The Book Lounge and Open Book Festival have been committed to driving a love of books and reading amongst learners since their inception. Fundamental to this has been the Open Book School Library Project which has seen us put libraries into Matthew Goniwe Memorial High School, Parkhurst Primary and Westridge High School. The experience is one that has been hugely rewarding but which has also come with its own challenges.
As with all aspects of Open Book, we are constantly looking for ways to improve, and it is with this in mind that we reworked the library project to come up with something that doesn’t overwhelm, doesn’t require additional staff and which can be kept up to date with relatively little money. Welcome to Open Box! These mini libraries are placed in classrooms, allowing teachers and learners access to the resources through the day. The pilot school for this project was St Mary’s Primary, where we completed a library box in each classroom. Our current focus is Intshinga Primary School in Guguletu.
The learners at Intshinga come predominantly from disenfranchised communities, and with the school being under resourced, the teachers and learners have shown huge interest in having access to books through the day in their classrooms.
We’ve also had so much fun during all our story time sessions at Intshinga Primary and are looking forward to seeing this relationship grow even further.
How to get involved
- Purchase an isiXhosa book from our suggestions in store
- Make a donation and we will pick a book or a fun resource on your behalf
For more information please feel free to chat to a staff member at The Book Lounge or contact us.
