Page No: 28 Dulwich Despatch
Raymond Chandler Library I spend a lot of time in the Raymond Chandler Library, so I feel I know it well. It is much used by both year 7 and 8. I have worked as a Pupil Librarian, taken part in the Kids Lit Quiz and Book Club as well as using the Library during school hours for reading lessons etc. The Things I Enjoy Best About Our Library (The Good Stuff) The Library’s best asset (I think) is the helpfulness of the librarians: they have dedicated their time to the Library from making the recommendation sheets, to sorting the shelves to collecting books from the other libraries of Dulwich (this also includes the pupil librarians to a certain extent). They are good at making recommendations for me to read. There are a large number of books, with so much choice it keeps many a boy preoccupied during weekends. The stock gets replenished regularly, with new books arriving almost twice a week! Every term a vast number of books are ordered to replace all of the old books that are taken off the shelves. These discarded books are donated to a number of schools in the district of Asougyaman which is in Ghana. I think that this charitable giving is a good idea,. Also the furniture allows pupils to read in comfort (which is my favourite sport), whilst the computers allow students to research and look up challenging or interesting reads. Room for Improvement (The Could Be Better Stuff) I previously mentioned the furniture and seating. However, although they are in the “Good Stuff” category they are also in the “Could Be Better Stuff”: There only six seats: therefore they cannot house even a third of any class. A solution to this problem would be to purchase some more sofas and seats. However, they do cost and this is therefore understandable. Furthermore, the computers in the Library also number six: this can be problematic at break or lunchtimes when many are in the Library to do homework on the computers (although we are allowed to use the IT room next door when there is a teacher in it). Again, there are cost and space implications, so this is therefore understandable. Raymond Chandler Library Dedication Tom Robb Smith (also a famous author and Old Alleynian) commemorated Raymond Chandler’s memory by naming the Library “The Raymond Chandler Library” on May6 th 2009 . There is a plaque and display cabinet in the Library giving information about Raymond Thornton Chandler (July 23, 1888 – March 26, 1959). He was an Allleynian educated at Dulwich College and grew up to be a famous novelist, writing seven novels during his sixty-eight year-long lifetime with another being published at the time of his death. His books are still considered to be very good, but three stand out as masterpieces: Farewell, My Lovely (1940), The Little Sister (1949), and The Long Goodbye (1953). His style of writing defined the genre of detective fiction, with gritty realism and cynicism.
Zak Hussein, 7E
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