A book chain is a classic reader development project. It capitalises on the flow of books from one reader to another and provides the means for readers to express their opinions about the books to each other. It is an opportunity for readers to extend the range of fiction they are reading and to get the odd surprise.
(Source: Opening the Book)
In 1996 the first-ever library-based bookchain was started at Pontefract Library by Olive Fowler from Opening the Book and Pam Yates from Wakefield Libraries (at the time, based at Pontefract). Since then, it has run for readers, almost without a break, for nine years and, in 1997, played an important part in the setting up of Pontefract Library Readers’ Group.
In 2003, Pontefract Library Readers’ group was granted funding to re-vamp the library-based bookchain and pilot an email bookchain. The latter aimed to reach out to readers virtually - both in Pontefract and beyond and now boasts readers from Denmark, Thailand, Holland and France as well as Yorkshire and other parts of the UK. In the hope of spreading the word further, bookchain organiser, Fiona Edwards, has written two practical information packs to encourage libraries without bookchains to get something started. You can access both information packs by clicking on the headings below.
