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25 November 2002 This website now lists libraries or arts organisations that are engaged in projects based on partnerships between the libraries and the arts. At the moment many of the projects listed were undertaken as part of the Books Connect Project, but the list has begun to expand on this. 8 October 2002 An important objective embodied in the Books Connect Project entailed the exploration of novel methods of evaluating the impact of creative activity of this nature on target audiences and/or participants, as well as the way in which those involved in organisation and delivery were influenced. The approach chosen employed a specially created evaluation 'toolkit' that was to be applied generally throughout the Project. It comprised a set of audience questionnaires and interview schedules as well as templates to gather reviews from co-ordinators, and accounts of artists and partners' experience of events and initiatives. In the event, a large amount of evaluative data - both quantitative and qualitative, have been collected during the course of the Project, and they have been comprehensively analysed, by the Library and Information Statistics Unit (LISU). The findings are very positive and the Project has proved a resounding success in terms of meeting its key aims, as well as making other significant achievements. The Project has demonstrated the value of the cross-sectoral approach in raising awareness of the cultural agencies in the community and in promoting access to culture and reading. The Project has clearly assisted in attracting new audiences to libraries, arts venues and museums across the region. Overall, almost half of the audience members and/or participants who gave feedback had not previously attended the venue in which an event was taking place. It is also most encouraging that the Project has, as it intended, involved a wide spectrum of age groups, from children to senior citizens. Some events were geared to specific community groups with notable success. The Project has nurtured learning and altered perceptions. The vast majority of respondents claimed either to have learnt something new at events and workshops, or that their experience at an event/workshop had stimulated them to contemplate issues in a new light. Around two thirds of those interviewed affirmed that attending an event had changed their attitude to reading. All of the participating agencies regarded the partnerships created during the Project as being successful and sustainable, and the majority plan to work together in the future. There are already three new projects in operation that have been founded on the cross-sectoral working model of the Books Connect Project. These include storytelling events, a music and poetry performance and drama workshops. A further aspect of sustainability is that audience feedback confirms that there is much enthusiasm for more events of this nature to be available in the future. The Project has also successfully piloted new ways of evaluating the impact of creative activity on audiences and participants. The 'toolkit' was found to be sufficiently flexible and robust to provide a useful way of evaluating what were sometimes very different projects involving different partners and different authorities, in a uniform way. 5 September 2002 Thursday, 7th November 2002 The Books Connect national conference focuses on planning and sustaining creative partnerships between arts, libraries and museums. The conference will showcase a range of ground breaking reading inspired partnership models drawn from Books Connect. This is a conference for artists, arts administrators, librarians and museum and galleries professionals with responsibility for planning, developing and funding creative initiatives with strategic outreach and access potential. 1 July 2002 We would like to invite libraries or arts organisations that are engaged in projects, based on partnerships between the libraries and the arts, to submit details for inclusion on the database of projects on this website. At the moment the database consists of the nine projects undertaken as part of the Books Connect Project, but it has always been the intention to expand on this.
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