level, etc) and then needs the research skills to find suggestions for the reader.
Personally, I think that a willingness to read books in a variety of genres and age groups is probably the most important skill, as it gives you a grounding in what is being written at the moment - and writing styles and topics change all the time. Not all books within a genre are the same type of writing either. Advisers need to know who writes the comedic detection fiction and who writes the forensic procedurals, because a reader of one may not necessarily like to read the other. Taking on a reader advisory role is much more than knowing your way around your library's collection - it's knowing who is writing what sort of fiction, what are the current hot topics; and it's knowing this for kids, teens and adults because they are all your customers.
Reading list:
http://www.arrowhead.lib.mn.us/renewal/readers.htm
http://www.bookbitch.com/READERS%20ADVISORY.htm
http://www.olc.org/ore/2readers.htm
http://training.gov.au/Training/Details/CUL50111
Monday 23 September 2013
Ongoing Task - Watch Tuesday Book Club on TV
Like having to listen to the radio programs, it was no hardship to be asked to watch The Book Club on ABC Television. In the past this has been a regular favourite of mine - but strangely enough, I seem to be going out every Tuesday night for the last few weeks and have missed the usual monthly program as well as the other Tuesday night book discussions on Jennifer Byrne presents.
A past program that stands out was July's, where they discussed Gillian Flynn's Sharp Objects and Charlotte Bronte's Jane Eyre. As it happens, I have read both books, one recently and the other at school, so it was interesting to hear other people's opinions. I can't say that I totally agreed with everyone's dislike of the characters in Sharp Objects. To me, the back story and solving of the mystery were always more paramount and I suppose that these days we have become somewhat inured to violence, especially if we read lots of crime fiction and watch lots of forensic or police shows on TV.
The comments on Jane Eyre came as a complete surprise, as I suppose I still have the youthful idea of Mr Rochester as a hero. This is one book, that I will have to read again just to see if it affects me the same way it did the panelists. A very enlightening discussion.
Another program that stood out was the one where Spanish author Carlos Ruiz Zafon was a panelist. I was really taken with his articulate and insightful views. I particularly enjoyed the panel discussion on William Gibson's Pattern Recognition and I will be picking up this book from the library. Between the two in-depth book discussions and the panel members talking about what they are reading at the moment, there is usually at least one book that piques my interest and therefore makes the program well worth watching.
Website:
http://www.abc.net.au/tv/firsttuesday/
A past program that stands out was July's, where they discussed Gillian Flynn's Sharp Objects and Charlotte Bronte's Jane Eyre. As it happens, I have read both books, one recently and the other at school, so it was interesting to hear other people's opinions. I can't say that I totally agreed with everyone's dislike of the characters in Sharp Objects. To me, the back story and solving of the mystery were always more paramount and I suppose that these days we have become somewhat inured to violence, especially if we read lots of crime fiction and watch lots of forensic or police shows on TV.
The comments on Jane Eyre came as a complete surprise, as I suppose I still have the youthful idea of Mr Rochester as a hero. This is one book, that I will have to read again just to see if it affects me the same way it did the panelists. A very enlightening discussion.
Another program that stood out was the one where Spanish author Carlos Ruiz Zafon was a panelist. I was really taken with his articulate and insightful views. I particularly enjoyed the panel discussion on William Gibson's Pattern Recognition and I will be picking up this book from the library. Between the two in-depth book discussions and the panel members talking about what they are reading at the moment, there is usually at least one book that piques my interest and therefore makes the program well worth watching.
Website:
http://www.abc.net.au/tv/firsttuesday/
Ongoing Task - Listen to programs about books & arts on the radio
Our teacher's suggestion that we listen to the program Books and Arts Daily on ABC Radio National was no hardship for me, as when I have the radio turned on, it is usually set to Radio National. But it is not the only program on RN to talk about books - there is Books+ on Sunday afternoon, Late Night Live with Phillip Adams, which often has a book review, and other programs like Life Matters which sometimes talks to authors - like the interesting discussion last week about "bibliotherapy" where reading is prescribed to help with all sorts of physical or mental ailments.
