our patron
After the library had
been running a few months,
we approached
Professor David Crystal,
author of over a hundred books on language, to ask if he
would be our Patron.
He agreed enthusiastically.
He visited the library in April 2016 and gave a talk that is available here
We are indebted to Professor Crystal for his continuing support and advice.
His website is here
the kittiwake trust
The Multilingual Library is a project of the Kittiwake Trust, registered charity 1165318.
You can find more information about the Trust and the Trustees here
our philosophy
There is no such thing as a foreign language, just languages you don't understand.
Words are vitally important.
We never say 'asylum seekers' -
If they need defining further than human beings or refugees we use
the term 'asylum applicants'.
Feel the difference.
Words like 'diversity' suggest the opposite.
We are all notes in a melody that resounds around the globe.
Monday 11.30 - 12.30 English (beginners)
15:00 German Conversation
Tuesday 11.30 - 12.30 English (beginners)
14.00 - 15.00 Italian
Friday (from 28 February) 11:30 - 12:30 Japanese conversation
Saturday - 14.30 - 16.00 Spanish/English language exchange
Our library is part of the Warm Welcome network, offering a warm place to spend time in this cold weather. We have free tea and coffee, sometimes porridge, soup or pot noodles for those who are cold and hungry. From time to time we also have items like soap, shower gel, toothpaste and period products on offer. - All these items are free for whoever is in need. Unfortunately now and then people take advantage and walk off with towels or even a toilet-roll holder from the toilets. Someone thinks it funny to steal the wigs from the mannequins and a number of other things have gone walk about. While these are mainly small items, it does make us sad that a few people seem to think it's perfectly OK to steal from a very small charity. Most of the things that are stolen are absolutely not necessities. Anyone who is truly in deep financial problems has only to ask if we have, for instance, baby shampoo or nappies, and if we have them it's very likely that we'll give them. In the meantime we are struggling for funding, so we just don't need this kind of thoughtless selfishness. Don't take advantage.
Which reminds me - anyone bringing drugs of any class into the library will be asked to leave and will remain banned. This is a safe space for adults and children and long may it remain so.
As for the person who backed into the wall of our car park and - after checking their car wasn't damaged - just drove off..... please come back and pay for the damage. We have you on camera in glorious technicolour!
AS for someone walking off with the laptop where we showed the film HUMAN and followed the nesting and hatching of the kittiwakes who will be coming back next month, I doubt it will bring in more than a couple of lines of coke - and then what?
140 languages – sounds like so many but only a drop in the ocean of 7000 languages
So many oceans, so many souls, so many tongues
So many parents reading so many books to so many babies
So many piglets
And gruffalos
And bedknobs
And broomsticks
And hobbits
So many giggles
And snuggles
And cuddles
Our library is for everyone
For you and your neighbours
Your mum and your dad
For your brothers and sisters
Your aunties and uncles
Your granny and grandpa
Your sons and your daughters
This library is for YOU
_______________________________________________________________
Fridays 4pm
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In October 2020 We became the first Library of Sanctuary in the North East.
The official presentation of the Library of Sanctuary award was made during the AGM of CILIP North East
(the Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals).
The recording of the event is available here.
We are receiving some wonderful books for children from Macmillan, Hachette, Nosy Crow and others in lots of languages including Turkish, Thai, Hebrew, Dutch, Swedish, Spanish, Italian, French, German, Estonian, Ukrainian, Chinese, Danish, Finnish, Slovene, Greek and more...
COMMENTS
“Lovely place, good choice of books. Friendly folk. Peaceful"
"Nice little place"