Launch of Centre for Research into Reading, Information and Linguistics Systems

Earlier today I joined several of my colleagues from The Reader Organisation at University of Liverpool, for the launch of the Centre for Research into Reading, Information and Linguistic Systems, (CRILS).  CRILS is being led by former Head of the School of the Arts and editor of our very own Reader magazine, Professor Philip Davis.

Phil has set up the centre to "establish more real world links, rather than just be inside a discipline", and see analysis of the benefits of reading, in groups or alone, be translated into policy. Amongst us Reader folk enjoying delicious sandwiches were developmental and clinical psychologists, occupational therapists, health scientists, social anthropologists, and doctors.

The Centre will work in partnership with us in a variety of ways, providing a strong link between our practical delivery and their research, in the hope there can be an influence on public policy. This is knowledge exchange at its very strongest and most real. An example of this in practice is the Therapeutic Benefits of Reading in Relation to Depression, which was a collaborative research project between ourselves, the University and the Primary Care Trust, the findings of which were published last year and have fed directly into winning new Get Into Reading commissions and providing a way to measure the quality of group delivery.

CRILS is creating a demonstrable model of practice, which if successful could be rolled out nationally. We're excited to see what's in store and in working with the centre to further develop that Reading Revolution...