I have received this email Councillor James Powney:
" I am Lead Member for libraries in the London Borough of Brent.
I just thought you might be interested that I have pursued the idea you have blogged on of giving all school children in a Brent school a library card and encouraging them to borrow and read.
We have now written to all schools suggesting this, asking them to sign up pupils en bloc, using the school address. We have a special school library card, and the school is not responsible for fines. Subject to budget, we will also be trying to organising school visits, and of course as many visits to library events as we can. The child's address needs to be held by the school for Data Protection reasons.
We have only just started this scheme so I can't say how successful it will turn out to be. I just thought you might like to know your idea had borne fruit."
End.
[to tell the truth I heard the suggestion from someone else - sad to say, forgotten who - and I've circulated it ever since. I'll only take credit for the dissemination not the invention!]
