One book at a time

Corina, one of our current long term interns, has been working hard to support our first ever work experience student in the library at ACJ- Aphiwe. Together, they have been re-cataloguing all the books to make sure they are easy to find. With over 2000 books, this has been no easy task! Now though the job is almost done. The books lining the shelves are neat and tidy and more importantly, in the right order and accessible to the students!

Having someone around the library also means that students are able to come in to use the books on a regular basis and this has been one thing that they have taken absolute advantage of. Although a previous intern has already run workshops all about library etiquette, especially the importance of keeping the library a quiet haven (!), this knowledge seems to have gone completely out of the heads of some of the children that line up every break time banging on the door to be let in. Despite the ruckus that is caused, you cannot help but smile to see twenty or thirty children pile into the reading corner and read stories out loud to themselves and to each other, each one adding to the chaos that for thirty minutes every morning shoots the library from its usual state of calm to one of energy and noise.

To be honest though, these are some of my favourite moments in each day. Coming into a room that started out as an empty, unused space and finding it full of learning, joy and life, never fails to put a smile on my face. I just hope that the children get the same happiness from the books that they are reading and can take that love with them throughout their lives- if that happens then I feel that all of this,  and everyone’s hard work, has been a job well done.

Melanie Welfare- Teaching coordinator

One book at a time