As a result of participation in a schools debate staged at the Athenaeum Alsop High School have asked the Library to become involved in a school-wide project which it is hoped will increase literacy and reading skills throughout the school. Mrs Wright, the deputy head teacher, has suggested that the Athenaeum Library will set a topic for research that will be undertaken by all students in the school. They will utilise the resources of their school and some young people will come to t he Athenaeum Library to seek information from the material we hold. When the topic, the first one will be on the Poor Law and the workhouse, is complete the most successful pieces of work will be brought to the Athenaeum and presented to a selected audience. All the pupils involved will receive a certificate and the best receive an award. On October 3 David Brazendale, Chairman of the Library Committee is going to introduce the project at a series of assemblies at the school.
This is a significant step in our attempts to make the material in the Library more available for educational and research purposes and may be the beginning of a whole new area of activity for the Athenaeum.