Primary school celebrates library week
The Laerskool Doringkloof school library is a hub of activity for the learners and proudly marked this year’s South African Library Week under the theme “Libraries Foster Social Cohesion”.
Laerskool Doringkloof is celebrating South African Library Week to foster social cohesion.
The annual celebration week was initiated in 2001 to create awareness of the important role that libraries play in democracy, advancing literacy, making the basic human right of freedom of access to information a reality, as well as promoting tolerance and respect in society.
The Library and Information Association of South Africa and the Department of Sport, Arts and Culture chose the theme Libraries Foster Social Cohesion for the 2024 library week from March 18-24.
“We call it our ‘ing’ week, reading, learning and knowing. We are still celebrating this 20 years later,” said Christel Vosloo, librarian at Laerskool Doringkloof.
Vosloo said the school library was still going strong, as about 940 of the 1 300 learners were active users.
She said that school libraries were increasingly a scarce resource.
“Our library is a real hub of activity throughout the day.
“We are very proud of our 45-year-old library’s 940 learners with active library cards.
Our neighbours are maybe just a little jealous because our kids read and read,” she said.
Vosloo said the key to a successful library is to keep a customer-is-always-right attitude and always stock what the learners want.
“We have 15 monitors, little librarians that run the day-to-day administration of the library under my supervision,” she said.
“Our motto in the library is: For the kids, by the kids.”
To raise awareness, the Doringkloof Library held a poster competition symbolising the theme “Through our differences we can be one and build friendships”.
The drive included an exhibition about the diversity of cultural backgrounds for learners at the school.
The first prize went to Jade de Breyn (Grade 5), the second to Katelyn Pagel (Gr. 5), and the third to brothers Daniel (Gr. 2) and Samuel (Gr. 4) Beldon.
Vosloo said it was comforting to know that children still read despite modern technology.
“Books will live forever as long as there are people promoting wonderful books and passionate librarians. The power of reading will never cease.”
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