Library Group

The evidence shows that school libraries provide an excellent means of giving all children the opportunity to enjoy books and can provide a key role in developing a culture that promotes wider reading and learners for life.

Creating the library

Like many schools, Towerbank has very limited space but in 2017, much to the delight of pupils, parents and staff, the school committed to reintroducing a school library. During a May weekend in 2018, a group of parent volunteers led and co-ordinated by parent Zoe Berry of Life/Edit, condensed the contents of the two resources rooms and art cupboard into one room to free up a large room to house a library.

Over the summer holidays, Mark Ivinson of Orocco Joinery Ltd then stepped in and volunteered his team and resources to carpet, shelve and decorate the room and the library space was created. The generosity of these two companies have allowed most of the school funds to be used for books

Stocking the library

Since then, a parent led team working with the pupils and staff, has developed plans for stocking, decorating and operating the library.  This has included:

• visiting other Edinburgh primary schools to understand their approaches and processes  to inform practice at Towerbank;
• creating a book list based on suggestions from pupils, parents, staff, a host of book lists and usage information from the local library and other school libraries;
• coordinating donations of nearly new books from Towerbank families;
• working with Edinburgh Tool Library, a local social enterprise, to create a ‘book boat’ using driftwood;
• taking the P4-P7s in the Library Focus Group to Waterstones to do a Book Pick;
• training a small group of parents to use the library management system ‘Abracadabra’;
• organising regular ‘library blitz’ sessions where parents have tackled the stickering,  barcoding, jacketing and cataloguing of books;
• applying for grants to secure funding for books for our library.

Using the library

The pupils and staff have created the signage and decorated the library which was officially in April 2019 by Katrina Bryan – ‘Nina’ from Nina and the Neurons. We now have a lovely creative space for teaching and for the pupils to enjoy. Every class has a regular slot in the library and by 2019/20 academic year, the library will be fully operational and all year groups will borrow books.

The library is a partnership project between the School and the Parent Group, and there will be a regular library “Tidy Friday” and we need parent volunteers to help. If you’d like to find out more, drop into the library on a Friday morning or email the Library group at towerbankparentcouncil@gmail.com.