Following our recent Literacy Survey, we discovered that a large number of students were not members of their local library. In response, we set ourselves a challenge to increase student membership and encourage reading beyond the classroom.
Our Library Prefects took the lead by contacting Louise Quigley from Newbridge Town Library. Louise visited our school on Tuesday 21st April to distribute membership forms, and returned on Wednesday 29th April to collect them. During her second visit, she also spoke to a number of classes about the wide range of services available in Kildare’s local libraries, helping to highlight the many opportunities for reading, study, and community engagement.
A library membership provides access to all public libraries across Ireland, opening up an extensive range of resources to our students. The services on offer are phenomenal, including Study Hubs — bookable spaces where students can focus on their work — as well as digital resources such as the BorrowBox app, which allows access to eBooks and audiobooks anytime.
We were delighted to collect a high number of completed forms. Louise will now process these memberships and arrange for library cards to be issued before the end of the month, ensuring that our students are well equipped to read for pleasure over the summer.