San Luis Bertran College, Papa Cornes Amplio School and Tia Sus Children’s Home on 18 April 2023 signed a collaboration agreement with the Public Entity of Bonaire for the start of the pilot projects “De Bibliotheek op School” and “Boekstart”. With these pilot projects the two schools and the reception for this child structurally receive support from the Public Library of Bonaire. As part of this support, reading counselors help, for example, teachers and students with the promotion of reading and information skills. They also offer help to set up a beautifully organized library at the school with an attractive collection of books and an automated book signing system, with which children can pick up books to take home. Through the digital catalogue the desired title can be reserved at the Public Library of Bonaire. From these pilot projects, employees of both schools, the childcare and the Bonaire Public Library were trained as reading coordinators and reading counsellors.
In 2023 and 2023, Bonaire will benefit from a “push grant” for the pilot project “Boekstart”. The subsidy pushes a progressive subsidy from the Basic Skills Master Plan of Minister Wiersma of Basic and Advanced Education and Secretary of State for Culture. The subsidy provides all primary schools, secondary schools, and 12 boarding schools with a library to enable their self-publishing. The pilot project is the predecessor to the more subsidized projects.
In recent years there has been a marked increase in the availability of libraries on Bonaire. The introduction of the reading promotion program BoekStart RankaSalikuBuki in the children’s reception and Bibliotheek op School Library at School are examples of this. With the projects Library in School and RankSalikuBuku, education, Public Library Bonaire and Public Entities Bonaire are brought together. Through this collaboration, we are daily encouraged to enjoy learning with the students and praise them for how they behave, both in school and at home, communicating meals in our community.
In this way, children and teenagers are encouraged to read and learn to surf the Internet, social media and games, and to hunger for phones, tablets, laptops, computers, etc. Because they work hard to learn and understand creative and informative storytelling, they can gain better knowledge and develop themselves further. Stories and poems are also very important for helping to increase empathy and understanding for others. In this way, children can participate more fully in the community.
