My Grand Opening

So my Grand Opening was last week (yes we've been open since September, but this is just a celebration of it!). I found the organisation of the event quite stressful, as I didn't know what to expect, but it was deemed a big success in the end!

Here are a few pictures:

The table for Guess the Visitor. 10 plates had 10 clues on (for literary characters) and you had to guess who each guest was.



An example of a plate - one of the easy ones!



The event had a 'Alice in Wonderland' theme - here is the Queen of Hearts.


Here is the sweet table:


The drinks table:


The savoury table

Caught Reading

I mentioned the Caught Reading Poster Campaign before, and it has now ended. We have displayed all of the posters on an empty library wall.

The next poster campaign is Born Reading, where students have to guess staff from their baby photos (and a quote about their favourite childhood book).

The finished Wall Quotes

I realised I hadn't put up photos of all the finished quotes.

Quote 1 was here

I haven't read a book since year 6 Miss......

I just had a year 11 boy come up and ask help finding something to read. He said he hadn't read a book since year 6, when he had enjoyed Roald Dahl.

What a challenge! I asked what he had liked about Roald Dahl, so I went with trying to find a grown-up version.

In the end I have challenged him to read an adult book, and we selected a Mike Gayle book (funny but definitely male).

What would you have chosen?? I so rarely have older boys ask for help, my mind went blank for a second!

The Library Corridor part 2

So I have a long beige corridor outside the library, and have finally come up with a plan for it. I was inspired by the photo above.


I have done 2 parts of the finished piece so far

New Wall Words to fill a blank space

After the words at the other end of the library, this end looked a bit bare.

Rainbow colour book display

You may have gathered by now that I am loving colour displays of books. This is a display my Assistant did, and its an easy way of making a seemingly normal and random book display look a little special.

The LIbrary Corridor - making it more inviting

The outside wall of the library is an added dry wall, with interior windows. When I arrived it had nothing - no signs, no boards etc. Just a cream corridor.

I have now added the Library sign above the door (in the colours as writing inside the library) and I got the two boards put up.

Literary Characters on Library Wall

I wanted to add a little more interest to the walls, so have made some small characters that are now dotted about the walls.

Before and After - the library space

After (but at night so pics are quite dark!)

Before and After - the entrance seating area

There are two sofas, beanbags and blue rocker chairs. There are many books facing out (more likely to be picked up than books spines out). There are tall green plants (plastic!) and positive reading messages on the walls.

I hope that it creates a warm and inviting area that people see when they walk straight in, but more practically it means the groups meeting there are right in front of my desk - I can keep a clear eye on what is going on.

More wall writing - creating a literacy rich environment

Inspired by my other wall lettering, I added a few more today. I have 'Read' and 'Borrow a Book' in larger text, and smaller texts all together by the window.

Again they are just printed and laminated, and then blu-tacked on.

The awkward space on wall is finished!

I tried covering the blocks with stars, but it looked odd. They are now covered with a mini collage - almost like mini modern art pieces.

But I'm happy with the over all look now. Miles better than before -


Actually this makes me want to do some before and after pics........(to be continued)

Wow - people visiting my library blog

A map showing people who have visited my blog - the internet has made the world so small!

Library display - awkward space

I have had a horrible space between two boards, which you see as you walk into the library. It has two weird wooden blocks screwed to the wall, and I have hated it since I started (it used to have an inter-active whiteboard on it).

Today I made a display that I am quite happy with. It is simple - just printed letters laminated and cut out, then blutacked to the wall....but I think it looks effective.

Tomorrow I will work out what I can stick to the wooden blocks to hide them.

Reading LIbrary Display

Nothing amazing, but says what it needs to say. Many of my students say they don't read. That they're not readers. I just wanted something that could challenge them to consider why....

Another updated library display

This is a new display (here is the old one). I have reused the cardboard computer, but divided the space into two displays.


The first half is tapping in to the interest in the 'Caught Reading' poster campaign I have done, where students are guessing the hidden faces of staff reading. It is also tapping into the keen appetite for celebrity, and the need for more reading role models.



They are mainly images of celebrities reading/holding a book, with some of the staff photos thrown in. There are some of Britney, Paris, Angelina etc.


The second half is a work in progress. Facebook was blocked and a lot of the students have been left bereft! So I wanted to have a space to point to when they moan that 'everything is blocked'.



I have put some websites on, but I would like the students to suggest more to me - so it can be a changing wall.

Remembrance Library Display

Here is my display for November - Remembrance Day.