Launch of the Library
Whatever the range of outputs that I can list here, a school library is first and foremost about the pupils who use it so let’s hear from them:
“The library is epic”
“The Library – peaceful, inclusive, fun”
“I come here often with my friends and sometimes alone and I really love it here. There are many games and the teacher smiles and I especially like Chess Club that’s on and Warhammer Club seems interesting.”
“The library is a space for those in need”
“The library is a nice place to be, inclusive, cozy, safety net for you, good to have”
“I love how the books are easily accessible and are all amazing in the details of the books and it is amazing.”
“I think the library is a friendly place to hang out with my friends and to chillax and to make new friends. I became a librarian because I wanted to make new friends and to help the younger years find a new book that they would like.”
“I come to the Library because it’s not noisy and I hang out with my friends”
And, my absolute favourite - “A very inclusive and busy place – something is always going on. You feel welcomed – because you are”
Here at Redhill we are lucky to have a dedicated and staffed library space, one that was refurbished only in February 2020 (opening just before the first coronavirus lockdown).
In recent years libraries (primary, secondary and public) have been under increasing threat. One reason for this is the difficulty is pinning down exactly what it is that a library service and space deliver. They are not easily pigeonholed into neat objectives and outputs and are acutely specific to their context, space and the people involved.
At Redhill the library is usually open during both breaks in the day and afterschool for general browsing/club activities. In addition, Years 7 and 8 have specific lessons during English in the library, as well as regular visits to choose books for quiet reading time. Through these opportunities the library has:
· Had weekly afterschool clubs of Chess and Warhammer (a new addition)
· Held 4 book clubs attracting pupils across Y7-9
· Run a month long celebration of manga and anime, attended by 30+ pupils every week
· Made a safe space for the weekly LGBTQ+ club
· Taken part in the Dudley Children’s Book Award, including taking 12 (Y7-Y11) pupils to the award ceremony to see 4 authors talk about their books and their writing
· Run 6 film nights
· Lent out 1,350 books
· Played a LOT of Jenga, Uno and Connect-4
· Taken part in the National Literacy Trust’s Reading Quiz – with a team of 4 plucky Y7s
· Hosted the Poetry in Performance Workshop with 20+ pupils taking part
· Housed a small form group undertaking extra literacy work, every day for a whole term
· Provided development opportunities for pupils to volunteer as librarians
The Library is currently being used for exams – supporting pupils who have extra requirements to fulfil their potential. So, we have moved and are operating as a “pop-up” from one of the classrooms – while it’s not perfect, it has meant that clubs can continue uninterrupted, that the pick of the stock has been relocated for pupils to continue to borrow, and a safe and welcoming space is still on offer at break times.
What a wonderful year we’ve had so far – and lots more to look forward to next year too