We\u2019ve hosted several fun activities throughout this school year, making it one of the most exciting years yet! For this blog post, we\u2019re highlighting some of the key events that took place, illustrating the value of School Libraries are to supporting the curriculum, providing a welcoming space that everyone can enjoy, and promoting a lifelong love of reading for pleasure.<\/p>\n
Library Highlights<\/strong>:<\/p>\n White Water Writers Novel Writing Workshop<\/strong>: We received funding from the Scottish Library and Information council\u2019s School Library Improvement Fund to deliver a novel writing workshop with the White Water Writers, a project from Glasgow University who work with pupils on creating and publishing their very own novel. For one week, S2\/3 pupils who volunteered for the project attended the workshop and worked collaboratively to produce their book.<\/p>\n Participatory Selection Sessions<\/strong>: Hosting Participatory Selection Sessions<\/a> ensure our school library stock remains relevant and useful to our readers. Participatory Budgeting enable the library to represent<\/span>\u00a0the reading needs and interests of the school community.\u00a0<\/span>This term, we\u2019ve focused on books for struggling and reluctant readers. Non-fiction is a big hit with some of our S1\/2 participants, reflecting a recent study conducted by the National Literacy Trust as part of National Non-Fiction November. Key findings of the\u00a0report<\/a>\u00a0are on the National Literacy Trust\u2019s\u00a0website<\/a>).<\/p>\n Pathways to the Profession<\/strong>: Our first Pathways to the Profession<\/a> talk was a success! We invited a Community Librarian from\u00a0Glasgow Libraries<\/a>, a Membership Officer from the\u00a0Chartered Institute of Library and \u00a0Information Professionals Scotland<\/a>\u00a0(CILIPS), and a Library Assistant from\u00a0Glasgow Caledonian University Library<\/a>\u00a0to chat with members of Pupil Library Committee and other pupils interested in a LIS career. The speakers chatted about their backgrounds and experiences, what their current roles involve, and answered several questions from the audience.<\/p>\n Support for Learning<\/strong> Book Group<\/strong> read<\/strong> Edward Ross\u2019 excellent\u00a0Gamish: A Graphic History of Gaming<\/a><\/em>, and\u00a0I Am Malala<\/a><\/em>\u00a0by the Nobel Peace Prize laureate,\u00a0Malala Yousafzai<\/a>.<\/p>\n Schools of Literature<\/strong>: This year, the School Library is involved with the Schools of programme with a special class on Literature. Our group read a themed book per month and tie it into crafts and other literacy-based activities.\u00a0The group was also involved in Glasgow School Libraries\u2019 inaugural YA-ldi Book Awards, a multi-school book award for pupils, by pupils. Our shortlisted authors were Maisie Chan for her book Keep Dancing Lizzie Chu<\/em>, Ann Lei Sin for her book Rebel Skies<\/em> and Victoria Williamson for her book War of the Winds<\/em>. Congratulations to Victoria Williamson whose book was voted the winner across Glasgow Secondary Schools.<\/p>\n eResource Workshops<\/strong>: The School Libraries\u2019 eResource Workshops connect pupils with valuable online resources available from Glasgow Libraries and other scholarly and authoritative information and are tailored to the subject and year group. This year we delivered sessions to Advanced Higher English and Advanced Higher History.<\/p>\n Pupil Library Collective<\/strong>: With the overwhelming success of the Pupil Library Committee last year, we\u2019ve expanded our program to continue our journey towards embedding a pupil voice into the School Library. Pupils helped select stock, create and deliver events and quizzes, curate displays and booklists, led competitions and helped with general light duties in the Library.<\/p>\n Author Visits:<\/strong><\/p>\n March<\/strong>: Creative Writing Workshop with Victoria Williamson<\/a>: Author Victoria Williamson hosted a workshop with Shawlands Academy Creative Writing group during a Friday lunchtime session. Victoria chatted about the foundations of storytelling and offered some excellent tips and fun activities.