Kaitiaki of our Mairtown Lilliput Library

At Mairtown we were lucky enough to be asked by the Whāngarei District Library if we could be kaitiaki of a Lilliput Library. We jumped at this opportunity as we knew it would add another wonderful element to your kindergarten community.

So, what is a Lilliput Library? A Lilliput Library is a wonderful concept where the public can use this space to take or leave books. It is a small wooden cupboard which are often decorated in a beautiful, eye catching ways and placed in places where the community can utilise them. They are through out New Zealand and you can find more information about them through Facebook.

The first thing that we had to do to get Mairtown’s Lilliput Library ready was to turn it into a masterpiece. We decided that a Hundertwasser inspired Lilliput would be a suited style for our library as this type of art work is something we often use at kindergarten for art provocations for the children.

The children started the process of decorating by adding colour to the box. Once this was done the colours were outlined with a black paint pen and finished with a vanish to seal the beautiful art work.

The lovely thing about this process was that the children were so keen to help decorate the box and in doing this it generated lots of discussion amongst them about what the Lilliput Library was about. It was during these moments and over the weeks that it took to decorate the library we really noticed that the children were taking ownership on the concept of sharing books through the Lilliput.

 

Once the library was ready to be placed on our rock wall permanently, the children really saw the library in action and also the impact that it was having within our community. From the time It was put up we have had many visitors to the library, both dropping leaving and taking books. If the children see people at the Lilliput they engage with them, asking what they are doing and checking in to see if they know how to use the library. We have also seen our kindergarten whānau using the library. Making connections with community is one of our goals at Mairtown and we feel that this concept sits well with this.

In terms of sustainable communities, the way that the Lilliput Library works is great at fostering opportunities for communities to come together and share with one another. This is a wonderful thing to be happening and we are proud that we are apart of this movement.

“The wider world of family and community is an integral part of early childhood curriculum. Me whiri mai te whānau, te hapū, te iwi, me tauiwi, me ō rātou wāhi nohonga, ki roto i te whāriki, hei āwhina, hei tautoko i te akoranga, i te whakatipuranga o te mokopuna.” (Te Whāriki, 2017)

The Lilliput libraries belong to the community but the teachers and children at Mairtown are the kaitiaki (guardians) of this particular one. We check it daily and make sure it is tidy and well kept. It is so empowering for the children to know that they are a part of this. This experience allows our children to develop a great sense of community, by participating and contributing in a community-oriented activity. In doing so, they are able to make connections with the wider world of people and places.

"Empowered students... Sustainable Communities! - Our touchstone is creating creating a healthy, peaceful, sustainable world through people teaching and learning together." (Enviroschools kaupapa) 

Nāku noa, nā,

Zair