Highlights of my first two weeks

After almost two weeks working as a new prep school librarian, I thought I would write about the highlights so far. I won't use the children's names, but that is definitely one of the highlights - beginning to know the children by name - and every day another two or three become "real people," not just faces in a crowd.

The children have so far been so friendly, and very chatty, and helpful. So I have a gang of little boys who come in every break and every lunch, and tell me if they can't make it because of a music lesson or something. Then a few girls who come almost every day, have a little chat, read a bit, and then go away again. Two little girls just throw themselves on the bean bags in the corner and read busily all lunchtime - in another world.  

I have to choose Library Monitors, so I have asked those who are interested to write me an "application" letter. The three boys who are utterly determined to do it, have already chosen what colour monitor badge they will wear - on a Star Trek theme! So I will get the yellow badge, as "Captain Button", and two of them will have blue badges ("Medical"), and the rest will have red badges ("Security"). Of course, they are the newest breed of Star Trek fans, only knowing the new series of films with Chris Pines and co - whereas I am a long-in-the-tooth fan of the original series! So anyway we are all happy!

I put up a competition this week, to make the most words out of the letters R E A D - and several children ran away with it and loved doing it - I gave the winners mini erasers as prizes.

Putting things up on the display boards - two library posters made by children in a lunchtime for example - is fun, and, getting the books in order and all covered etc is satisfying.

We had a Roald Dahl quiz on Friday as it was Roald Dahl Day - his birthday was 13th September. His children's books are still hard to beat.

I think I am going to enjoy this job in many ways. And the other staff have been friendly and welcoming, and seem really nice. There is always tea, coffee and biscuits in the staff common room. And I get free lunch!