<\/p>\n February<\/strong>: Author Visit with Carrie Marshall<\/a>: We were so fortunate to have musician, author and BBC tech journalist\u00a0Carrie Marshall<\/a>\u00a0visit us to discuss her new book and what it is like to become an author.<\/p>\n November<\/strong>: Ash Dickinson<\/a>\u00a0is an award-winning slam poet delivered a\u00a0lunchtime visit\u00a0<\/a>where he discussed his inspirations, his work as well as some fun exercises for pupils to explore their inner poet. Neil Slorance<\/a>\u00a0is a Glasgow-based author\/illustrator, best known for his work on\u00a0Dragon Fun<\/a>, Doctor Who comics, and for his pet\u00a0tortoise Herman<\/a>\u00a0who went viral in 2015.\u00a0Neil chatted with our entire S1 year group<\/a>\u00a0about what it\u2019s like being a comic book artist and even taught us some drawing tips. Maisie Chan<\/a>\u00a0is an award-winning Glasgow based author whose book\u00a0Danny Chung Does Not Do Maths<\/em>\u00a0won her the\u00a0Branford Boase award<\/a>, the\u00a0YA Prize<\/a>, and the\u00a0Jhalak Prize<\/a>. Our\u00a0Schools of Literature group<\/a>\u00a0have been reading\u00a0Keep Dancing, Lizzie Chu<\/em>\u00a0so\u00a0Maisie popped along to chat about the novel<\/a>\u00a0and the rest of her works to some of our S2 Schools of classes.<\/p>\n Pupil curated displays: <\/strong>Members of our Pupil Library Committee showed passion and dedication to ensuring vibrant, exciting displays were refreshed each month, highlighting several important events on our cultural\/literary calendar such as:<\/p>\n May\/June<\/strong>: Southeast Asian Heritage Month, Refugee Week, Empathy Day, Pride, YA Literature Month<\/p>\n March\/April<\/strong>: International Women\u2019s Day\/Women\u2019s History Month, Neurodiversoty Celebration Week, Anti-racism Day, Ramadan Reads, Trans Day of Visibility<\/p>\n January\/February<\/strong>: LGBT+ History Month, World Book Day, Holocaust Memorial Day<\/p>\n December<\/strong>: Winter themed and festivities, Christmas, Yule, Hannukah, Human Rights Month<\/p>\n November<\/strong>: Nonfiction November, Book Week Scotland<\/p>\n October<\/strong>: Black History Month, Navarati, Spooky Stories, World Space Week, World Mental Health Day, Animal Week<\/p>\n September<\/strong>: Maths Week Scotland, East and Southeast Asian heritage Month<\/p>\n Swatch Magazine<\/strong>: Swatch, the Glasgow School Libraries eMagazine continues to grow in popular and readership now with more pupil involvement than ever! Each month features an interview with an author, a craft, recipe, quiz, booklists galore, and highlights of upcoming releases and key award winners. Interactive PDF versions are circulated within our schools Teams. Noninteractive flip-book versions can be viewed below:<\/p>\n Summer 23<\/a>, Spring 23<\/a>, Winter 22<\/a>, Autumn 22<\/a>, <\/strong>Summer\u00a0<\/span>22<\/span><\/a><\/strong>,\u00a0<\/strong>Spring 22<\/span><\/a><\/strong>,\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/strong>Winter 21<\/span><\/a><\/strong>,\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/strong>Autumn<\/span><\/span>\u00a021<\/a><\/strong>,\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/strong>Summer 21<\/span><\/a><\/strong>,\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/strong>Spring 21<\/span><\/a><\/strong>,\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/strong>Winter 20<\/span><\/a><\/strong>,\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/strong>Autumn<\/span><\/span>\u00a020<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0<\/span><\/strong>\u00a0<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n Events \/Activities:<\/strong> We held loads of activities throughout the year with the help of our Pupil Library Committee:<\/p>\n Quizzes<\/strong>: This year, our senior quiz leaders created and hosted regular seasonal quizzes to tie in with our cultural\/literary calendar. The quizzes have become very popular with our pupils and is an activity that we will continue in the next school year.