Bookworm’s Libraries in School Program has now grown to level 4.
When the Libraries in School Program was first evolved ( in 2006) it was imagined as a School Book Treasury program. A program that assumed every user ( school/ classroom) would recognise that books are a treasure and Bookworm would be the magic that handed it to them.
Over the years, we have recognised that that notion is nothing but a fairy tale.
The chapters in our book have been
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2006 – Providing Books to schools – imagining that the books would be read, that children could read them and that teachers and administration would be grateful for the access
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2007 – we began to program in schools to demonstrate how this story could come alive and to some success, but limited reach
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2008 – 2010 – we laboured with delivery, schedules and human resource to demonstrate that at least weekly and monthly programming will leave some impact on children
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2011 – 2013 – we programmed, actively and strongly building a pedagogy of story in the classroom. Perfecting our practice to accommodate diverse classrooms and diverse infrastructural settings to keep stories alive
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2013 – 14 – we are poised for the launch of the Libraries in School Program.
We recognise that the Policy has caught up with Bookworm. With the RtE 2009, mandating libraries, educationists crying out for the longest time that our literacy and language skills can only grow with access and reading, Bookworm is better poised to demonstrate how.
This academic year LiS is providing and provisioning libraries ( Preschool – Grade 4) in 4 Taluka’s of Goa in 4 distinct models as under:
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Delivery – providing access of a regular supply of good quality children’s books to schools that have already understood how to practice library in their spaces.
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Monthly Intervention- providing access providing access of a regular supply of good quality children’s books PLUS a monthly story session in all classrooms
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Weekly Intervention – providing access of a regular supply of good quality children’s books , setting up classroom libraries and having weekly story time in every classroom
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Alban Couto Primary School Library Project – setting up a primary school library, with books and human resource, that becomes a feature of the school and programs and provides access to children through out the school year.
Our newest model presently supported by Dr. Maria Aurora Couto allows two Primary schools in Aldona, Auxilium Convent and St Thomas Boys Primary School to have library programming through out the week.
This positions both these schools above most ‘library’ programs in the State. LiS for these schools means that the schools have been orientated through a workshop on what a library program means and intends to do.
Two committed part time library educators Flavia Ferrao Lobo and Isa Emmanuela Hoje are working in both schools on alternate days, conducting story sessions, extension activities, book lending, browsing and reading support to ensure that all children have both access and opportunity to grow into readers.
The program enables both library educators to training, exposure and planning from Bookworm and provisioning of resources that will now be shared with the Alban Couto Primary School Library Project.
Bookworm is honoured and thankful for this support because the commitment to take the library experience to more children and in more diverse locations in the State strengthen the promise of the mission . LiS aims to ensures that all children in schools deserve access and provisioning of library resources and will demonstrate how this can be made possible.
