Ruwwad - Shams il-Jabal Library

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Shams il-Jabal

Shams il-Jabal Library

Shams il-Jabal Library was established in Jabal Al-Nathif at the request of the community and includes a variety of different programs and activities for children aged 4-18. The library offers informal learning, reading and painting sessions, creativity workshops, special needs classes, discussions and tutorials. It includes a wide variety of books and learning aids for children of all ages, abilities and interests.

In addition to books there is an assortment of DVDs, videos, puzzles and games to help spark the children's imagination and encourage their interest in learning. The library also serves as a forum for students to work on school projects and homework where they are able to participate in extra tutorials in their weaker subjects to help improve their schoolwork. The library has become a haven of cultural activity for the students who would otherwise have no access to books and learning tools. It creates an atmosphere of impartiality with regard to academic ability, and a spirit of safety and civility. This in turn creates order and stability in the often erratic lives of the young people of the community. The purpose of the library is threefold: to enhance the skills and talents of the students, to encourage a sense of decorum in their behavior by exposing them to values and ideas in a non-combative milieu, and to help foster a feeling of safety and belonging in a nurturing atmosphere. To gauge the success of the library project is simple – although student participation is entirely voluntary, the library remains one of the most frequently visited areas, and in the year since it opened has already significantly contributed to a marked changed in the children's outlook on life, their attitudes towards one another and their love of learning.

"At the library, we are allowed to read any of the books as long as we take care of them. At school if we want to use the library, or take a book out, the teachers tell us that we are too stupid and irresponsible to understand the value of books?" Mohammed

"My favorite part of the day is coming here to the library. The one thing this place has taught me is how to treat other people and the meaning of respect. How can our teachers at school expect us to respect them if they don't set a good example themselves? Here, if they want you to do something they do it themselves first, that makes me want to be good." Aseel

"We are so lucky to be able to come here and now I love to study – it can actually be fun! I've made so many new friends here at the library; I can learn and play with many other children not just the people from my school." Isra'

"We are very lucky to live near the library and be able to come here. My school is far from my home and my friends in that neighborhood don't have a library near them." Mousab

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