Yes, this is it:The Little English Library is one year old. And what a year it has been.

On March 28th 2014 we opened The Little English Library with about 900 books and 80 members. Now, we have around 2000 books for children aged 0-14 not counting audio books, magazines and story bags and we have around 250 members from 16 different Primary Schools. Between March and December 2014 around 1100 books were borrowed and returned. My vision was to create a space / service that would support English Speakers and English Learners alike and with nearly 70 % of our members now being English Language Learners, I think we are doing just that.

Book donations are still coming in and for that I am forever grateful – please keep them coming. In February 2015, we were able to launch ”Books in a Box” and have given over 200 of our spare books to 5 local Primary Schools for their school & classroom libraries.

So thank you (children & parents) for your visits, thank you to all volunteers who have donated, promoted, tidied up, covered books, sewn bags and puppets, edited / proofread and written articles and made lovely designs for our campaigns. And a Big Thank You also to the Montessori+, Breda who have opened their doors and given us a wonderful space with free access.Let’s see what this year brings. Tash

Every week I change the library display of The Little English Library. I always try and have a theme which will come as no surprise to the ones who know me. Now, the past few weeks have been great as The Montessori+, where The Little English Library is based, runs the IPC so I have had plenty of inspiration.

The 6-9 year olds are working on the Dinosaur Unit so I have brought out all our Dinosaur books from Harry & The Dinosaurs to the Dinosaur Stomp. Turns out, including factual books we have around 50 Dino-themed books and the library is now also a proud owner of 5 plastic dinosaurs (Hema’s finest).

Now, the little 4-5 year-old ones are working on an IPC Unit about Insects and Plants / Flowers. So we have had all the bug books out from Usborne’s Bugs & Insects Guide to the Ten Wriggly Wiggly Caterpillars.

And this coming week, finally, Christopher will be on display and all other plant related books. I love Christopher Nibble aka Christopher Knabbel in the Netherlands – such a beautiful and clever book. I will now probably spend my weekend looking for dandelion plants to add to the display …

And it is competition time again. Last year we entered the SLA Inspiration Award only two weeks after opening. Although we didn’t get very far, we received very positive feedback and were encouraged to re-submit The Little English Library again this year. Well everything has now been sent, let’s see what happens this year.

http://www.sla.org.uk/inspiration-award.php

As you know our 2015 campaign is Let’s Read English and in support of this campaign, we decided to donate all the library’s spare English books to local primary schools. Well, as you can see the first Let’s Read English posters are up including one in the Bibliotheek in Haagse Beemden, which is great, thank you Alison. And all the spare books have now been cleared out of my office, hurrah. In the last two weeks, 3 local Primary Schools received around 120 books. And our last donation is going a bit further afield to De Trinoom in Barendrecht. I am now starting a waiting list. Hard to believe that a year after opening, we are able to donate books to Dutch Primary Schools, brilliant –  so please keep donations coming. Meanwhile I have been in touch with a very famous UK children’s book publisher, perhaps we will get some more support …fingers crossed. Thanks Tash

The Diary of a Wimpy Kid Books by Jeff Kinney … well, all I can say is, you are doing well if you spot one on our shelves. We have 9 and they are the most borrowed books by our Dutch (pre-)teens Little Library members. The kids loved reading the series in Dutch and now find it so cool to be reading the books in English.

Last week a girl came up to me and asked if I could get the Dork Diaries for The Little English Library. She said, ALL of her girl-friends had read them in Dutch (Dagboek van een Muts) and would now like to read them in English. She added that as the boys had the Wimpy Diaries, the girls would really like the Dork Diaries, if possible. Bless, so of course I have ordered the set and it should be at the library after half-term. Might just have to read one myself.