Posted on Monday, 4 March 2013
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Learning to read is one of the great achievements of school-age children. Reading opens the door to a wider world of fiction, imagination, science and knowledge. Choosing their own books allows children to be independent learners and researchers, and to develop their own tastes and interests.

We are lucky in Scoil San Treasa to have a small but well-supplied library. Through generous donations from the Board of Management, the Parents Association and Scoil San Treasa families,  and with some DES  and other funding, the library offers a collection of books aimed at capturing the very diverse interests of the pupils. From The Guinness Book of Records to Skulduggery Pleasant, from Captain Underpants to The Hobbit, there is something for everyone.

Parent volunteers ensure that this is a true lending library. Each class from first to sixth has an assigned library day, and students may borrow two books a week.

Volunteering in the library is a really rewarding experience as you can observe how the children’s fascination with books changes and develops from the youngest to the oldest classes. There is a real buzz on library day. The children chat and compare books, they swap them, they reserve the most popular ones, and love them beyond repair! It is fascinating to see how seriously they take their reading.

The library always welcomes both volunteer parent librarians and donations of suitable children’s books in good condition. The lending process has now been computerised, and it’s not difficult to learn to use it. You are guaranteed to rediscover reading through the eyes of the children!