reading

Additional funding for successful library wellbeing scheme

A pioneering scheme designed to improve people’s memory and mental wellbeing through shared reading is being rolled out across libraries in Devon next week. (Monday 21 January)

Devon County Council has joined forces with national charity The Reader Organisation to expand the successful ‘Get Into Reading' programme, and create 'Reading Together in Devon' - a county-wide network of 'Library Memory Groups' and 'Feel Better with a Book' groups.

A year-long pilot of ‘Library Memory Groups’ was launched in Devon County Council’s Libraries in Tiverton and Exeter Central two years...

Festive fun and Xmas opening hours at Devon’s libraries

Christmas is coming and to help everyone get in the mood Devon County Council’s Libraries have lined up an exciting programme of events for residents to enjoy over the festive period.

Fun activities to entertain residents, both young and old during the Christmas holidays include everything from arts and craft workshops to storytelling and festive competitions. Most of them are offered free of charge!

Events include a Christmas craft bonanza at Newton Abbot Library on Saturday 15th December, decoration making at Ivybridge Library on Saturday 22th December and festive face...

Be part of Crediton's new Community book store

The Book Shop on Crediton High Street took a big step towards a new social enterprise era on Saturday 17th November with the launch of the share issue to create Crediton Community Bookshop.

The enterprise has already gained outstanding support. Patrons have been announced as Dame Babette Cole , Michael Morpurgo , Mal Peet and William Trevor . Speaking about them earlier this year, Michael Morpurgo said: "Every town needs a great book shop. Crediton has one. Long may it continue!"

The committee behind the initiative is full of plans to make this not just a...

We're here to give students a helping hand in life

‘Hurry up and employ a teenager while they still know everything’ the bumper sticker said. However, many of today’s teenagers leave school with low literacy and numeracy levels. Currently, there are well over one million 16 to 24 year olds out of work and a distressing percentage are unemployable. The TV show, ‘Young, Dumb and Living with Mum’ highlighted this very fact. School years had been wasted. In Britain 17 million adults cannot do basic maths and have only the ability of an 11 year old. Richard Humphries, chairman of National Numeracy and also the former chief of the UK Commission...

Majority of Britain’s youth can’t read a map

Authored by Mary Youlden
Posted: Fri, 12/19/2014 - 10:29pm

When traipsing through a busy city centre or strolling through rural areas, pulling out a huge paper map that takes 10 minutes to pinpoint where you are, is a thing of the past. It seems now that we no longer rely on once trusty maps but have near enough fully turned to digital navigation, as 85% of 18-24 year olds do not know how to read a map.

It was around 6 years ago that maps became available for mobile, revolutionising the way we navigated. Now, around 45% of 18-24 year olds utilise maps on their smartphone to navigate and a third (32%) are totally reliant on the internet to...

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