» LIBRARY

Click here for an overview of the library: Deconstructing Dewey Novel idea Working hard Department staff

At first glance the College Library at St John's appears to be a traditional school library.

This library is housed in a beautiful room, with a soaring ceiling, containing wood clad walls and the odd inspirational marble bust of great minds such as Shakespeare and Dante. In 1999, when the new librarian arrived, textbooks rubbed shoulders with valuable Africana texts; there were impressive art books and books useful to scholars on any topic, as well as a solid collection of novels. Previous librarians had indeed built up an excellent book stock, and had arranged it logically according to Dewey, for the students' edification.

Deconstructing Dewey

Melvil Dewey, the grand old man of Librarianship, devised a decimal system in 1876 for the classifying of books in a library. Whilst everybody growing up in Western society is au fait with this method of classifying information, this system has been severely criticized through the years for being awkward and not very user-friendly. We took the plunge at St John's and decided to customize the system to suit the needs of high school students. The students now use a book collection which is logically arranged in study fields.

These subject collections are in line with the new curriculum. When St Johns College students depart for their tertiary training they are already fully equipped to deal with study collections in academic campus libraries.

After this academic exercise, the fun part of library work starts, viz. Marketing the library to the students as a venue to explore for complete living: Developing strategies for academic investigation and study, finding books on hobbies, growing to love reading for its own sake, finding coherence in today's world, dealing with issues of adolescence, acquiring life skills for the world outside the school.

Other innovations include:

• Extended library access times
• A floor plan of the library for all new students
• Active campaigning targeted at the sports pupils (jocks’)
• Students and staff are encouraged to use the library for discussions and meetings.
• Close personal contact with students doing research or exploring fiction themes.

The library has its own digital research facility, with online reference resources and a digital projector for teaching / meetings.

Novel idea

The image of indulging in a novel is definitely not cool for the average schoolboy. Even the brightest collection of relevant novels would not appeal, as arranged in school library shelves.

 

Working hard

In order to lure readers, it was decided to create a fiction lounge in the gallery overlooking the College's Darragh Hall. A terraced effect has been created with carpeted stairs, and seating is provided by scattering giant pillows and beanbags. Old boys revisiting the College express their envy at seeing the students languishing on the pillows, AND reading. This venue has become a popular place to kill time, after doing homework, and perhaps waiting for a parent or choir practice. Library users actively participate in the choice of books, accompanying the librarian on book buys, or freely suggesting titles to purchase. Waiting lists for books exist to provide for keen readers. At the start of each holiday, many boys ask for suggestions for holiday reading.

Finally, the library is the provider of quotes. Quotations that are funny, sad, thought-creating. The quotes are posted up daily - one day I forgot to supply the school secretary with a suitable quote, and being on the spot, suggested the words “Real jocks READ". However, here is one of the favourites -very apt for adolescent life:

’I don't think happiness is necessarily the reason we're here. I think we're here to learn and evolve, and the pursuit of knowledge is what alleviates the pain of being human. And everybody is in pain, but if you're learning something, your mind is diverted elsewhere.’ STING, 1983

Library department staff
Jenni Millward
St John’s College Librarian

Angie Beukman
Assistant Librarian