MESSENGER

SPRING 2010

MESSENGER

JANUARY 2010

SPAWFORTH LIBRARY

MILTON MARATHON

On 3 March, pupils and staff took part in a marathon reading event, with an uninterrupted reading of Milton’s epic Paradise Lost. The reading commenced at 7.00am with a variety of staff members reading continuously aloud throughout the day until 6.00pm. The final 50 lines were then read by Magnus Linklater, former editor of the Scotsman, who officially opened the Library in June 2000. Assistant Head Academic, Dr Nigel Mortimer, commented: “Merchiston’s Milton Marathon is a novel way in which we can appreciate

this masterpiece, while bringing the School community together to celebrate the success of the Spawforth Library over the last ten years. As a boys’ school Merchiston bucks the trend for private reading among teenage boys, and I am sure that the Library facility has contributed significantly to this tradition over the past decade.”

CELEBRATING 10 YEARS

OF THE SPAWFORTH LIBRARY Pupils enjoyed a series of 15 ten-minute talks (during break time) from

READING ROCKS

A series of events to celebrate the School Library’s 10th anniversary took place throughout the Lent Term. The Library officially opened in 2000, and was named ‘The Spawforth Library’ in honour of a former Headmaster. Since that time the volume of books and periodicals has developed extensively, and holdings in books

OTHER EVENTS

The Spawforth Library continues to invite a range of visiting authors to read to the boys and talk about their latest book, along with regular ‘bag-a-book’ day events and library trails.

3

alone now number over 16,000. Stock continues to be updated regularly in line with the School’s academic curriculum and contains a large fiction section for pupils’ recreational reading. The Library is an invaluable facility for pupils to further develop their research skills for independent study, and inspire a love of reading.

a variety of teachers and boys on their favourite books: boys received a loyalty card that was stamped for every reading they attended, with prizes given out to those who attended all ten readings. Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20