<\/p>\n March\/April:<\/strong> Nowruz<\/a>: Another member of our Pupil Library Committee created and hosted Shawlands Academy\u2019s first Nowruz, which is Persian New Year. Pupils learned about Nowruz, Persian traditions, and participated in a goldfish hunt around the library. We also \u2018jumped over the fire\u2019 to bring in the new year. Literary Egg Hunt<\/a>: For Easter, we invited pupils to search for the \u2018golden eggs\u2019 hidden in amongst the books. Pupils were tasked to find the eggs based on literary clues to get their prize. Eid Crafternoon<\/a>: Lastly, another member of Pupil Library Committee hosted and delivered a paper lantern activity as part of Eid celebrations.<\/p>\n January\/February<\/strong>: LGBT+ History Month \u2013 Heartstopper Party<\/a>: We threw a huge Heartstopper soiree to coincide with LGBT+ History Month and Valentine\u2019s\/Palentine\u2019s days. Pupils enjoyed a Heartstopper themed quiz created and delivered by one of our amazing Pupil Library Committee members. Every attendee got a chance to win three prizes: A package of skittles, a Heartstopper bookmark, and a Heartstopper colouring book<\/p>\n November<\/strong>: \u00a0<\/strong>There was a<\/strong> f<\/strong>antastic turn out for our range of\u00a0Book Week Scotland activities<\/a>\u00a0this year. We worked with Coffee Culture to host a\u00a0Biblio Bistro<\/a>\u00a0in the Library where pupils and staff could grab a hot drink and peruse a selection of\u00a0book stalls<\/a>\u00a0that displayed books tying into this year\u2019s BWS themes. On Wednesday, our S4\/6 quiz masters created and hosted a\u00a0quiz<\/a>. Our\u00a0Book Swap<\/a>\u00a0was an outstanding success! We had 8 tables brimming with books and were left with a remaining two boxes of books saved for next year\u2019s swap. We enjoyed a lovely\u00a0visit to the Mitchell Library<\/a>\u00a0with our Advanced Higher Physical Education classes where the knowledgeable staff delivered tutorials of their eResources such as ProQuest and took us on a tour of the iconic building.<\/p>\n October<\/strong>: Pupils participated in our\u00a0Black Out Poetry crafternoon<\/a>\u00a0event to celebrate National Poetry Day. We used pages from 1984 by George Orwell (this was a faulty copy with missing pages!) to create some amazing poetry. Most pupils were not aware of blackout poetry so found und the event fun and education, and English teachers participated too. The blackout poetry was then displayed in the Library.<\/p>\n Trending Booklists:<\/strong><\/p>\n Best New Children\u2019s Books – Topptsa<\/a><\/p>\n Bookbug\u2019s Book of the Month \u2013 Scottish Book Trust<\/a><\/p>\n Books of the Month \u2013 Love Reading For Kids<\/a><\/p>\n Books of the Month \u2013 Scholastic<\/a><\/p>\n Books of the Month – Waterstones<\/a><\/p>\n Children\u2019s Books Roundup \u2013 Guardian<\/a><\/p>\n New Releases \u2013 Epic Reads<\/a><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n Literary and Cultural Events \u2013 Summer:<\/strong><\/p>\n June 5th<\/sup> \u2013 6th<\/sup>: Ullapool Book Festival<\/a> (Ross-shire, Highlands, Scotland)<\/p>\n July 1st<\/sup> \u2013 13th<\/sup>: Govanhill International Festival and Carnival<\/a> (Glasgow, Scotland)<\/p>\n July 8th<\/sup> \u2013 9th<\/sup>: Glasgow Zine Fest<\/a> (Glasgow, Scotland)<\/p>\n July 27th<\/sup> \u2013 30th<\/sup>: Big Lit: The Stewarty Book Festival<\/a> (Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland)<\/p>\n Aug 4th<\/sup> \u2013 6th<\/sup>: Bute Noir Crime Writing Festival<\/a> (Isle of Bute, Scotland)<\/p>\n Aug 12th<\/sup> \u2013 28th<\/sup>: Edinburgh International Book Festival<\/a> (Edinburgh, Scotland)<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Awards:<\/strong><\/p>\n British Book Awards<\/a><\/p>\n CLiPPA Poetry Award<\/a><\/p>\n International Booker Prize<\/a><\/p>\n Jhalak Prize<\/a><\/p>\n Yoto Carnegies<\/a><\/p>\n Young Adult Book Prize<\/a><\/p>\n Waterstones Book Prize<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Book Buzz:<\/strong><\/p>\n BBC<\/a><\/p>\n Book Riot<\/a><\/p>\n Buzzfeed<\/a><\/p>\n Epic Reads<\/a><\/p>\n