So our libraries are no longer important, no longer relevant, to our modern lifestyle?
Tell that to all the children who turned up at Woodbridge library today to receive their certificate and medal for finishing this summer’s Circus Stars Reading Challenge. And there were lots of them.
The popular library summer reading game was open to children of all ages across Suffolk . It asked them to read and report on five books over the summer holidays. As ever, it relied hugely on the support teams of local volunteers who listened to the children reading and discussed the books with them afterwards. Twenty of these kind and dedicated people gave their services at our library over this summer.
And this year (the year when all but 8 of Suffolk’s libraries were threatened with closure) the library staff at Woodbridge told me that more children had enrolled on – and finished – the challenge than ever before. In fact, I nearly lost my voice when presenting the certificates – I had so many names to read out .
Today we had a special treat, as I was able to use my Locality Budget to fund children’s writer/illustrator Jonathan Allen to come to the event. Between the two ceremonies he told us about how he creates his books, and ran a cartooning class with all the award winners.
Jonathan – who comes from outside Suffolk – told me that he was ‘amazed’ not only that our library was open at a time when everyone could use it, but also that so many people were prepared to come and celebrate and support children’s reading so early on a Sunday morning!
We should be proud of ourselves.
If you’ve forgotten to visit your library recently, why not come along and remind yourself of the excitement and discovery that you once felt, and which you will see on the rapt faces of all the people of all ages you will find reading there!
Let’s never forget that a library is a wonderful institution. It’s wonderful not only because it gives us a doorway into a world full of millions of books of all kinds, written by people from all places and all times. It is also wonderful because it allows us to hold open the door to that world for the next generation.
