Sarah Elton tells us about her journey to becoming the librarian at Bellevue School, the joy of reading aloud, and how to encourage creativity and enthusiasm when it comes to reading and creating a safe space for kids to be themselves.
Tell us about where you work and what you like about your role.
I work at Bellevue School library in Newlands, Wellington. I initially applied for a teacher aide position to work in with school hours while my daughter was at primary school, but was asked if I would consider running the school library. I didn’t have any idea about how to do that, but I took it on anyway. I visited other school libraries, and early on in the role I was visited by the National Library co-ordinator at the time who offered some advice. She said ‘there’s no model, this is your library, make it work for you and your students will follow’. Honestly, that was the best advice and gave me the confidence to just go for it and give things a go. So, that’s what I set out to do. What I really wanted was to make the library the school’s community centre where the students felt welcomed and safe to come and hang out.
What I really wanted was to make the library the school’s community centre where the students felt welcomed and safe to come and hang out.
Long story short, I haven’t left and my daughter is now at University! I love the role. I get to work in a school where our library is really valued by both the staff and the wider community, and the children are fantastic. The Bellevue library is a hive of activity, which I love. Jigsaws, drawing, colouring in, and of course book reading are all happening every day. The most important thing for me is that the library is seen as a safe space for anyone to pop in. School can be a big place for those new to Bellevue while others sometimes need some quiet time, so having a space you know you can come and hang out was one of my main goals.
How do you choose the books and resources in your collection?
I get a lot of recommendations from students, which is fantastic—I try to get as many of these in the library as possible. Librarians from the wider North Wellington area get together regularly and are a great source of thoughts and ideas too. I’m also a keen reader and can’t go past a bookstore without popping in and grabbing the latest kids books. I’ll then find a comfy spot on the couch and devour as many as I can.
What’s a typical day for you?
A typical day starts with me greeting our student librarians who open the library before school. A number of children can then start their day with a read or a quick puzzle before heading to their classrooms.
I’m passionate about making the library as vibrant and exciting as possible, so I am regularly making and changing displays or utilising the wonderful artwork from the various classes to make the space new and exciting. In between scheduled class visits, the covering and cataloging of new books keeps me busy. I also visit the junior classes at least once a week and read the latest favourite book to them. The library is open during all break times for students to come in and enjoy. I’m open to any suggestions from the kids, so there are a lot of impromptu activities that occur—we’ve had passionate crocheters, origami specialists, drawing competitions, and treasure hunts all inside our wee space.
What challenges do you face as a librarian?
The biggest challenge I have is time. I’ll often turn up with a list of things to complete for the day, but it’s not often all finished on time. That’s okay though—it’s the interactions with students that are most important, and I can always try again the next day. I treasure the time with all the students at Bellevue and try to help and support wherever I can.
… it’s the interactions with students that are most important
What are the most popular books in your library at the moment?
Graphic novels are a hit at the moment as are the old favourites like Diary of a Wimpy Kid, The Dog Man series, Minecraft guides, and the Wings of Fire series. Harry Potter continues to have a steady following while the Who Would Win books always spark vigorous debate. I’m still not sure who would win between a Komodo dragon and a king cobra!
What is your philosophy around children’s literature?
The most important thing about young people and reading is to read … anything: books, comics, graphic novels, news articles on the latest about Liam Lawson and Formula One or how to build a treehouse in Minecraft. It does not matter. If you can tap into reading through what children are passionate about, you may just unlock a lifetime of enjoyment through books.
I read aloud to students as often as I can. I find it’s the best way to bring these wonderful stories to life through all sorts of voices and facial expressions. I love it when, after a read-aloud session, the book or another in the series makes its way to the issues desk.
The most important thing about young people and reading is to read … anything: books, comics, graphic novels, news articles on the latest about Liam Lawson and Formula One or how to build a treehouse in Minecraft.
What would you like to see more of from children’s books in Aotearoa?
We have a wonderful wide range of cultures here at Bellevue. I’m excited to see books in other languages and about different cultures becoming easier to find for our library. These have previously been hard to get but it’s great to see this changing. Kids love reading and sharing books about their own culture, and it’s important we have as many of these books as we can.
Do you have a message you want to give to kids, parents or educators?
Read … read anything. I had a fantastic conversation with a parent recently who was initially concerned about a child’s sole interest in reading Minecraft books until seeing the time, care, and precision it took to build these worlds. This required attention to detail and in depth understanding of the words on the page. Read … read whatever interests you and your family.
Sarah Elton
Sarah Elton is a librarian and ESOL teacher aide at Bellevue School. She lives on a hill in Wellington with plenty of bush and bird life with her partner and a large ginger cat. She has a daughter who is at university. She enjoys scrambling around in the garden, reading, paddle-boarding when the sea is calm, and holidays with her family.