Primary School Library Parent Volunteer Program

When Assil Charara started working at ISP"s Primary School library in 2013, a parent volunteer program was already in place. Parent volunteers worked in one corner of the library, using a computer to help children check out books, or to register returned books and shelve them.
The librarian worked in a different corner and used a second computer to help students with their research or to prepare lessons. Often it was only American and British mothers who came to help with library tasks.

Assil, who thought the second computer was taking up too much space in the library, asked to have it removed. At the time she had no idea that making such a small change in her environment would have an impact on the volunteer program.
She now realises that removing the second computer was the catalyst that sparked the program"s organic development: it allowed her to have more interactions with parents, to develop friendships with them and to encourage them to join, what has now become, the ISP Primary School Library family.

Five years later the volunteer pool is much larger and greatly diversified. Mothers and fathers from multiple countries and cultures (India, Mexico, England, Turkey, US, Lebanon, Denmark, Belarus, Japan, Vietnam, Singapore, Finland and Israel) meet every day to make the library a dynamic learning environment. Checking in books and shelving is not enough anymore.

Co-teaching students and co-caring for the library is their objective. They repair, classify, organise, and suggest books. They donate books to enrich the selection for students. They read to students in their own mother tongue. They share their expertise with students, through presentations related to class work.

Parents don"t just give to the school and students, they give to each other as well. They help each other better understand the Primary Years Program curriculum, they share recipes and parenting advice and they celebrate special occasions together. Assil"s favorite part of leading the volunteers is parents" commitment to giving, both inside and outside of the school. Her library family, in the past five years, has also greatly contributed to projects aimed at improving refugee conditions in Paris and in northern France.

Thank you to the ISP Primary School library family for all you have contributed in 2017-18. We are very much looking forward to supporting you in 2018-19. And an additional thank-you to Assil, who paid attention to her learning environment and dared to change it!
For more information on this story, and to hear directly from parents, watch the video.

https://www.isparis.edu/

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