I drove home to the dulcet tones of Phillip Adams for years and have bought many a book after hearing him interview its author. Some have been interesting and entertaining like Douglas Rogers' tale of his parents staying on in Zimbabwe, or interesting and educational like Jennifer Homans' tome on the history of ballet.Others sounded so promising but delivered boredom, like Vicky Wards' story of Lehman Brothers.
The radio offers many chances to hear book reviews, author interviews, and broadcasts from festivals and other events. A couple of weekends ago, I listened to a whole afternoon of programs broadcast live from the Brisbane Writers Festival, and during the recent Melbourne Writers Festival, many authors were interviewed on a variety of programs - and all this going on in the background while you are doing something else like cooking or cleaning.
I love radio for that reason - it gives you the chance to listen to something interesting and stimulating (be it music or a discussion) while you are doing something productive. Win, win really.
References:
Homans, J. (2010). Apollo's angels: a history of ballet. London: Granta.
Mitchell, N. (Presenter). (2013, September 19). Life matters [Audio podcast]. Retrieved from http://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/lifematters/the-novel-cure/4965272
Rogers, D. (2010). The last resort. New York: Three Rivers Press.
Ward, V. (2010). The devil's casino. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons.
I drove home to the dulcet tones of Phillip Adams for years and have bought many a book after hearing him interview its author. Some have been interesting and entertaining like Douglas Rogers' tale of his parents staying on in Zimbabwe, or interesting and educational like Jennifer Homans' tome on the history of ballet.Others sounded so promising but delivered boredom, like Vicky Wards' story of Lehman Brothers.
The radio offers many chances to hear book reviews, author interviews, and broadcasts from festivals and other events. A couple of weekends ago, I listened to a whole afternoon of programs broadcast live from the Brisbane Writers Festival, and during the recent Melbourne Writers Festival, many authors were interviewed on a variety of programs - and all this going on in the background while you are doing something else like cooking or cleaning.
I love radio for that reason - it gives you the chance to listen to something interesting and stimulating (be it music or a discussion) while you are doing something productive. Win, win really.
References:
Homans, J. (2010). Apollo's angels: a history of ballet. London: Granta.
Mitchell, N. (Presenter). (2013, September 19). Life matters [Audio podcast]. Retrieved from http://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/lifematters/the-novel-cure/4965272
Rogers, D. (2010). The last resort. New York: Three Rivers Press.
Ward, V. (2010). The devil's casino. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons.
Thursday 12 September 2013
Task 5 - Literary Reviews, Journals and Awards
Where do you find literature reviews? (Be sure to distinguish between reviews & descriptions)
You will find literature reviews in specialist book review magazines (Australian Book Review), weekend newspapers (The Age), book publisher & distributor websites (James Bennett), magazine or newsletters (Library Journal Reviews), as well as blogs and other websites set up for the purpose of reviewing books(Good Reads).
What you are looking for in a literature (book) review is a critique of the author's style, the content and construction of the story, and the overall merit or otherwise of the book. By its very nature a review is nothing more that the reader's personal opinion, but it can be used by other readers to make a decision about reading a certain book.
What are some well-known literary journals for adults & children?
There are many well-known literary journals for adults - some obvious ones being - Australian Book Review, London Review of Books, the New York Times Book Review. In Australia, there is Meanjin, Southerly, Books+Publishing to name a few. In UK, there is Literary Review & Areté. In USA there is Publishers Weekly & Kirkus Reviews.
For children, the list is a bit shorter, with Magpies & The School Magazine in Australia, and Children's Literature & The Horn Book plus the plethora of publications from John Hopkins University in USA. And in UK, I found Carousel & Books for Keeps.
What literature promotion activities are on the Australian and English speaking worlds calendar each year or regularly at wider intervals of time?
I think you could be busy every day of the week with literature promotion activities for either adults or children. So lets start with children & young adults - every state of Australia seems to have a Premier's Reading Challenge ( Victoria's is winding up as I write this!), there are the Inky Awards, the Children's Book Week, the Reading Hour, the National Simultaneous Story Time, the MS Readathon, book fairs and a new one, National Indigenous Literacy Day.
