Seychelles marks International School Library Month |24 October 2023

The three longest-serving librarians

Three longest-serving librarians recognised

By Vidya Gappy

Three exceptional librarians were honoured yesterday for having dedicated a significant number of their living years to their profession.

They are Julienne Octave, who has devoted 28 years of her life to the profession, Mirenda Hoareau, with over 35 and a half years dedication, and Christine Chetty, who has served for an impressive 40 years.

The three librarians have been pillars of support in their respective schools, sharing their passion for books and knowledge with generations of students.

It was therefore fitting to recognise their achievement at the launch of the International School Library Month during a ceremony held yesterday at the SITE (Seychelles Institute for Teacher Education) in Mont Fleuri.

This years’ theme is ‘The school library: My happy place where creativity and imagination flourish’.

International School Library Month (ISLM) is a global celebration that takes place in October each year. It is designed to highlight the essential role that school libraries and librarians play in promoting and supporting literacy, education, and the love of reading among students.

ISLM provides an opportunity to recognise the value of school libraries and the dedicated professionals who work in them.

The longest-serving librarian, Christine Chetty, started working in 1982 on Praslin. Apart from being the librarian, Mrs Chetty was very active in various extra-curricular activities such as Young Citizens and was coordinator of the creole festival activities at the school. She retired in December 2022 after having served for 40 years.

The second long-serving librarian, Mirenda Hoareau, is currently working at the Anse Royale secondary school. She started her career as a librarian in 1987 at the Baie Lazare school. She then moved to Pointe Larue and Mont Fleuri , before returning to Anse Royale where she served for 20 years. In total Ms Hoareau has been a librarian for 35 and a half years.

Julienne Octave from Glacis primary school has worked mainly in the northern region. She started as an assistant librarian and will be retiring in December this year after serving for 28 years.

Principal secretary for Education Services, Merna Eulentin, started her address by congratulating all librarians who through their dedication, open the doors of adventure and magical places for children.

She noted how their role was a crucial one in the educational system as they provide a wide range of services and support that benefit students, teachers and the entire school community.

She highlighted their role towards “information literacy”, since they “teach students how to locate, evaluate, and use information effectively. In an age of information overload, this skill is essential for academic success and for navigating the modern world”, she stated.

PS Eulentin added that secondly, librarians often foster a love for reading by recommending books, organising reading programmes and creating a welcoming environment.

“They also assist students and teachers in finding resources for research projects, which includes helping them with search strategies and identifying credible sources,” noted PS Eulentin.

She also spoke about how the school library can serve as a safe and inclusive space for all students.

For his part, principal education officer for curriculum, Kairen Madeleine, spoke about the importance of this day and noted that “ISLM is a time to celebrate and acknowledge the invaluable role that librarians play in connecting people with knowledge, information, and culture across borders. In today’s interconnected world, the work of librarians extends far beyond the confines of a physical library”.

He also highlighted the successes of the School Library Services Unit headed by Lydia Rignace, where a group of 14 school librarians embarked on a pilot programme at SITE in August 2022. The programme is called International Network of Emerging Library Innovators of the sub-Saharan Africa and Mr Madeleine noted that 11 of them will be completing the programme in December.

During International School Library Month, schools and libraries around the world will be hosting various activities and events to raise awareness about the importance of school libraries. The theme of ISLM may vary from year to year, but it typically revolves around the central idea of the library as a place for learning, exploration, and creativity.

Yesterday’s event was attended by the Minister for Education, Dr Justin Valentin, who also had congratulatory words for the librarians.

On this occasion, a group of 52 boys from Plaisance primary school gave their beautiful rendition of ‘This little light of mine’,  followed by other performances from Bel Eau school, Au Cap primary, La Rosière, Anse Aux Pins and Anse Etoile primary schools.

Dr Marie-Therese Purvis from Sustainability for Seychelles also donated some books to the ministry, to be placed in all libraries.

The accompanying photos show some highlights of the ceremony.

Photos by Louis Toussaint and Neil Sirame