The Kittiwake Trust

Multilingual Library

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.

 

 

Language Classes at the Library

 

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? 

 

 

Your Library

 

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

_______________________________________________________________

 

 

CHINESE  STORYTIME

Fridays 4pm

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The Summer 2024 newsletter is here

 

The Spring 2024 Newsletter is HERE

The Autumn 2020 newsletter is here

The Summer 2020 newsletter is available here

The Spring 2020 newsletter is available here

 

CILIP AGM 2021

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.

 

New Acquisitions

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"