Who Comes to the School Library?

Who comes to the School Library?  That is an excellent question.  The short answer:  We get hundreds of people visiting each day, and tens of thousands of visits each year.

Some of our visitors are people who come multiple times a day, every day.  Some come more casually. Some students come down when their classes are booked into the library.  Many IMG_0457more come down as drop-in students, either during class or during “study blocks” or “free blocks.”  And many more again make their way here before school, at lunch, and after school.

We have class bookings from virtually every department and grade in the school.  While it is most typical to have Social Studies or English classes come in, we have had classes and small groups of students come in from Science, Math, LST, French, Spanish, Planning, PE, Woodwork, Cafeteria, ELL, Hockey Academy and more.

IMG_0017[1]We have hosted a multitude of special events, some that come every year, such as Safe Teen, Food Safe and International Games Day. We have been delighted to showcase our local talent with such events as the LTS Poetry Slam and Library Unplugged. We have hosted guest speakers such as war veterans, poets, writers and more.

We host meetings of all sorts, including meetings of Department Heads, the Parent Advisory Council, the Scholarship Club, sports teams and more. We host immunization clinics, photo sessions, book displays, contests and more.

IMG_0110[1]Students come here looking for a place to do research, study, work on projects. Some want to work alone, some prefer to work in small groups. We offer space for both.

Students come here looking to borrow from our growing collection of PlayAway Audiobooks,  DVDs, eBooks and other alternatives to print media. Our magazines and newspapers draw in many visitors.  Students also want to make use of our growing collection of board games and table games.

Students and staff come here looking for good books to read.  Students and staff come here looking for a quiet comfortable space in which to read.  We are delighted to do what we can to make that happen!

Whatever the reason, we get hundreds of visitors each day. If you haven’t been in to your school library lately, we hope to see you here soon!

 

Library Closing, to be Replaced by District Hazardous Materials Testing Lab

In a move that surprised many, the Surrey School Board this morning passed a motion which will close all the school libraries in Surrey. The district was under pressure from the Ministry of Education and the provincial government to make this move.

The school library at Lord Tweedsmuir Secondary will be replaced by a Laboratory for the Testing of Hazardous Materials and Bio-Waste. Other schools will have their libraries replaced with different government and private facilities, such as a Motor Vehicles Branch at North Surrey, a Sewage Treatment Plant at Elgin Park and a Minimum Security Jail at Semiahmoo.

Said a provincial government spokesperson, “We had to. You got to find room for so much important government stuff.  And, like, you know, nobody reads anymore, so whatevs.”

Many students and parents have reacted with shock and anger. Efforts are being made to mount a campaign to fight this outrageous move.  Please be sure to phone or email the Surrey School Board and the superintendent’s Office of School District 36, your local MLA, the Minister of Education and the Premier to express your dismay and disagreement with this ridiculous decision.