2012 is the National Year of Reading and LINC Tasmania is planning an exciting year of events and activities.
The National Year of Reading is a collaborative project initiated by state and public libraries across Australia. It is coordinated by the Library Agency, with major funding from the Australian Government Office for the Arts, the Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations, the Copyright Agency Ltd and the Sidney Myer Fund. It has support from a broad range of government agencies, community groups, media and commercial partners. Together we are collaborating to achieve three main goals:
BookCrossing Tasmania, is a special initiative developed by LINC Tasmania to celebrate the 2012 National Year of Reading. Its aims are to promote the benefits of recreational reading, to a wide Tasmanian audience, and to profile Tasmanian writers and writing. The key message at the heart of the BookCrossing Tasmania project is "reading is for everyone, anywhere".
BookCrossing was first launched in the US in 2001 and is now active in 132 countries. Books are registered on the BookCrossing website www.bookcrossing.com and then released into the community by being left in a public place with an invitation to passers by to pick up, read and share.
For the National Year of Reading, LINC Tasmania has developed "BookCrossing Tasmania". A diverse range of books will be released including romance titles, young adult and popular fiction, literature and non-fiction. All books are either by Tasmanian writers or are about Tasmania.
Books are donated by publishers and writers - we anticipate over 200 books being distributed over the life of the project.
Labels on the front cover and inside sleeve of each book encourage people to pick up BookCrossing books wherever they find them, to read them and share them by leaving them in a public place and registering details online. The books are registered and tracked on www.bookcrossing.com, as well as the BookCrossing Tasmania Facebook page www.facebook.com/bookcrossingtasmania. Directions, clues and images of the books in situ can be posted online.
LINC Tasmania will release the books in batches and in a range of locations, including LINCs, libraries and OACs, Metro Buses (an official BookCrossing Tasmania partner) and other Official BookCrossing Zones (OBCZs).
BookCrossing Tasmania Official BookCrossing zones will be listed on the BookCrossing Tasmania Facebook site.
Books will be released in batches from the launch date of 14th February until the National Year of Reading 'Reading Hour' event on 25 August 2012. The first batch released includes:
LINC Tasmania presents this fun, spontaneous program for youth, coordinated nationally by Gosford City Library as an initiative for the National Year of Reading.
Drawing inspiration from the Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants series by Ann Brashares, the program sees nine pairs of jeans travelling between 40 rural, metropolitan and regional public libraries around Australia. The jeans will travel for 6 months roving from Tasmania to Alice Springs, Charters Towers to Mandurah and many places in between.
Jean Genies will be happening in the following LINCs around Tasmania during 2012:
| 5 - 23 March | Devonport LINC |
| 10 - 30 April | Burnie LINC & Huon LINC |
| 14 May - 1 June | Hobart LINC, Queenstown LINC & Kingston LINC |
| 18 June - 11 July | Rosny LINC |
Australians have voted and we now have the 'Our Story' collection; a list of eight titles - one from each state and territory - which, when read together, attempt to describe the Australian experience. Each state has voted on their favourite book - chosen from a shortlist of six. The National Year of Reading has announced the eight winning titles to mark the start of Australia's biggest book group and a year long discussion about the books the nation has chosen.
Existing book groups, new groups and individual readers can go online and register as a member of Our Story, joining in the discussion about the books the nation has chosen. For more information go to the website www.love2read.org.au or visit http://www.thereadingroom.com/book-club/national-year-of-reading/1921.
The winning titles are:
TAS - Wanting, Richard Flanagan
ACT - Smoke and Mirrors, Kel Robertson
NSW - The Idea of Home, John Hughes
NT - Listening to Country, Ros Moriarty
QLD - The White Earth, Andrew McGahan
SA - Time's Long Ruin, Stephen Orr
VIC - Well Done, Those Men, Barry Heard
WA - Jasper Jones, Craig Silvey
| KEY DATES in 2012 | EVENT/ PROGRAM |
| 14 February | NYR Official Launch. |
| All year | Our Story - National Year of Reading Collection for Australia's biggest book group. |
| 14 February - 31 December | BookCrossing Tasmania - promoting recreational reading and Tasmanian writers and writing. |
| 1 March - 31 July | Read this! A national competition for teens. Aim is to write the best book promotion. |
| 5 March - 11 July | Jean Genies - creative workshops for young teens held in LINCs across Tasmania. |
| 21 May - to 31 August | Join your local library! Public Library Membership Drive - a national campaign to coincide with Library and Information week. |
| 23 May | National Simultaneous Storytime. |
| June/July | Six Book Challenge - reading program for adults in the workplace and community. |
| 4 - 18 June | Are We There Yet? - National writing competition for under 12's. Kingston LINC will also host exhibition of the art work from Alison Lester's children's picture book. |
| 18 June - 24 August | The Premier's Reading Challenge - a program that challenges children to read more and to read more widely. For all children in prep to grade 6. |
| 25 August, 6-7 pm | The Reading Hour a reader development initiative held nationally and to be promoted locally through LINC Tasmania libraries and learning networks. For all ages. |
| 26 October | Launch of adult literacy network. |
