New figures from the Guille-Allès Children’s Library show a significant increase in the number of young people taking out books, thanks to support from the Sarah Groves Foundation.
The Foundation helped the library by donating £50,000 to the redevelopment of the Children’s Library in St Peter Port. Since it reopened, children’s book loans increased by 32% in the first year.
Vic Groves, Managing Trustee of the Sarah Groves Foundation, said: “Our mission is to fulfil Sarah’s ambition in life: to enhance young lives. This library is a wonderful place exclusively for the benefit of children. As the lead sponsor, we are committed to seeing this library benefit the community for years to come.
“It means a tremendous amount that the main room carries Sarah’s name. We often ask, ‘what would Sarah think?’. There’s still a lot of love for her on this island, and I think she would be absolutely staggered to see all these things in her name; it’s quite remarkable.”
The Children’s Library has also seen the library enjoy increased numbers in other areas. In the first year since the redevelopment, visitor numbers increased by 8%, to over 160,000 people, new members up by 13%, and total loans increased by 20%. Cornelia James, Chief Librarian at the Guille-Allès Library, said:
“The new Children’s Library is a magical space that has helped inspire a love of reading in so many young islanders. The impact of the redevelopment cannot be overstated, and it’s down to the support of the Sarah Groves Foundation and everyone else who has helped make this project a reality.”
