Happy birthday to our Children’s Library! Five years have passed since the new space opened in December 2018. Five years of fun, inspiration, and imagination in our magical new library.
Nobody was more involved in the Children’s Library Project than Cornelia James, then our Head of Children & Young People’s Services, and now our Chief Librarian. Here she is to look back on how it all came together, and pick out her highlights from the last five years.
I can’t believe it’s been five years since we opened our new Children’s Library. The launch night feels like yesterday – the Bailiff cutting the ribbon, the rush of children up the stairs, the delight on their faces as they became the first to set eyes on the new space – and then began to explore.
Launch night, Thursday 6 December 2018
Getting there had been quite a journey. Although the Library’s founders, Thomas Guille and Frederick Allès, were exceptionally progressive and forward-thinking people, they did have a blind spot around children – and the early Library made no provision for children whatsoever. That remained the case for much longer than you might think – even in the 1970s, the extent of the children’s collection was a single trolley of books that was very little used. That changed in 1981 when the Library opened out as a free service for the whole community, and a dedicated Children’s Library was installed.
It was instantly popular and remained so over the decades that followed. But when I became Head of Children & Young People’s Services in 2016, while the rooms were perfectly functional and well used, they weren’t particularly inspiring and, in some ways, were beginning to look a bit tired and unloved. But plans were in the works to change all that. Our then Chief Librarian, Laura Milligan, and our Trustees were working with CCD Architects, and in particular architect Oliver Westgarth (now of Studi-O), on a project to transform the Children’s Library into a magical new space.
The old Children's Library, c.2017
The vision was to completely renew and redesign the Children’s Library, turning it into a fantastical world where young people could learn, have fun, and become excited about reading. The architects had the genius idea to use the full height of the rooms, making the most of the high Victorian ceilings by building raised platforms and flying walkways that would both increase the space available for books and create a sense of wonder. With artificial grass covering the floors and lots of hidden nooks, secret passages, and reading corners, the plans would deliver a playful and innovative new space that children were sure to love.
But to make it happen, we would need support. We reached out to the community, and were overwhelmed with offers of support from individuals and organisations. Key sponsors included the Skipton Swimarathon and the Ana Leaf Foundation, while the rooms were renamed in honour of our two biggest supporters, the John Ramplin Trust and the Sarah Groves Foundation (with one of Sarah’s artworks displayed above the main door).
Works took place throughout 2018, until the new library was at last ready to open in December. There’s little doubt that the original vision was delivered. The dream became reality. And the result was an extraordinary Children’s Library that’s been shortlisted for major architectural awards and is the envy of many larger libraries in the UK. It’s a magical, inspiring gateway into the wonderful world of books, with a wow factor that creates excitement about reading. Its existence has improved the lives of children across the Island, unlocking their imaginations and championing literacy and reading for pleasure.
The project’s success has helped drive a significant increase in usage of the Library in recent years. In the first year after the launch, visits to the Library as a whole increased by 8% to more than 160,000, while children’s book loans rose a remarkable 32%. Five years later, those numbers continue to climb – in 2023 we’re on course to top the 2019 figures. Per head of population, our usage figures are substantially higher than the UK average. I can say with certainty that the new Children’s Library has played a key role in that success.
"The Children’s Library has provided so much joy for both me and my son - I’m not sure who loves it more!"
- Message from a parent
Every year we join libraries around the UK on a programme called the Summer Reading Challenge, which encourages children to read six books over the holidays, offering an enjoyable way to maintain literacy levels and avoid what’s known as the ‘summer slide’. The Challenge has been hugely successful ever since it launched in 1999, but in the years since we opened the new Children’s Library we’ve seen stratospheric growth. This year more than 2,000 children signed up to take part in the Challenge, beating our previous record by nearly 15%. I’ve never seen the Children’s Library as busy as it was this summer – every time I walked past it was absolutely heaving!
But then, when is it not? There’s a constant buzz of activity, from rhyme times and school visits to Literary Festival and other meet-the-author events. We’ve had the Gruffalo in Guernesiaise, Shakespeare in the Library, and visits from the Children’s Laureate Joseph Coelho and Supreme Court Justice Dame Lady Hale. We’ve celebrated five World Book Days, we’ve enjoyed a visit from Guernsey FC star Ross Allen, and we’ve even, memorably, livestreamed rhyme times from an empty library during lockdown in 2020.
"Our library is one of the biggest treasures we have in Guernsey."
- Message from a parent
In contrast to its Victorian beginnings, today the Children’s Library is the beating heart of the Guille-Allès. And more than that, it’s right at the heart of the community. A customer said to me recently that they love the fact that the Library is such a central part of children’s lives in Guernsey, and I couldn’t agree more. I was also moved by a quote that was shared with me the other day from a mother using a library in the UK, who said, “My world, and my children’s world, would be a lot smaller without the library.” I think that really resonates with our library users here in Guernsey, too – perhaps even more so on a small island like this.
"I love to come here and borrow lots of new books for bedtime stories. I also like to hide in the secret passages where grown-ups can't climb!"
- Milo, age 5
At the start of this blog post I said it’s hard to believe that it’s been five years – but when I think about all those events and everything that’s happened, in some ways it feels like longer! It’s been lovely to take the time to reflect on the last five years, and we’ve loved hearing from all of you about what the new Library means to you. Thank you for sending in your happy birthday messages. It’s wonderful to know that the Children’s Library holds such a special place in your hearts. Here’s to the next five, ten, and many more years to come!
