November 18, 2019 - 1271 views
Coleg Llandrillo's library staff promoted a wide range of initiatives - from online games, through dyslexia awareness events, to a staff member's talk on her earlier life which has been turned into an book - to celebrate this year's National Libraries Week initiative.
National Libraries Week took place between the 7-12 October in order to celebrate the nation's much-loved libraries. This year's theme was 'Celebrating Libraries in a Digital World'.
The library on the college's Rhos-on-Sea campus joined over 1,000 libraries in celebrating the national campaign. The college's library has also recently supported World Book Day and National Poetry Day.
Coleg Llandrillo learning resource assistant, Gina Maddison, has, at the age of 60, had her autobiographical story of growing up in Birmingham in the fifties and sixties published.
It is entitled "The Girl from Guildford Street: Growing up in working class Birmingham 1957-1968" and describes being raised in the Lozells district of Birmingham during a time of great social and political change. She gave an illuminating talk about her early life to a packed house.
The author, her sister and her cousins were the last generation to grow up in the back-to-backs: Birmingham council houses, two-up, one-down - with no bathroom, inside toilet, central heating or hot running water - centred around a back yard with outside toilets, sheds and a wash house.
The author's parents both worked in local factories at a time when manufacturing was booming in the West Midlands. The book is published by Brewin Books under her pen name of Grace Caroline Holte.
During the week, there were a number of other events taking place at the college library: staff promoted a dyslexia awareness campaign, Beauty Therapy students offered free hand massages, and a number of online games, including chess, draughts, backgammon, were available to access.
Thursday coincided with World Mental Health Day, so students sat and enjoyed relaxing music, whilst colouring in some mindfulness sheets. The library also supported the college's current student enrichment event, Money Matters.
Victoria Gelezinis, marketing representative for Coleg Llandrillo's library, said:
"It was great to see so many students and staff engaging in the National Libraries Week campaign. Libraries are having to adjust to an ever-changing world, and initiatives like this help to promote the wide range of services that libraries have to offer in modern society".
