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E-Newsletters…
Poetry Issues
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Scottish Poetry Library Poetry Issues
What's on your to-do list for reader development this spring?
"Item 5: give poetry section spring clean.
Buy some new titles - which ones?? NB: Book group want me to pick some
poems for tomorrow night and lead discussion. Where do I START?"
Easy. Just book a place on our Poetry in the Branches training session in June, and brush up on everything you need to know. Then download a poem ready for book group discussions, explore new poetry title listings, get new free updates for your Poetry Resource Box and more...
What works… to boost your audience
figures? Try this!
"Do you need to build up audiences for your library's poetry events?
Contact local writers' groups and take your readings to their meetings. In Aberdeen, our sharing the evening with The Dead Good Poets Society at their venue has lifted audiences for poetry into the 25-40 bracket. In addition to numbers attending, good positive links grow from such contact."
John Smith, Central Library, Aberdeen
What should I buy…?
Lots of you asked us for a recommendation for at
least one poetry book to buy every quarter. You don't have time to go
searching!
Here's one solution - the Poetry Book Society's quarterly pick of the
new UK poetry books. And they've got a special offer for those of you
who take part in our 'Poetry in the Branches' training sessions.
PBS Choice: Spring 2007
For All We Know
Ciaran Carson
ISBN
9781852354398
RRP €12.95
For All We Know is the Poetry Book Society's Selectors'
Choice for the quarter. They say, 'a remarkable work, richly
detailed, subtle, intricate and moving.' A man and a woman meet
just before a bomb goes off; this is their love story, in sonnets.
And wouldn't this be a good match with your reading groups'
choice of fiction? It's described as 'novelistic', with references
to film noir, Cold War thriller, fairy story, the art of the
fugue...
Visit the PBS website and browse their quarterly recommendations:
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PBS Special Offers
The Poetry Book Society think that what you do is so important
in developing poetry readers, they are offering two special deals
for everyone who takes part in Poetry in the Branches (Scotland)
training.
1. Magic wand required for poetry stock selection? If you'd
like five new poetry titles to arrive on your desk every three months
for the next year, have a look at the special offer on a year's
Charter Membership.
2. Or would you like to get a head start on making your
own selection? Try out the virtual benefits of PBS membership for
a year, absolutely for free, not a penny, nothing, and see how the
PBS Bulletin will give you the low-down on a range of new titles.
Enjoy!
Email Lilias Fraser
to set up either of the following special offers, with PitB Scotland
Offers in the subject line. |
OFFER
1: 15% trial discount on PBS Charter Membership
You'll be sent each quarterly PBS Choice title
plus the four Recommendation titles, for a year. This works out
at 20 books over the year - and you get copies of the PBS Bulletin
with the Selectors' reviews and poets' comments free.
› More about PBS
Charter Membership |
OFFER 2: FREE online
access to the PBS Bulletin for a year
Find out how PBS membership, and all the extras
in the PBS Bulletin, will help keep you up to date with new poetry
titles, and give you well-written guidance on content. You'll need
a membership number to log on, supplied.
› More about the PBS
Bulletin |
New Poetry List
Check out our listings of the newest Scottish poetry
and related titles.
What shall we read…? Reading
group suggestions
Jim Carruth's poem 'The Big Mistake' contains plenty to talk about, whether your reading group members are from sheep farming country or a hustling metropolis... Our helpful PDF includes some questions
to help start everyone off.
Remember, with Shared
Inquiry, the facilitator is not there as 'teacher' with all the
answers - you just need to get that discussion going, then keep it on
track!
If you want to share some introductory information with your group,
why not show them the poem, with poet's and editor's comments, in Best
Scottish Poems 2007?
Slim volumes but not slim pickings!
Julie Johnstone is always on the look out for new poetry pamphlets. As the Scottish Poetry Library's Librarian, she buys poetry for the collection in all sorts of formats, but poetry pamphlets are an ever-important part of acquisitions policy.
Interested in building up your own collection? Here are just a few of Julie's comments and suggestions:
- At the Scottish Poetry Library we seek to collect, catalogue and make available to the public a wide range of poetry pamphlets, from Scotland, the rest of the UK, and Europe. We hold over 2,000 pamphlets, and almost half of these are available for borrowing.
- Pamphlets are exciting; they can be beautifully designed and their contents can bring unexpected delights. Major poets will often publish a short thematic or experimental collection in pamphlet form – and most new poets find that a pamphlet will be their first step on the road to being a published poet, so maintaining a collection is a significant way to support local writers, and can be linked into work with writers' groups and informal readings.
