This week, the prep neighbourhood went on a walking excursion to the Carlton library in Rathdowne Street. There were two reasons we organised this excursion. One reason being that Book Week is fast approaching, so it seemed an ideal opportunity to explore our local library and share our love of books. The other was to build on our mini inquiry into libraries which developed as a result of the children’s enthusiastic response to a book making provocation we established to provoke the children’s interest in story-telling. It was these beautiful books that the children were making that sparked our idea to create a prep library. We also saw this as an ideal opportunity to grow the children’s understanding of collaboration, with everyone working together to create a prep library to facilitate our prep community stories.
Before we went to the library, we asked the children…
What is a library?
A library is a very, very quiet space where you read books. Miles
You can be quiet and get yourself really relaxed by listening to a book. Julian
It is a building that has lots and lots of books in it and you have to be quiet. Onna
It’s like a bookshop but not actually a bookshop because it’s called a library and a bookshop is where you buy things and a library is where you borrow books. Ronnie
It’s where you borrow books and where you have an opportunity to have a really quiet read. Riley
I’ve met my friend Hannah at the library. We were looking for books. Ari
Once when I was walking past the library I saw Menka and Frenchie form this school. Wini
You can also have libraries in schools so you can bring books home from the school. Coen
Walking to the library…
The children shared their experience of their local library…
Every Saturday after swimming I bring library books back and take new ones. Hannah
On the weekend I sometimes go to the library because I want to borrow new books. Jack
I have got a little computer at my library that I can play. And also they have got a TV in the baby books area to play games on. And also because they have got some big books that have stuff on minecraft. Raf
I like my library because there is a kids section and there is also a veranda at the very top of the library that you can stand on and look out at the whole city. Jonathan
I always bring my library book back from my home – so then you can take another book. Rahma
I use to go to Rhyme Time at the library and toddler time and I still go to reading time. Enid
I like my library because they have got DVDs and lots of my favourite shows are DVDs. Piper
I bring my library books back to my home and I listen to them. Mariam
Like you do at most libraries, I just look at books. Riley
There’s not a lot of noise and there are stairs at my library. Once I saw Frenchie and Menka there. Wini
The library that I go to there is a kid area and a grown up area. Alex
Because there’s kids books and grown up books and they can both get books. Riley
It’s nice and quiet in the library. I get to read books. Josh
You have to be quiet and you choose books whichever you want. Oona
At my local library we have story time. Ronnie
We use to go to a local library and borrow some books. Hamish
At my kinder I went on an excursion to a library. In the library we borrowed a funny book. Kimi
I went to the same excursion with Kimi. I borrowed a really funny (picture book). Daisy
Enjoying books at the library…
If you could design a library just for kids, what would it look like?
The children shared their thinking…
It would have guards at the front so the grown-ups couldn’t get in. So when the kids want alone time, they could just go to the private kids library. There’s even a trampoline inside. And a secret tunnel so the kids can get home without anyone even noticing. Coen
My library is in a magical land where there are fairies and unicorns and only I could go. Ronnie
These are all the books, and they’re organised in rainbow order. And it’s a special library that only me and my cousins can go – because I haven’t seen (my cousins) in a very long time. Riley
These are seats that you can lie down and you can get a book and read it. I like lying down and reading because it’s so restful and it’s nice and cosy and really quiet. Josh
I’m doing a “Whatever Book” library, so I’ve got 10 Pokemon books and Dinosaur books and maybe a rabbit book for rabbit stories. And an elephant book. Remember, it’s a “whatever Library”, so you can have whatever books you want.
I have a Ninjago library. There are lots of seasons of the books. And they are pretty long books. Cydon
I’m doing a special kids area. There are these little pillows that you can lie down and (hold the book up). There’s a little candle here so if you can’t find a book, you use the candle to find your book. Daisy
This is a small couch for kids. At home I like to hang upside down on the couch reading books. There’s little cushions shaped like flowers. And there’s little beds that are soft so you can lie down. And there’s a bookshelf. With an F section, a D section, and L section and a K and M section. And the books on the F section have Fairy books. Frenchie