Children’s Library birthday party marks five years
FIVE years after it opened, the Guille-Alles children’s library held a birthday celebration featuring some suitably-themed stories, crafts and other activities for youngsters.
Head of children’s and young people’s services Jodie Hearn started at the Guille-Alles about 10 years ago and was actively involved in setting up the new library.
‘I can’t believe it’s been five years,’ she said.
‘It was such a wonderful thing to see the children so excited to see this magical new space.’
The space includes several ‘hidey holes’ where the children can squirrel themselves away with a book, as well as an area where several can sit at once to enjoy story time, which on Saturday featured stories with a birthday theme.
There was also a ‘spot-it’ trail where children had to find birthday pictures hidden around the library’s two rooms.
‘It’s a good activity because we have so many nooks and spaces,’ said Ms Hearn.
One table was set aside for card making with the cards then being hung on the birthday tree. Colouring in a picture ready to go on her card was Elodie Leece, 5, who was with mum Sayjan.
Elodie’s picture was of a house and she said her favourite thing in the Children’s Library was the ‘gingerbread house’ – a small model sat on a nearby shelf.
She also enjoyed making use of the various nooks around the rooms.
‘I’m very small so I can fit there,’ she said.
Mrs Leece said all of her three children love the library and the two older ones, aged 10 and 8, run up the stairs when they arrive in the library building.
The family moved to the island from Singapore last August for Mrs Leece and her husband to take up teaching positions.
‘This is like our safe space,’ she said of the Children’s Library.
‘It’s lovely and the kids just love it here.
‘We had some good children’s libraries in Singapore but this is just amazing.’
