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A critical component of our library program, that will form a key theme in our secondary and primary school library models, is the Library Constitution, which has developed over the past several months of working closely with the students of both St. Patricks and Precious Blood.
Download St. Patrick’s High School Library Constitution. Document | Poster
Download Precious Blood Secondary School Library Constitution. Document | Poster
(St. Patricks and Precious Blood students toasting the drafting of the constitution)
Although we always knew we would be incorporating and implementing rules and procedures for running a library, on behalf of both the students and school administration, this element of our model did not begin to manifest as a type of constitution until August when the Precious Blood girls came to Iten to do library training with the St. Patricks boys.
(St. Patricks students signing the original draft of the Library Constituion. It has since been modified)
It was at Iten in August, when discussing their rights to education and access to information, but also their obligations as students and citizens to uphold certain obligations, that the idea of a constitution came about. Since then, the Library Constitution, as a document, has been edited and enhanced, under the guidance of Rita Field-Marsham, CEO of Field-Marsham Foundation, and lawyer by training.
(Rita showing Precious Blood students the complete Library Constitution)
Thus, the Library Constitution was an important component of our Library Opening for St. Patricks and Precious Blood held in November. The impact and sustainability of our library program rests in part on the adoption and enforcement of this document, which outlines expectations, rights, rules, governance, and care of the library, both on behalf of the students and the school staff. Photos below show the students at both the St. Patricks and Precious Blood libraries reading and discussing the new Library Constitution.
