Having a school library is so important and I believe they should be a statutory requirement giving all children equal access to quality reading material. A good school library contributes to developing the essential habit of reading in children and young people.
Lorna has helped and guided all different types of school libraries with their library management system requirements over the years. All of which has made for a very varied working day, ranging from helping small primary schools with limited library space to large secondary schools with multiple library bases. A team leader and a long standing member of the Reading Cloud Sales Team, she often speaks to schools about their overall library goals and how a LMS can help them to achieve their literacy objectives.
What aspects of our library software do you most enjoy showing schools?
I love showing all aspects of our library software, the Who Next feature which recommends suggested reads for individual borrowers based on their previous loans (how clever is that!) has to be one of my favorites alongside our smartphone app.
It’s really important to keep all our users engaged with their libraries and their reading and the Reading Cloud app does just that, by enabling borrowers to access, view and search their library site anywhere, anytime.
How vital do you think the role of a library is in a school?
Having a school library is so important and I believe they should be a statutory requirement, giving all children equal access to quality reading material. A good school library contributes to developing the essential habit of reading in children and young people. Generally those who have access to a school library are more likely to have better levels of reading and writing overall.
Do you prefer reading print books or eBooks?
Ooh, that is an interesting question as I own both eBooks and print books. There are pro’s and con’s for both. eBooks are my ‘go to’ option when travelling. However, I have to say I much prefer print books, although they take up far too much storage space! I like holding and reading a physical book and I do encourage off-screen time.
Did you like being read to?
When I was younger, I enjoyed class story time. We’d each take it in turns to choose a book and the teachers were so animated when they read to us and brought the story to life. Now, I have the pleasure of my daughter reading to me, who reads with great expression. Currently we are reading the Pages & Co series by Anna James which are jam-packed with book wandering adventure! (although she keeps sneaking extra chapters in without me).
Do you have a favourite and much used saying or phrase?
Tomorrow is a new day.