St William of York officially open new school library

St William of York Catholic Primary School in Thornton, Crosby, welcomed author Frank Cottrell-Boyce into school to officially open its new library after years of not having one. 

In 2008, the school removed its library at the time to make way for an IT Suite, moving a lot of the books to each class to create a small class library. 

Over recent years it became evident that due to iPads, computers and tablets, many children are no longer reading books like they used to. Research has shown that children read less than what they did compared to ten years ago. 

To tackle this issue, St William of York Catholic Primary School looked at ways to encourage a love of reading. Staff considered several options on installing a new school library although there was no spare space in school. 

In the end, the school reconfigured its IT suite to incorporate a library area while still keeping the IT suite. The dual-purpose area ensures the most is being made out of the space. 

Staff said that while the area is not huge, it will be enjoyed by all the children and will be a fantastic area for small groups to enjoy reading.

To celebrate this milestone, Frank Cottrell-Boyce attended the launch of the school’s new library. The children had a fantastic day listening to stories and having their books signed. 

Mr Murphy, headteacher of St William of York Catholic Primary School, said: “We were honoured to welcome Mr Cottrell-Boyce into our school.  

“The children thoroughly enjoyed his assemblies which promoted the joy of reading. We would also like to thank Cargill’s for their kind donation towards the cost of our new library and all the fundraising support from parents.”