We have recently launched a new initiative to promote reading in Uzbekistan and Tajikistan –reading for pleasure, reading for information, reading to learn.

In May 2004 we started a readers’ club for our Learning Centre members and over a short period of time the club has developed and become one of the most popular services of our Learning Centre. More..

Encouraged by the feedback that we received from members of the Readers’ club we launched a new project aiming to develop a model and methodology of the Readers’ club for self-access centres, libraries, universities and teachers’ associations in Uzbekistan and Tajikistan.

So, in January 2005 we ran a successful workshop for future Readers’ club facilitators where 21 participants from Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and Kazakhstan discussed practical aspects of reading groups, had hands-on experience in discussion groups and explored ways to involve readers in various creative activities (creative drawing, collage creation etc).

As a result of the workshop participants developed guidelines for a successful Readers’ club and a training video was produced.

The workshop was facilitated by Tom Forrest, a freelance consultant; Director of Opening the Book - the UK’s leading reader development organisation.

The next stages of the project are to help our partners establish 8 pilot Readers’ clubs in Uzbekistan and Tajikistan initially; to test the effect of the reading groups on self-development and foreign language learning; and create a network of Readers’ clubs and help them establish contacts with readers from other countries.

If you want to know more about this project click here