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Library Spotlight: Westville Girls' High School, South Africa
by Matt | 8 07, 2018 | Categories : Library Success Stories Tips and Tricks
ePlatform School Spotlight of the Week - Westville Girls' High School, South Africa
Teacher-Librarian Irene Reid of Westville Girls' High School has done a write up to show how they are keeping their students engaged with digital reading. See some key initiatives they have implemented and an overview of their experiences with ePlatform and Wheelers below:
We have a fabulous Media Centre situated perfectly centrally within the school building with easy access for students and teachers.
We began our eBook eplatform in 2014. Our principal, Ms Raw, asked me to run a pilot with the staff so that the staff could see how it worked and we could iron out any issues that might need to be sorted. It was an awesome idea as it gave me the opportunity to purchase books and start filling up the eLibrary shelves. However, it was not hugely successful with the staff. Generally, it is the younger staff members that have sustained their online reading. The more mature staff did join, tried it out but seem to have chosen “real” books. I think it is an age thing! We currently have about 13 active staff members.
We then launched the eplatform in 2015/2016 with the Grade 11 and Grade 10 students and then in 2017 with the Grade 9 Students. And now in 2018 with this years’ Grade 8 students. Membership is free and the Grade 8 students were enrolled during a library lesson in which they were shown the eplatform and how to navigate and use it. They are currently our most active members. We currently have 426 members at least 50% are Grade 8 students.
I did promote the eplatform by making a poster and this was given to each registration class to put up in their classroom.
Our Library Monitors did an assembly about the eBook eplatform and showed the students how it worked with a power point presentation.
We also have a Facebook Media Page on which I try to do regular posts about the eplatform and the books on it. For this, I do try to use the banners etc that Wheelers provide for us.
https://www.facebook.com/MediaCentreWGHS/
I have learned how to do personalised headers for the shelves and have a classics section, popular reads, latest additions shelves visible. I use the banners, posters etc. in the promotional material to make displays and put up around the school to promote the platform.
At the moment the eplatform is self-sustaining, especially since joining the combined school platform in South Africa. As I have budget, I do still buy books for our library and am enjoying the feature which allows the student users to recommend books to be purchased.
I am also setting up a competition for the online readers. This will create a hype online and encourage those not online to perhaps join and start reading online. This will be happening in September just before the holidays.
The one thing I must mention is the incredible level of support you have as a Wheelers User – whenever I need support or assistance they are there quickly and sort out my issues quickly and efficiently. Thank you Wheelers support.
I am looking forward to all the new things I will be able to do after our workshop in September 2018
- Irene Reid
Teacher-Librarian
Thank you, Irene, you're doing great with ePlatform!
If you'd like your school or library to be featured, contact Renee on reneej@wheelers.co.nz