For adults, every state has a Writers Festival of some sort, like Adelaide Writer's Week & the Queensland Poetry Festival, lots of annual book awards, World Book Day, Library Lovers Day, UNESCO World Poetry Day, Frankfurt International Book Fair in Germany, Tromsø International Literature Festival in Norway, London Literature Festival, UN International Year of Literacy (1990), National Year of Reading (2012), the list just goes on ....... and of course, adults get involved in some of the children's events, too.
What are two well-known "book towns" - one in Victoria and one in UK?
Clunes in the Victorian goldfields has a Book Festival in May each year, as well as hosting events like author talks and writing master classes throughout the year. It has a eclectic mix of bookshops selling new, rare and used books. This very picturesque town in a historical part of central Victoria has turned itself into a creative hub for books and writing.
Hay-on-Wye in Wales, just over the border from England, is the best known of the UK "book towns". It runs the Hay Festival of Literature & Arts in May each year, and also runs a film festival, a walking festival, a food festival & a vintage "fayre". Like Clunes, Hay has a good range of bookshops and runs various events associated with books & writing throughout the year.
What are some well-known literature promotion organisations in Australia and the other English speaking countries?
I'm not sure that all of the following could be classed as well-known, but they all have as their central premise for existing - the promotion of reading, writing and literature.
The Australia Council promotes many aspects of the arts, including literature in the form of Australian stories - http://www.australiacouncil.gov.au/artforms/literature
The Wheeler Centre is all about books, writing and ideas and uses many mediums to bring readers & writers together - http://wheelercentre.com/
The Victorian Premier's Reading Challenge is run every year for students from Prep to Year 10 - http://www.education.vic.gov.au/prc/default.htm
The Children's Book Council of Australia is the peak body for promoting children's literature in Australia - http://cbca.org.au/index.htm
Ireland Literature Exchange promotes Irish literature abroad by getting the best possible translations published overseas - http://www.irelandliterature.com/
The Poetry Society in UK "champions poetry for all ages" & hosts many events at the Poetry Cafe in Covent Garden - http://www.poetrysociety.org.uk/content/homepage/
Children's Literature Assembly is a US organisation which promotes the need for English teachers to have a wide knowledge of books published for children & young adults - http://www.childrensliteratureassembly.org/index.html
The Jewish Book Council promotes public awareness of books published about the Jewish experience - http://www.jewishbookcouncil.org/
What are the better known literary awards or prizes in Australia, US and UK for children's books and for adult fiction or poetry?
Even just choosing the better known awards and prizes, one could end up with a very long list, so here is a list of awards or prizes that I have heard of in the past.
INTERNATIONAL
Nobel Prize for Literature
Man Booker Prize
Goethe Prize
AUSTRALIA
Miles Franklin Award
The Stella Prize
Vogel Literary Award
UK
Orange Prize for Fiction
Costa Book Awards (formerly Whitbread)
USA
Pulitzer Prize
National Jewish Book Award
POETRY
CJ Dennis Prize for Poetry (AUS)
TS Eliot Prize (UK)
Walt Whitman Award (USA)
CHILDREN'S
Dromkeen Medal (AUS)
Kate Greenaway Medal (UK)
Caldecott Medal (USA)
You will find literature reviews in specialist book review magazines (Australian Book Review), weekend newspapers (The Age), book publisher & distributor websites (James Bennett), magazine or newsletters (Library Journal Reviews), as well as blogs and other websites set up for the purpose of reviewing books(Good Reads).
What you are looking for in a literature (book) review is a critique of the author's style, the content and construction of the story, and the overall merit or otherwise of the book. By its very nature a review is nothing more that the reader's personal opinion, but it can be used by other readers to make a decision about reading a certain book.
What are some well-known literary journals for adults & children?
There are many well-known literary journals for adults - some obvious ones being - Australian Book Review, London Review of Books, the New York Times Book Review. In Australia, there is Meanjin, Southerly, Books+Publishing to name a few. In UK, there is Literary Review & Areté. In USA there is Publishers Weekly & Kirkus Reviews.
