The Importance of a Library in an International School

Schools and educational institutions are incomplete without a library. A school introduces students to the world of formal education. A library gives them a taste of the enormous world out there. It is that place where you get to meet Hercule Poirot, Alice, Gulliver, and Harry Potter and as you grow, it is the library that will introduce you to exciting subjects of science, astronomy, society, literature; in short, the world around you.

Libraries are the storehouses of knowledge. The earliest of libraries can be traced back to 2600 BC in Sumer, Mesopotamia. Though these ancient libraries stored only cuneiform font (logo-based syllable) of writing in clay tablets, the modern libraries have evolved way too far. A library of an international school today, has transformed itself into more of a resource library genre that house not only physical texts but also computers for reading online journals along with other state-of-the-art facilities.

A library has always played a pivotal role in the overall development of kids or young adults by nurturing their creative imagination and answering their inquisitiveness. Even as schools are opening gradually since the previous year's lockdown, owing to the deadly virus spike, these libraries are bridging the gap that has been created between the children and education.

However, there are multiple ways in which library is important in an international school, and we have listed some of them below:

1. Encourage the Practice of Reading
   Quoting Margaret Fuller “Today a reader, tomorrow a leader.” Reading is certainly one of the best habits that any kid can acquire and the library certainly provides ample scope for that. State of the art libraries at international schools has a wide collection of books on child literature, encyclopedias, and subject books that can kindle a student’s interest in reading. The more the child reads, the more fortified will be his thoughts for his future.
2. Scope of Personal Development
   Studies have shown that students who visit libraries have a higher knack for exploration and tend to attain higher test scores. Moreover, in a library, one has to follow decorum and maintain silence and has to take responsibility for the borrowed book, read it carefully, and return it within mentioned time. So, apart from enriching a kid’s mind, a library shapes her personality as well.
3. Boosts Concentration
   It has been proven that self-reading is much more impactful than just attending formal classes. When a child reads about something in a book in the quiet environment of the library, the information is strongly absorbed by his mind. Reading the silent library area without any distraction is bound to improve the concentration of younger minds.
4. Additional Support in School Subjects
   State of the art libraries in an international school has books on class subjects. These extra books provide kids more knowledge than they are imparted in a formal class. Hence their concepts become clearer and they gain a competitive advantage over their fellow classmates.
5. Makes kids aware of general affairs
   Apart from books, international school libraries house various national and international journals, academic and current affairs magazines, newspapers, and tabloids. Not only do they serve as a source of wisdom for kids, but also keep them well informed about what is happening in their country and worldwide.

Libraries have functioned as storehouses of wisdom over ages. Time has changed from temple room libraries of Mesopotamian culture to the state of the art libraries of international schools, but few things have been constant; educating readers much more than just subjective knowledge; unleashing a whole world of information to curious minds. Learning is a dynamic process and children should always be encouraged for reading beyond their textbooks and libraries are just the right place for that. Libraries in international schools like Jain International Residential School (JIRS) are created keeping all the academic needs of students in mind so that they can flourish to be better human beings of the future.