In November, Vrije Basisschool Droomboom in Itegem will follow. With a free student subscription, pupils can borrow books themselves via a self-checkout machine, learning to interact with library facilities at school. The collection, curated by library staff knowledgeable in quality youth literature, is exclusively accessible to the school and its students, providing them with a current and high-quality book selection.
The collaboration extends beyond establishing the school library. The library has also set up a learning network to continuously support and advise the school and its teachers in promoting reading in the classroom, thereby jointly creating an attractive and accessible reading environment.
Bib op school replaces De Bus, the mobile library for schools outside the town center and sub-municipalities. For other primary schools, the library will continue to use De Bus. Primary schools are transitioning gradually to their own school library; by 2030, all involved schools will have completed the switch.
Through this initiative, the library aims to give pupils in Heist-op-den-Berg every opportunity to read, as studies repeatedly confirm a decline in pupils' reading proficiency. The local government supports schools in helping to break this trend.