For children, the list is a bit shorter, with Magpies & The School Magazine in Australia, and Children's Literature & The Horn Book plus the plethora of publications from John Hopkins University in USA. And in UK, I found Carousel & Books for Keeps.
What literature promotion activities are on the Australian and English speaking worlds calendar each year or regularly at wider intervals of time?
I think you could be busy every day of the week with literature promotion activities for either adults or children. So lets start with children & young adults - every state of Australia seems to have a Premier's Reading Challenge ( Victoria's is winding up as I write this!), there are the Inky Awards, the Children's Book Week, the Reading Hour, the National Simultaneous Story Time, the MS Readathon, book fairs and a new one, National Indigenous Literacy Day.
For adults, every state has a Writers Festival of some sort, like Adelaide Writer's Week & the Queensland Poetry Festival, lots of annual book awards, World Book Day, Library Lovers Day, UNESCO World Poetry Day, Frankfurt International Book Fair in Germany, Tromsø International Literature Festival in Norway, London Literature Festival, UN International Year of Literacy (1990), National Year of Reading (2012), the list just goes on ....... and of course, adults get involved in some of the children's events, too.
What are two well-known "book towns" - one in Victoria and one in UK?
Clunes in the Victorian goldfields has a Book Festival in May each year, as well as hosting events like author talks and writing master classes throughout the year. It has a eclectic mix of bookshops selling new, rare and used books. This very picturesque town in a historical part of central Victoria has turned itself into a creative hub for books and writing.
Hay-on-Wye in Wales, just over the border from England, is the best known of the UK "book towns". It runs the Hay Festival of Literature & Arts in May each year, and also runs a film festival, a walking festival, a food festival & a vintage "fayre". Like Clunes, Hay has a good range of bookshops and runs various events associated with books & writing throughout the year.
What are some well-known literature promotion organisations in Australia and the other English speaking countries?
I'm not sure that all of the following could be classed as well-known, but they all have as their central premise for existing - the promotion of reading, writing and literature.
The Australia Council promotes many aspects of the arts, including literature in the form of Australian stories - http://www.australiacouncil.gov.au/artforms/literature
The Wheeler Centre is all about books, writing and ideas and uses many mediums to bring readers & writers together - http://wheelercentre.com/
The Victorian Premier's Reading Challenge is run every year for students from Prep to Year 10 - http://www.education.vic.gov.au/prc/default.htm
The Children's Book Council of Australia is the peak body for promoting children's literature in Australia - http://cbca.org.au/index.htm
Ireland Literature Exchange promotes Irish literature abroad by getting the best possible translations published overseas - http://www.irelandliterature.com/
The Poetry Society in UK "champions poetry for all ages" & hosts many events at the Poetry Cafe in Covent Garden - http://www.poetrysociety.org.uk/content/homepage/
Children's Literature Assembly is a US organisation which promotes the need for English teachers to have a wide knowledge of books published for children & young adults - http://www.childrensliteratureassembly.org/index.html
The Jewish Book Council promotes public awareness of books published about the Jewish experience - http://www.jewishbookcouncil.org/
What are the better known literary awards or prizes in Australia, US and UK for children's books and for adult fiction or poetry?
Even just choosing the better known awards and prizes, one could end up with a very long list, so here is a list of awards or prizes that I have heard of in the past.
INTERNATIONAL
Nobel Prize for Literature
Man Booker Prize
Goethe Prize
AUSTRALIA
Miles Franklin Award
The Stella Prize
Vogel Literary Award
UK
Orange Prize for Fiction
Costa Book Awards (formerly Whitbread)
USA
Pulitzer Prize
National Jewish Book Award
POETRY
CJ Dennis Prize for Poetry (AUS)
TS Eliot Prize (UK)
Walt Whitman Award (USA)
CHILDREN'S
Dromkeen Medal (AUS)
Kate Greenaway Medal (UK)
Caldecott Medal (USA)
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