GBP £
USD $
CAD $
I have gained a better understanding of what Reading for Wellbeing means and the reason for doing it - more than just a book club. The course has made explaining my role so much easier. Finding out about perceptions of book covers and how important they are was crucial and I appreciated the in-depth feedback and option to review after the mentor has discussed your answers with you.
- Community reading facilitators
- Community-based
- Advanced
Reading for Wellbeing: Community-based
This course is for community and non-profit sector staff who want a new approach to engaging with people facing life's challenges, through one-to-one conversations or group settings.
You will gain practical strategies, expert guidance and free resources to help you use reading to make meaningful connections. The course will build your confidence to talk about reading with everyone, including people who do not see themselves as readers or who have not read for pleasure for a long time. You will learn how to start conversations and suggest books and other resources that connect with people's interests and needs.
Your Mentor will give detailed feedback and support on your tasks. Their role is to use their experience to stretch your thinking and to help you plan how to make a positive difference to the wellbeing of a wide range of people in your community.
The course was developed with sponsorship from crime writer Ann Cleeves, who is a passionate advocate for the wellbeing benefits of reading for pleasure.
27 completed · 16 organizations
Learning outcomes
By the end of this course, you will be able to:
Explain how reading for pleasure can contribute to wellbeing and recognise the diversity of reading experiences across different individuals and communities
Identify your own reading preferences and preconceptions, and reflect on how these may influence your role as a reading advocate
Demonstrate active listening skills and use reader-centred conversation techniques to engage people about their reading lives
Recognise the characteristics of readers in all their forms, including those who do not see themselves as readers, and apply strategies to connect with diverse audiences
Evaluate books by analysing their covers and other marketing elements to understand what reading experiences they offer
Select and create a diverse, accessible capsule collection of reading materials in multiple formats to support your work with specific communities
Apply knowledge of different reading formats, including audiobooks, graphic fiction and poetry, to meet the varied needs of readers
Plan and facilitate reading conversations and group sessions that prioritise reader choice and enjoyment
01 Getting people reading
- What is a reader?
- Love it or loathe it
- The reading experience
- People who don’t do books
- Engaging with parents through their children
- Listening skills
- Finding connections
- Explaining your role
02 Building your resources
- Choosing a book by its cover
- Using different formats
- Graphics for adults and children
- Reading out loud
- Range and variety
- Targeting your audience
- Build a capsule collection of resources
How long do I have to complete the course?
You can start any time and work through the material at your own pace.
Do I get a certificate?
Yes. A certificate is issued automatically once you've completed the self-assessment.
Can my whole team take it?
Yes - bulk discounts on 10+ places. Get a team quote →
What format is the course in?
Online text with illustrated examples, interactive exercises, audio and practical exercises you complete in your own library.
How accessible are the courses?
Self-paced with adjustable text size, width and contrast, plus an audio version with read-along text in every course. More about accessibility →
What learners say
I found the discussion around genres and types of books helpful. The sections about what judgements you can make from the book cover and how this might relate to individuals and groups was interesting. I am definitely more confident now and have begun the process of increasing my book knowledge. The reflective nature of the information was really thought-provoking and the case studies were great - they really got me thinking about applying the knowledge. I found having discussions with my mentor really helpful and it made it a more personal experience. The feedback on this course is very in-depth and provoked a lot of thought about how to approach each task.
Not coming from a library background it was very useful and good to feel supported and get feedback that I was on the right track. I enjoyed the activities especially using book covers as an ice-breaker and a way in to talk about books.
I had a lovely time doing the course and reflecting on my own and others' experiences of reading. The visual resources were great and it was really fun playing the games with them and seeing how these could be good icebreakers for groups/individual sessions. The links to research were interesting and I liked being able to see how the theory linked to practice. It felt like a well-rounded course that covered everything I felt I needed. Mentor discussions were really useful for picking up on things I may have missed.
I have really enjoyed the experience of the Reading for Wellbeing course - thank you so much for your feedback and encouragement! I'm sure the practice will inform our projects, especially in terms of how we prepare to engage with a wide audience of people from different backgrounds/situations/issues and encourage them to read without making them feel intimidated.
The whole course feels as if it has been put together by people who are deeply immersed in the subject and thoughtful about how to achieve key aims. The variety and range of reading resources used as examples is really useful and I liked preparing for the work in my job by doing real tasks. Having a dialogue with my mentor was incredibly valuable. The feedback was detailed and geared towards the future.
I found the Information very useful and informative with really good activity suggestions eg grab a book. I've now got lots of ideas to help with recommending books and I enjoyed putting the capsule collection together before I meet people.
The online format was easy to use. I found the exercises that I can use in sessions really helpful, and so was the opportunity to practice pulling a book selection together, especially with feedback from my mentor.
$270.00
per place