New chapter as Falkirk district school's library opens

Alistair Chisholm visited the school on Thursday to do the honours and cut the ribbon on the new facility.

The library project, Bonnybooks: For a’ Jock Tamson’s Bairns, received over £24,000 from the School Library Improvement Fund (SLIF) last year.

The fund was set up by the Scottish Government and administered by the Scottish Library and Information Council (SLIC).

The school has used the funding to create the new library space to help invigorate the whole school culture of reading for pleasure. It’s creating inspiring spaces and exciting opportunities for the school community to develop and sustain a love of reading.

Ms Gillian MacCallum, PEF PT at Bonnybridge Primary, said: “We are very happy that all of the hard work by school staff, the learning resource service and our pupil Library Leaders has come to fruition to create our inspiring new school library.

"Now we are excited to give our children the opportunity to borrow from a range of books that celebrate diversity and will continue to inspire a positive reading culture.”

The school was delighted to welcome Alistair Chisholm, author of picture books including The Prince and the Witch and the Thief and Inch and Grub, and sci-fi adventures Orion Lost, Adam-2 and The Consequence Girl and the Dragon Storm series of young fantasy novels.

Library Leaders – pupils from primary six and seven – were also present for the school library’s official opening.

Speaking at the time when the school’s funding from SLIF, headteacher Debbie Calderwood had said they were “thrilled” to have received funding for the full project.

She said: “The phrase Jock Tamson’s Bairns’ refers to the idea that we are all the same, and at Bonnybridge, it is important to us that all our learners and families feel that they are welcomed and included.”