Meadows Community School, a 759-pupil Chesterfield comprehensive, told librarian Clare Broadbent her services would no longer be required as it was moving towards a "virtual-learning environment". But Philip Pullman, author of the trilogy His Dark Materials and the mind behind the film The Golden Compass, attacked the decision to prioritise computers over books. In a private letter to headteacher Lynn Asquith, he accused her of relegating reading fiction to a "trivial activity".
Pupils started a campaign to save the librarian’s job almost a year ago when she was informed that she would no longer be needed because of "a move towards the relocation and redistribution of non-fiction and fiction resources in the light of the new developments in a virtual-learning environment and interactive learning." She was told the library, which opened in 1991, would be run in a different way. Fiction would be kept in a new reading centre that would be available in break times and during after school clubs. Pullman said on Sunday that the letter, which he sent last month, was not intended for circulation. But he added: "I stand by it." He has had no response from the school.
Pullman said he was alerted to the Meadows school issue by the Campaign for the Book, set up by children’s author Alan Gibbons. According to the group, schools are buying fewer books now even though spending on education has risen, while many school libraries are threatened by the rise of information technology. Among those to join the fight is Michael Rosen, the Children’s Laureate, who earlier this month called for a stronger emphasis to be put on reading for fun.
Source: The Times Online
Philip Pullman was born on the 19th October, 1946 in Norwich, England. Pullman is best known for the series of books entitled His Dark Materials, the award winning children’s literature consisting of Northern Lights, The Subtle Knife and The Amber Spyglass.
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The Library is an important part of learning for our children and having someone there to help our children with books is essential. When the Labour Party came to power they said that Education is one of their main priorities but this is not the case. This cannot be allowed to happen and everyone to write and complain that the Library has to stay the way it is