Improvements to Dudley Schools Library Service
Changes to improve the Dudley Schools Library Service are being implemented this January.
With the aim of making the service free and accessible for everyone in Dudley, the new Schools Library Service collection will be located at Halesowen Library, which has good public transport links and nearby carparking.
All public libraries in the borough will continue offering class visits. These can be booked direct.
“We want to support and encourage every child in our area with their reading – whether that’s in school, at home or anywhere in between,” said Stephanie Rhoden, Dudley Libraries and Archives Partnership Manager.
“Teachers will no longer have to request items in advance but can instead visit the Schools Library Service, now based in Halesowen to get project boxes, shared reading sets, guided reading sets, big books and artefacts - all of which they can take away immediately.
“This service is in addition to all of the other libraries throughout the borough providing story sacks, topic books, reading sets and facilitating visits.
“Schools can join their local library with a Teacher’s Ticket which allows up to 100 items to be borrowed for a month and being able to renew each item up to 12 times.
“Reading is a vital skill for all children and these improvements to the Dudley Schools Library Service will, we believe, encourage more young people to discover its many benefits.”
Operating under the Better brand, GLL is the not-for-profit social enterprise that runs Dudley’s libraries, schools service and archive centre on behalf of Dudley Council.
Councillor James Clinton, cabinet member for libraries, said:
“All of our libraries provide the resources children need to develop a lifelong love of learning whether through books, the summer reading challenge or events and activities throughout the year.
“By making the whole of the Schools Library Service accessible in one venue for teachers to look through resources, select and take away books, project boxes and other goodies for their classes we’ve opened up these resources further for our schools and young people.”
For more information, email dudley.libraries@gll.org