We will update this page with news about relevant upcoming webinars and in-person events.

Quick Reads in Prisons Webinar

Below is information on an upcoming webinar (Tuesday 25 August 2026) run by the Reading Agency, which will give an overview of their Quick Reads in Prisons project.

We’re delighted to provide an overview of the Quick Reads in Prisons project, a landmark reading engagement programme that will see nearly 500,000 Quick Reads books gifted across prisons in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland later this year as part of the National Year of Reading.

Many of you may already have heard about the project at June’s Reading in Prisons Day, via JISCMAIL, and following our HMPPS tutorial, and we’re pleased to now be able to share more detail directly with our prison library network. Prison libraries have been central to shaping the programme from the outset through the CILIP Prison Libraries Group, the book selection survey, and co-production sessions with prison staff and people in custody. 

Prison libraries will play a central role in bringing the programme to life, receiving specifically allocated co-produced book collections and resources, author content and providing reading expertise and support.  We’re looking forward to continuing to work with you over the coming months to deliver this exciting programme.

One of our first priorities is to ensure we have the right contacts for every establishment which we’re doing in collaboration with HMPPS. Prison contacts have been asked to connect with their library colleagues, so please keep an eye out for emails from them or get in touch with them directly. 

This is the first of a series of updates as we move towards the campaign launch. Over the coming weeks we’ll be sharing further information about book distribution, promotional materials, National Prison Radio activity, author residencies and ways to help engage readers locally. 

We’ll also be running a webinar for prison library teams on Tuesday 25 August 10.00am which will cover:

  • The aims of the project
  • What your prison and library can expect over the coming months
  • Information about the Quick Reads prison collection
  • How the books can be used to support reading for pleasure and existing reading activity
  • The resources and support that will be available throughout the campaign

Register for the webinar here: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_ujpCCCKkTTGjCLpmEujjvA

We’re incredibly excited about the potential of this project and look forward to working with you to inspire more people in custody to discover the enjoyment of reading.

If you have any questions in the meantime, please don’t hesitate to get in touch at info@readingagency.org.uk

With best wishes,

The Reading Agency

Neurodivergent Library and information staff network (NLISN)

The Neurodivergent Library and Information Staff Network (NLISN) is a peer support network for neurodivergent library and information staff across the UK and Ireland. You can sign up as a member (for free or a voluntary contribution) and join their JISCMail list to hear news from the network.

They run in person and online events. Read more about their past events here – there are some really interesting speaker presentations that you can download. 

Call for speakers

NLISN currently has a call for speakers for a full day-online event on 18 March 2026 exploring experiences of entering (or helping others enter) the LIS profession as neurodivergent. 

There is more information about the event and an opportunity to submit proposals at this link: https://forms.gle/rhyUmX3gvyWhVBPF6

Neurodiversity webinars

Andrew Walsh provides training to support neurodivergent library users and colleagues. See the links below for information about two upcoming webinars in February 2026:

Working with and supporting neurodivergent colleagues, 16th February, 2-4pm, £50: https://NDColleaguesFeb2025.eventbrite.co.uk

Supporting neurodivergent library users, 27th February, 2:30-4:30pm, £50: https://NDLibraryUsers.eventbrite.co.uk

Prison and public library community of practice: Wednesday 28th January 2026

The next online event for the Prison and Public Library Community of Practice takes place online on Wednesday 28th January from 12pm – 1pm. There is more information about this Community of Practice in this blog post. If you would like to attend the event in January, or simply be added to the mailing list to hear news about this CoP, please email Katherine Blamire at the British Library’s Living Knowledge Network: Katherine.Blamire@bl.uk

UNESCO webinars

UNESCO’s Institute for Lifelong Learning runs a series of webinars about lifelong learning for adults, with some focused on libraries and education in prison. They offer insights from practitioners, policymakers and experts from around the world. You can browse and sign up to attend webinars at this link. They also upload recordings of previous webinars for you to watch.

CILIP events

Libraries Connected runs a series of webinars and in-person events. These are most often aimed at public library staff but may be delivering training or good practice ideas that are also relevant to prison library provision. Browse their upcoming webinars at this link.

libraries Connected events

A full list of online and in-person events run by CILIP is available at this link. Most events will have a reduced fee for CILIP members.