The document discusses a three-pronged approach to encouraging leisure reading at Loughborough University: 1) A Leisure Reading Collection with a wide variety of genres and mood-boosting titles, 2) A Student Book Club that discusses themes books, and 3) A BookCrossing program where students share books across campus and around the world. It also explains that the university is transferring ownership of the Student Book Club to the Student Union to ensure its long-term sustainability while freeing up library staff time and resources. The overall goal is to promote the mental health benefits of reading for pleasure and increase academic achievement.

1. Encouraging leisure reading at Loughborough:
a three-pronged approach and why handing
over the Student Book Club baton is a positive step
SHARON REID

2. Book Doctoring
Discuss in
pairs and
feedback to
the rest of the
group:
“…………made me feel
better because…………”

3. Why leisure reading at Loughborough?
• Sound pedagogical reasons:
“Frequency of reading for pleasure correlates
strongly with academic achievement” (1)
• Proven mental health benefits:
“Research shows that reading improves mental
wellbeing, and reduces stress levels by 67%”
(2)
(1). National Endowment for the Arts (2007) To read or not to read: a question of
national consequence. Washington: National Endowment for the Arts
(2). Galaxy Research, Mindlab International, 2009, cited by The Reading Agency
Reading Well. [Online]. Available at: http://readingagency.org.uk/adults/quick-
guides/reading-well/ (Accessed: 4 December 2013)

4. • Student Book Club
• Leisure Reading Collection
• BookCrossing
• World Book Night
• Radar (University book club)
• Spread the word: Internal events; conferences;
local radio; partnership with public library
service
Library-wide Reading Development Group
All guns blazing!

5. Leisure Reading Collection

6. • Standalone Collection with bespoke shelving and
comfortable seating area
• Wide range of genres + Mood-boosting titles +
self-help Books-on-Prescription titles
• Annual budget of £300 plus £5000 from a bid for
sustainable funding
972 leisure
reading titles

8. • Wicker baskets across campus
• 3019 books registered to date
• Advertise for donations
• Restocking rota replaced by ad hoc
arrangement
• “I’m free! Pick me up!” logo to raise visibility

9. The book is advertised as hilarious etc, but
it made me cry. It could so easily have been
about my family …Thank you, Natasha, for
writing this book and thank you,
Loughborough University, for enabling me
to see it while I was waiting for coffee. I will
pass it on to others in the family.
Picked the book up in Hue [sic], read it
through Vietnam and Indonesia. Left the
book in Six Degrees Hostel, Jakarta.
“
”
“
”

10. Student Book Club

11. Themed official launch

12. Weighing it up
Pros Cons
Fluctuating
attendance
Staff time
Financial
constraints
Engagement
Positive
feedback
Fun to do!

13. “To join a club that doesn't
have a drinking culture”
“I prefer the library running
the club, it involves the
librarians and the students.
The librarians act as a
mediator for the club. And I
love the team in the library.”
“I'm on placement this year
but am hoping it is still
running when I get back! It
was how I met my boyfriend
:)”
“To encourage me to read
for pleasure more regularly”
100% of respondents

14. Offering the Student Book Club… to the
Student Union

15. Mood-boosting tree
for University Mental
Health & Wellbeing
Day
Other stuff …

16. World Book Night

17. • Leisure reading collections
• Student book clubs
• Book-sharing
• Encouraging reading
Your top leisure reading tips!

18. Inspiring Winners Since 1909
Thank you!
Sharon Reid
s.d.reid@lboro.ac.uk

19. “A book is not only a friend, it
makes friends for you. When you
have possessed a book with mind
and spirit, you are enriched. But
when you pass it on you are
enriched threefold”
Henry Miller
The Books in my Life, 1969