Education Minister Anne Craine MHK has launched a campaign to make people aware of what they can get out of their schools’ libraries.
Yesterday (3rd March), on the eve of World Book Day, the Minister attended the Department of Education’s Family Library in Westmoreland Road, Douglas to launch the Love Your Library campaign.
A year of events, aimed at encouraging young people to visit school libraries and find new and exciting ways to enjoy reading, is planned.
Love Your Library is being organised by ISLE (Island School Libraries and Education) – a group comprising school librarians Ros Alcock (Ballakermeen High School), Helen Lilleyman (St Ninian’s Lower School), Jan Kneen (Ramsey Grammar School), Christine Ormond (Castle Rushen High School) and Wendy Creasey (Queen Elizabeth II High School) as well as Mary Cousins, Librarian in Charge at the Family Library, and Hannah Griffiths, the Family Library’s Schools Librarian.
Mary said secondary school librarians had long been meeting to swap ideas and the Family Library joined in 2008 to give support and share information about maintaining and improving the library service for 11-18-year-olds.
"From that, ISLE has been formed in the hope that working together will provide a wider awareness of all the clubs, activities, competitions and events that go on in education libraries.
"Our year-long Love Your Library campaign will set the ball rolling and highlight some of the work that each school librarian achieves in their libraries.
"There are many professions whose work remains hidden from the public eye and the secondary school librarian is one of them.
"We’re hoping that other education librarians will eventually connect to the group in some way and benefit from shared knowledge and firmer links between schools/libraries."
Launching the campaign, Minister Craine, herself a keen reader, said, "Forget any ideas that libraries are dry and dusty places.
"Ours are the places to enter the land of legends, act out adventures and laugh out loud at the fun contained between the pages of your favourite books.
"Our amazing librarians are so enthusiastic about promoting the love of books, and all the pleasure that can come from the books of today and yesterday, that it really is worth finding out about what is happening down in the library.
"Whether you are a keen reader or just 'read for need', our staff are friendly and willing to help. Join in the fun - I know it will be an exciting year".
Pictured: Education Minister Anne Craine (fifth left) launching the Love Your Library campaign yesterday (Wednesday) at the Family Library. She is pictured with – from left – ISLE members Wendy Creasey (Queen Elizabeth II High School), Hannah Griffiths (Family Library Schools Librarian), Christine Ormond (Castle Rushen High School), Jan Kneen (Ramsey Grammar School), Helen Lilleyman (St Ninian’s Lower School), Mary Cousins (Librarian in Charge, Family Library) and Ros Alcock (Ballakermeen High School).
