Are you sitting comfortably? Then let me begin …
"Once upon a time, in a land where the dark cloud of a pandemic had just lifted, there lived a Chief Executive who wanted to find out more about the vital work being undertaken by his teams.
Although much uncertainty still filled the air, these teams continued to strive forward, their aim to make a difference to people's lives.
This is the story of one such team and the journey the Chief Executive took through their Aladdin’s cave of wonder; a cave filled with words, pictures and toys designed to spark the imagination and help children and young people excel."
From reading a story to a toddler about kindness and friendship to watching a young person buried in a book about love and loss, no one can deny the power of a good story and the role storytelling has in helping people understand the world around them.
At Falkirk Council the power of words is amplified in our nurseries and primary and secondary schools by the Learning Resource Service (LRS). Led by the award-winning Principal Librarian Yvonne Manning and Librarian Maggie Burns, the service champions the transformative power of books and the deep understanding they can bring.
Bringing back memories. Principal Librarian Yvonne Manning (left) and Chief Executive Kenneth Lawrie (right) read books written in Scots. For Kenneth, ‘A moose in the hoose’ was a short story he often read to his daughters whin they wur wee.
One of the first things that hits you when you walk through the doors of the former Bothkennar Primary School, where LRS is now based, is the energy and passion of both Yvonne and Maggie.
Collectively they have worked as council librarians for c50 years. Although much has changed since they started out, one thing has remained constant – the need for the service they provide.
Yvonne said: “People will always value the service we provide because we have an impact. We train teachers. We story tell. We supply the blue boxes filled with 40 novels or picture books that children have requested alongside other educational resources to bring topics to life and support learning, and we refurbish libraries. It is all part of our reading culture.
“Other councils provide books in a more restricted way. They do not have a central library service like ours. One library postgraduate student has recently undertaken research to better understand the value the school library service brings. That research gives a powerful argument in favour of what we do. We are not statutory, but we are a service that is making a difference and having a hugely positive impact on children and young people’s learning.”
Kenneth said: “If you think about outcomes and what is needed for our children and young people, this is a great example of how a small service can make a big difference. Falkirk’s attainment is increasing year on year. Having that grounding and a love of literacy and numeracy instilled early on and throughout education is maybe part of our secret.”
Reading aloud. Yvonne reminds Kenneth what it feels like to be read to and the joy that comes from a surprise ending!
With pupils now back in school full-time following two years of upheaval, teachers are reaching out to the service to help children catch up.
Yvonne said: “There has been a focus on 'back to basics’ because the data shows some children have missed a lot due to COVID, so we are providing resources tailored to the needs of individual pupils as well as for a full class.
“For older children who are struggling, we provide books that look very much like the novels their peers are reading but they are less complex and have shorter chapters. That means they have a book that looks like their peers, even if they are not at the same level. That is really important.
“If a pupil tells me they do not like reading. I simply say, “there is a book for everyone, you’ve just not found it yet” and our role is to help them find that book.”
A picture says a thousand words. Yvonne explains the important role picture books have in helping children discuss big ideas and build understanding, fluency, vocabulary and other foundational literacy skills.
Another resource provided by the service is Borrowbox, an online library of digital books and audiobooks that all pupils can access through their Connected Falkirk device.
Maggie said: “As soon as lockdown happened and the rollout of Connected Falkirk devices started, use of Borrowbox skyrocketed. It’s thanks to that collaborative working with the Connected Falkirk team that usage is still high, and our stats remain the best in Scotland. Other councils have tried to emulate what we have done but they can’t, because pupils do not have a device.”
English as a second language. The service is currently trying to source books in Ukrainian to support children and young people who are now living in the local area after fleeing the war in their home country.
The LRS has lovingly built up a library of over 90,000 resources to not only support literacy and reading for enjoyment but also promote a greater understanding of big issues, such as immigration and war.
“Books have a hugely important role in helping to open a pupil’s mind and give them a greater understanding of current affairs,” said Yvonne. “A book can also encourage a child to open up and talk about their own problems and worries through a character in a book. That is why we have a section that covers issues such as grief and divorce.”
As well as supplying resources to schools, Yvonne and Maggie support teachers in their professional development and help them build confidence in their classroom by providing QR codes to experiments and more resources that teachers can tap into.
Yvonne also spearheads the Read, Enjoy, Debate (RED) Book Awards each year. This year will be the awards 17th anniversary. The annual awards encourage S2 pupils to read and shortlist four books, with the authors of those books attending the RED award ceremony in May. Over 200 young people also attend the awards which have “a great energy”.
Reading fun. Bookbug ensures all children receive age-appropriate books that will help them learn to read through enjoyment.
Yvonne and Maggie also distribute Bookbug bags to youngsters.
“We encourage teachers to gift the Bookbug bags to the children almost like a prizegiving, giving a real sense of occasion,” said Yvonne. “That way the child will attach the same importance, wonder and joy to the contents of the bag as they felt when they were handed their bag.”