Written by Maitreyi A, LEC 2021
Waiting an extra five months for our first LEC (Library Educator’s Certificate Course) contact period was totally worth it! Our seven-month course was meant to start in May 2021, but due to the Covid pandemic, our start date was postponed.
I was getting ready and set to travel to Goa, thankful that this 6-day contact period was falling exactly on my school Dusshera break. It gave me the opportunity to be completely present, mind and body at the course. However, one question was lingering at the back of my mind. If we were going to be reading a lot of children’s books, engaging with literature, and doing activities, how would we be doing it at a Christian Retreat centre? We were not given much of a clue on what to expect, but we knew it would be exciting! We were not even asked to carry a book and pen, leave alone a laptop, which I was glad to leave behind!
The space we walked into on day one (and the following five days) of the course was truly magical! The hall was so inviting, colourful, and engaging, and the first thing we saw entering the hall were books!! Along the four walls of the room, in the corners and at the windows, were beautifully decorated tables and spaces set up with books of all sizes, small engaging activities to draw us into different worlds, colours and stationery for us let our creative juices flow, and the stitching corner which brought back many memories for each of us.
This was my first big takeaway – any space can be used, any space can be transformed, and a few (what might seem at first simple) activities can transport us into different places with books being our magical portkeys!
These thoughts were only solidified towards the end of the course when we were divided into groups to create a mini library of our own with a theme in mind. We had to begin from scratch – come to a consensus on the theme, collect and curate the books taking into account; age, diversity in collection, designing activities, and finally picking a space to set up the library with the limited resources (chart paper, colours, thread) we were given.
This is just a glimpse of what we experienced. Our days were filled with discussions, group activities, reading in silence, evening reflection time and much more.
After returning from Goa, I saw bookshelves everywhere so differently – the bookshelves at my home, at the school I work at, at my parent’s place – suddenly, these books and shelves had a different meaning, filled with feelings and possibilities! My mind now is buzzing on how I can transform the reading corner for my children in the classroom, and what I may be able to do in other kinds of places I may have the opportunity to work in. My mind also wanders and wonders how I can make the bookshelves in my own home interesting and inviting.
The other day, my husband and I had two friends who came over for an afternoon of board games, and one of them spent a good amount of time going through my books. I was so happy. At the end, he picked out three books to borrow. I now have a sticker by the shelf with his name, the date, and the books he has borrowed. Maybe the next person who comes home may see that sign, and know that they could borrow a book too?
With the various topics we are covering in the course, and with the variety and choices of content we are reading, I am beginning to see how complex and beautiful the world of “reading” can be for children. Also, to understand the experiences and spaces it provides for various types of interactions and dialogue.
While at the course, I was surprised and thrilled to see how diverse we are as a group coming from different backgrounds with such different stories! With the course design, we see that each component speaks and applies to each of us so differently, but in an important way. It was a beautiful experience to hear and engage in conversations with people, and to listen and understand what they intend to do with this experience. Watching the LEC team of mentors and facilitators run the course was a learning experience in itself, as they engaged in everything with so much joy, detail and attention.
The kind of introspection we need to engage in about our own views and journeys in the reading world has made me embrace the experiences I have had, questions some practices I have come across, and unlearn and question some beliefs I have built. It has made me think about how I can create and enrich the spaces I have access to that will positively impact children (and adults) who experience these places through reading.
