October 2019 - Read the Book! Tumaini Opens is Second Library

In the past month, students have begun to enjoy new programs at the library. There is now  “Book of the Month,” that allows students to nominate their favorite book each month. In conjunction, there is a “Library Reading Log” that tracks students’ reading to incentivize them to read more. As a reward, the student who reads the most books each month gets to decide the next “Book of the Month”. Their choice, along with their name will be displayed next to the library’s main door.

In addition to open time during the school day, students have started to come to the library on weeknights to work on revision, read, and/or spend time with their peers. The nights are some of the busiest times—with every seat filled—as students see the bright lights beckoning from across campus.

With all of these new changes, increased hours, and reading initiative programs, the library sees more and more visitors every day. Whether it is during lunch, assigned library periods, or running in to check out another book between classes, the library is never empty.

This excitement is illustrated by the numbers. In the month of September, over 80 students (roughly 30% of the student body) checked out 265 books. Not only are they reading books, but they are finding time to discuss and analyze them as well. George Rashid, a Form IV student, read The Giver (September’s Book of the Month) and Fahrenheit 451—both on the librarian’s suggestion—and came back with a list of questions, ready to discuss themes and content in each.

All of these moments show that the students are learning not only how to use the library, but to appreciate it, to respect it, and to utilize it to their educational and personal advantage. While every student who was asked, “What do you like best about the library?” answered first and foremost “the books,” many discussed the welcoming space it has brought to campus.

The library represents something different to every student who has taken advantage of its presence, but Husna Muhamed, a Form II student, sums it up well, “The books inside the library give me more of an appetite to read.” We hope that all the students’ appetites continue to grow, and are excited to see how the library will benefit education here at Tumaini Senior Secondary School.