Online library created to provide free books during school closures

The Oak National academy, working in partnership with the National Literacy Trust, has created a wonderful resource to help thousands of children across the country who are currently unable to attend schools due to lockdown.

Over the last year they have been labouring to create a virtual school library, an online resource that will allow free access to books for children during school closures. Every week a popular author of children`s fiction will upload a book to the library, along with exclusive videos, and their very own three top reads.

Libraries are an invaluable facility, but for children they can be especially important. Lacking the ready income many adults posses to purchase new (or even second hand) books, children so often rely on libraries to support their love of reading. With many towns lacking even a medium sized bookshop these days, libraries are a great place to simply browse, and discover new authors by picking up books almost at random, and reading their opening pages.

Repeated lockdowns have meant the closure of both bookshops and libraries - yes some vendors do offer `click and collect` services, but this is no substitute for the wonder of walking through corridors whose very walls are comprised of books. While a virtual library cannot hope to offer quite the same experience as a bricks and mortar library or bookshop, the fact that 4.1 million pupils accessed its resources in just the first two weeks of January attests to its value.

The Oak National Academy is both a resource site and online classroom. Created in 2020 in direct response to the corona virus pandemic, its principle Matt Hood extolled the benefits of the virtual library, saying `It`s incredible to be able to add to our offer something vital for children`s literacy and their mental wellbeing.`

The Education Secretary Gavin Williamson has praised the `fantastic resource,` having previously stated how vital it is for children`s education to stay on track during school closures. Jonathan Douglas, chief executive of the National Literacy Trust, said it was `essential` to enable as many children as possible to `access a world of great literature.` He then went on to say that `Reading is hugely beneficial not only for children`s literacy skills, but also their mental health and wellbeing.`

The National Literacy Trust is an independent charity set up in 1992, with the aim to promote literacy. Jonathan Douglas, who has been the chief executive of the trust since 2007, and was recognised with a CBE for his services to education in 2020, has praised the virtual library, saying that it`s `essential` to make sure more children `access a world of great literature`.

`Many children`s literacy skills were profoundly affected by the first lockdown and school closures.`

`We will do everything in our power to support children, families and teachers during this new lockdown period.`

The first book featured on the virtual library is Dame Jacqueline`s `The story of Tracy Beaker,` a first person novel about a troubled ten year old girl, who lives in a care home because of neglect and domestic abuse. The story, published in 1991, was made into popular BBC show, running for five series from 2002 to 2005. Of course nothing can compare to reading a story on the page, and thanks to the virtual library the book is now freely available for any schoolchild from 17th January. Dame Jacqueline has praised the virtues of the online library, saying `I think it`s vitally important that every child should have an opportunity to access books.`

This is a time when we need literature more than ever. Like prisoners who take sustenance from books, so too millions of people across the world, many of them living under strict curfews or even forms of house arrest, can find strength and inspiration from great novels. There may be children today who go on to become great novelists, their love of literature engendered during this  period, and later drive to create original works of their own having found genesis during the lockdowns of the corona virus pandemic.