We have recently decided to publish articles highlighting members of the school community. This week we would like to tell you about Mrs Laure Brogniez, librarian at the Evere site.

We asked her a few questions, about her plans for the library, how to find the catalogue and what the role of the librarian is. We thank Laure for her availability and her help!

Interview done by U. Storost, member of the APEEE Board

You are our school librarian in Evere. Could you say a few words about yourself, where do you come from, why are you here?

I am Belgian and studied library sciences in Brussels. I never had a library in any of my schools growing up so I was pleased to discover the job existed during my studies. I could mix two things I liked: working with children AND books! Luckily for me, EEB2 was looking for a replacement librarian when I graduated and I haven’t left the team since. Yes, I am here to ease access to knowledge and books according to the curriculums. But what I like the most about my work is to share stories in a warm atmosphere and see the big smile on the children’s faces when they found books they will enjoy.

What does a typical day for you look like – what does your work as a librarian entail?

Most of my day is dedicated to reading stories and lending books to the classes according to the schedule established with the teachers. I also organise special activities for the different calendar events or on demand by the teachers (story structures, newspapers, online search…). During the lunch break, the library is open for anyone who wants a moment of peace and quiet. When I am not doing that, my main task is to prepare the books (cataloguing, labelling, putting protective plastic) so they can be available as soon as possible to fill in the shelves. I stay aware of the books coming out and listen to the children, teachers and parents’ suggestions.

How can parents access the catalogue of the school, could you give a “mini-demo”?

The link to the library catalogue was communicated in September but here is a recording of the steps easily find it. As part of the IT curriculum, I already gave a lesson to the P5 on how to search in the catalogue. Piece of advice: add the page to your favourites for future use! Our library software has tutorials on how to search on the catalogue but I will soon record our own so it is more accurate and relatable to our functionalities. I want to see the catalogue.

Please find below a demonstration on how to access the catalogue through the school website.

What can parents do to support the literacy learning of their child?

Keep reading books with your child no matter his/her age or the book format or genre. Make it a game: the child reads a page then its your turn. Enjoying books is not every child’s favourite activity on his/her free time. But reading is a basic necessity so make sure they attach good memories to reading. You can also share books you liked as a child, your experience around books while growing up.

And last – what further plans do you have for the work of the library in this year?

I’d like to add a conformable reading zone for the nursery children with cushions and stools. The zone we have right now is to small for a full class. I am already discussing with the teachers to invite authors for the next school year. A Book Fair (in French mostly) is coming at the end of May, so watch for any news in your emails in the coming week!