A raft of improvements and changes are on the cards for Bridgnorth Endowed’s school library with a plethora of support coming from its students, parents, staff and members of the local community.
Last month, an appeal went out for second-hand books to boost the library’s stock and, since then, a steady flow of bags and boxes of reading matter has been arriving in school.
Soon after joining BES this September, headteacher, Mr Penn, put the library refresh firmly on the agenda and recruited an experienced task force, headed up by literacy lead, Mrs Summerhayes.
Mrs Summerhayes commented: “There’s so much joy to be had from reading and, although we recognise that we are in the digital age, there’s no substitute for the feel and smell of a book.”
“We are all very passionate about restoring the library to its former glory, and hope to create a welcoming reading space at the heart of the school, where books are much more accessible.”
In parallel to the book appeal, the team has also been busy evaluating various software systems to help to manage the library as efficiently as possible.
This will tie in with the Accelerated Reader programme, which the school has run for almost eight years, as part of its strategy to encourage students to develop a lifelong love of reading.
Ultimately, the vision is for the new library to become a hub for students to find the latest, most sought-after books, alongside the classics, and wider reading material, such as newspapers and articles relevant to young people.
As well as replenishing the shelves, plans are in place for an exciting calendar of activities and events, engaging themed displays, a ‘wall’ of student reviews, and plenty of buzz around books to entice pupils into the wonderful world of reading.
