Weeks 14 & 15 in the library

Vahine just came to hang out with me in the library (escaping from volleyball, I believe) and helped me do a poster graph of the loans for the past three months (we used textas, glue and coloured paper, so it looks cool!).

“You’re a way better librarian than the one we had last year,” said Vahine.

“Oh yeah? Why is that?” I said.

“Well… We didn’t have one last year.”

Ha ha ha!

We kept talking. The year before last, the librarian in charge bought some new books but kept them in her house, rather than putting them in the library. Vahine explained that occasionally the girls would do raids on her house and run off with a couple each. When the librarian came to the dorms as the teacher-on-duty, the girls would hide the contraband under the sheets! So maybe it’s not surprising that kids are reading more this year, and borrowing more as their confidence grows.

I don’t know what you guys will think, but there are no fines for overdue books. Miss Iapson, my counterpart, was pushing for fines but I asked her to wait and see how many books we were losing. We aren’t losing that many, as the kids tend to watch out for their friends, and often bring stray books back to the library. They’re also very interested in the Circulation Book, and who has borrowed what (I think privacy issues are outweighed by the talk that it generates: “Who’s got the next Harry Potter? Is it any good? Can I read it after you?”). It also seems silly to me to be fining kids whose parents barely have the money to send them to school in the first place (although the kids do have enough money for local donuts! But they share them with me…).

Vahine wants to be a lawyer, likes Sweet Valley High and Twilight and has a secret boyfriend. But she doesn’t want to get married until after her career is established. She was reading the last Harry Potter book, but left it somewhere. Celine cried because she was up to that one. Helma found it and told Vahine, who gave it to Celine. Phew!

The other reason that the kids are reading so much is because we've been getting so many donations! So, the kids and I want to say thank you...

Thankyu tumas!