Shared reading is a library reading event like no other. A staff member who has been trained in the practice of Shared Reading provides the a quiet space and a specially chosen text – a poem or story. The piece of literature is then read aloud. The staff member invites the group to respond to the text: to share their thoughts, feelings or memories inspired by the text. Group members are invited to read the text out loud themselves. However, there is no pressure to do so. You may simply attend and sit back and listen. Also, unlike a book club, the text is unseen – so, there is no preparation required. The Shared Reading session is a real-time, in real-life and, most importantly, shared event. Everyone in attendance experiences the text in their own way. The piece of literature, however, provides a shared language that can help us to understand ourselves and others better.