- The Scottish Pamphlet Poetry website is a perfect first stop to view and purchase many of the pamphlets being published today. Visit
 www.scottish-pamphlet-poetry.com to browse many small publishers and find out more about the pamphlet scene, and about the annual Callum Macdonald Memorial Award for pamphlets, run in collaboration with the National Library of Scotland. The magazine Sphinx is dedicated to reviewing poetry pamphlets from all over the UK, find out more at www.happenstancepress.com.
- Consider having just a small stand-alone display shelf in the library for pamphlets – they don't take up too much space. Or alternatively, like us, you could have a small section of pamphlet boxes. Our twice-yearly
 New Poetry Titles listing includes all the pamphlets we come across, with the ‘p' prefix on the shelf mark.
- Encourage your local poets to donate 2 copies of their pamphlets to us, so we can keep them in our collection.
Update your Poetry Box…
Get refreshed with:
Search SPL Catalogue for…
Are you busy with events and displays for spring,
even planning for summer reading promotions? It's International
Women's Day on 8 March (and, we're intrigued to note, World
Frog Day on
20 March - so, can you still recite 'The Puddock'?).
Whatever you choose, you can use our unique online
catalogue INSPIRE to search for poetry by theme.
Read
'The
Puddock' on the Scottish Poetry Library Website
 Search
the SPL catalogue or search
ScotBib by year
And did you know you can use the ScotBib feature in our catalogue
to see Scottish poetry titles listed by year of publication?
Join us for the next Poetry in the
Branches training
'Poetry in the Branches' is a training session for librarians, helping
you add poetry know-how to your skills. Get the confidence to try poetry
with your reading groups, explore event formats, swap tips on display
and promotion, meet our Poets in Residence and rediscover your enthusiasm
for including poetry in the life of your library!
Originally developed by Poets House New York, they've helped us adapt the training specially for Scottish library colleagues. Here's what librarians said about PitB Scotland:
'Interesting … enjoyable … practical …
opens up poetry and takes away the fear factor!'
Places cost just £40, including catering and the invaluable
course handbook developed by Poets House. Contact Lilias
Fraser to find out about booking your place early.
Edinburgh, 5 & 6 June 2008
The next 'Poetry in the Branches' training will be in our purpose-built
poetry library in Edinburgh.
Download your outline
schedule and booking forms now, and book by 27 May.
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Autumn 2008
PitB training venue outside Edinburgh to be confirmed.
This year's external training session was hosted by Elgin Library. |
Benefits for Library Friends
Get a Library Friends subscription for £40
per year and receive:
- Copies of all Poetry Box tip sheets to date on joining
- 10 copies of Poetry Reader, our biannual newspaper with
poetry news, SPL updates and reading ideas - individual subscribers
receive 1 copy
- Discount on our 'Poetry in the Branches' librarians' training events
- 50% off the course fee for up to 4 people from your library (training
in 2008 and 2009)
- Full New Scottish Titles list for the last six months, listing
all the Scottish poetry publications we are aware of, including ISBN
and price and a brief description of each publication (only Library
subscribers receive this full information listing for the most recent
six month period)
- Subscribe
to SPL Friends
Who'd like Poetry Issues?
Please forward this to any library colleagues you think will be interested.
(Only registered PitB participants can take up the PBS special offer.)
What do you think of Poetry Issues?
Send comments on this issue and suggestions for the next issue to Lilias
Fraser, SPL's Reader Development Officer.
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Issue 2, February 2008
What works…?
Tried and tested ideas to build interest in poetry, and save your budget? Can it be true? Share yours!
What should I buy…?
Poetry titles recommended by the Poetry Book Society, PBS special offers
and more.
What shall we read…?
Print off a poem complete with questions to start your Shared Inquiry discussion; snap up PBS special offers.
Slim vols…?
Pamphlets are an important way to develop your poetry collection and involve
local writers.
Update your Poetry Box…
NEW updates for spring - download now!
Search SPL catalogue for…
Get ahead with finding poems for your next display by searching SPL's unique online poetry
catalogue, INSPIRE.
Poetry in the Branches
Book for our June training now. Swap tips, explore event
formats, and meet our Poets in Residence.
Benefits for Library Friends
Become an SPL Library Friend for discounts on training, full publications
lists, and more.
Who'd like Poetry Issues?
Subscribe now to receive your regular e-newsletter.
BOOKMARK THESE!
www.saltpublishing.com
Have you seen this new kid on the poetry publishing block?
www.poetshouse.org
New York's fabulous poetry library - the home of Poetry in the Branches training for librarians
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