To celebrate World Book Night 2022, Bridgwater & Taunton College (BTC) Learning Resource Centre staff are giving away 160 books free to students.

World Book Night is a nationwide initiative run by the Reading Agency. Now in its 11th year, the event aims to bring people together to celebrate the difference reading for pleasure can make to people’s lives. Research quoted by the Reading Agency shows that reading for pleasure helps people in many ways, from increasing self-esteem and reducing stress to building a sense of belonging to society and improving life satisfaction. Each year, a selection of brilliant fiction and non-fiction books are given away in care homes, youth centres, colleges, prisons, public libraries, mental health groups and other locations.

The College’s Learning Resource Centre (LRC) team is supporting World Book Night by distributing 160 copies of one of the 2022 titles across BTC’s three campuses. Students at Taunton campus can collect copies from the site’s LRC, while Bridgwater and Cannington-based learners can find gift-wrapped books hidden around the campuses in everywhere from the Fitness Centre to the Construction and Engineering workshops.

LRC Manager Christine Goodwin said

The team and I hope that students will read the book they collect or pass it on for others to enjoy. Our aim is to inspire those who don’t currently read for pleasure so that they embark on their own reading journey, taking advantage of the wide range of books available around the College. If the title they find doesn’t appeal, we’ve made sure that five more World Book Night books are available from the College’s LRCs, so hope there’s something for everyone!

As well as the mystery book, the LRCs have bought copies of ‘All Our Hidden Gifts’ by Caroline O’Donoghue, ‘Punching the Air’ by Ibi Zaboi and Yusef Salam, ‘The Upper World’ by Femi Fadugba, ‘The Black Mountain’ by Kate Mosse and ‘Dare to Change Your Life’ by Lawrence Okolie. The new titles join a great collection of non-fiction and fiction, including graphic novels, available for BTC students to borrow.

For more information about facilities at BTC, visit the LRC and campus pages or come to one of our open events.