The Library and Sixth Form Centre were officially opened on 20th October 1973, almost 40 years ago. To mark the occasion, Library staff are currently running 2 competitions for students.
1. Design a poster with the theme – BGS Library at 40: what does the Library mean to you?
2. Write a 300 piece for the blog on either books, reading, literacy, libraries or information.
We will share the best entries through the blog in due course. In the meantime, here is a taste of what our students can do (please note, this is a work of complete fiction)!
Mrs Osafo
THE PHANTOM OF LIBRARY
This is the story of a ghostly figure who has wandered the library since its early days, wreaking havoc and tormenting the Librarians. This is the story of the ‘Phantom of the Library’.
He was lolling against the shelves when the Wills Memorial Building clock tolled out six long chimes and the Librarians declared the Library shut. But of course, Tom was asleep. He did not rouse until half-past midnight when the Library was locked and the lights were out. He could see nothing.
Tom fumbled around until he found the wall next to the Music section. He began to walk forwards slowly, keeping his hand on the wall as he crept along. Suddenly, his hand hit something hard above him - little did he know that a jumbo-sized replica of The Odyssey hung just inches above him. He pushed his hands up and the object moved. He heard a horrible creak and the replica book swung down off the wall and knocked him sprawling. He lay on the ground silent and motionless.
EIGHT HOURS LATER
The Librarians opened up the library and walked around, turning the lights on as they always do at eight o’clock. One of them suddenly noticed that the replica of The Odyssey was gone. She could see a corner of the massive book sticking out from behind the Music section. She gave a cry and ran over to where Tom was lying under the book, stone dead.
The scandal was hushed-up and several people lost their jobs. But even though Tom’s unfortunate death was swept under the carpet, his ghost still haunts the Library, lingering on at every spot where his body lay. You see, while waiting for the ambulance to arrive, Tom’s body was placed in the Stack Room, away from prying eyes. And so it was in this room that Tom’s spirit seeped out of his body and was absorbed by the books on the shelf above him.
Every night since that day, Tom’s ghost has come out of the Stack Room and walked around the Library. He chooses a shelf and swaps all the books on it with other books from other shelves, causing the Librarians an awful lot of bother every morning! There are cold spots in the Music section and Stack Room and at times it seems like the Library has its own micro-climate - a very cold one!
In spite of this, the Librarians say that they would miss the Phantom of the Library if he went - their very own ghost who walks the shelves to this day.
