A Library is a great place to ride out a pandemic!

Another year goes by – and this has been an odd one. While the school year seems to have almost raced by without a trace, the start of the year also seems a very long time back in a different world. We are so lucky that many things here seem largely unchanged but for the students it has been a bit of an up and down roller coaster of uncertainty. None-the-less, we have had a steady base of regular Library users here who stun me with their perseverance and work ethic. What fabulous young people we see each day.

Once again our collection has been well-used with plenty of borrowing of physical and e-books. A great aspect of our online collection is that it is available throughout the summer break as well! Go online to browse and issue books here – Wheelers BHS ePlatform or go on the links through the Library webpage. You can sign in with your BHS student number and password. You can use any books read to enter the Summer Reading programme being run by Christchurch City Libraries – keep up your reading and learning and be in to win great prizes.

The wonderful parent volunteers who come in each weekday morning and shelve books returned since the previous day help to keep the Library running smoothly. Over the course of a year this means around 18,000 books are returned to shelves by these willing helpers. This help from the community is invaluable to the Library staff and enables us to work with students and complete other tasks.

Students also play a huge part in the efficient running of the Library with Student Librarians and Year 13 volunteers doing a fantastic job. Each of the five Student Librarian teams is rostered for one day each week. These conscientious students run the circulation desk and other duties during intervals and lunchtimes, ably led by their Team Leaders and Deputies who put a great amount of time and effort into training team members in the different tasks they perform. Peer Tutors come in during three lunchtimes each week and are available to help students with study questions. We also have Year 13 students to help supervise in the computer Learning Lab and keep the Bagstore safe during lunchtimes. A large number of senior students give their time and energy in service to the school and are fabulous role models for all of us.

A big thank you to Phil, Sally-Ann and all the staff here at BHS for the respect, support and value they show the Library and us. Also, and especially thank you to the wonderful team of Library staff - Annie Boardman, Hilary Grinter and Hilary Wilson for the energy and professionalism they show every day and the friendly, caring way they work with students and staff.