The Reading Agency has been backing and building a movement in libraries called reader development. The movement is creating a livelier, more interventionist reading service that's both much more attractive and socially relevant. A focus on reader development is changing the way public libraries work, and transforming people's lives in the process. In this article, the author discusses how the Reading Agency has led many of these changes. She highlights five things that the Reading Agency will be focusing in its manifesto for change. First, libraries can work the new, shared national reading programmes harder. Second, libraries can build new partnerships with publishers, broadcasters and the new media. Third is the need to develop a twenty-first century library workforce. Fourth is to develop user power and author power. Finally, the Reading Agency will be seeking to develop new thinking.