Blog translated entirely by volunteers!


Blog translated entirely by volunteers!
coordinated by Stephen Hallstrom, Peace Corps volunteer
and Anamaria Cătănoiu, Center coordinator
Volunteers, highschool and university students: Constantin Drăgoi (București/Bucharest), Ovidiu Panaite (Cluj), Oana Zlatovici (Suedia/Sweden), Olga Unguru, Ioana Tuvene, Alexandra Pădureț (Iași), Mihaela Hăican (București), Liviu Dîrdală, Ioana Cozma, George Georgescu, Alina Rotaru, Andreea Marcu




Monday, December 19, 2011

This year Santa are teens...

On Friday, 16th of December, right between the days of Saint Nicholas and Santa Claus, we visited again the County Library from Maior Sava Street, to bring gifts and to dedicate our time there, TOGETHER. Some students of the 9th grade A and B from ‘Alexandru Ioan Cuza’ National College decided to decorate the Christmas tree and to bring gifts for the Foreign Language Centre and Reading Room, where this term they have been warmly welcomed almost weekly and so becoming their second house during ‘The library’s eyes’ project. Together with Corina Aiacoboae, Mariana Greculescu and the Foreign Languages Centre Coordinator, Anamaria Cătănoiu, we sang carols, took pictures and decorated the Christmas tree. Now transformed into Santa’s elfs, the students have given to the library more books and then they were delighted with delicious cookies by the librarians.
 
Mihaela Ştefănescu, IX C: The atmosphere was so nice and I felt just like home. The librarians surprised us with juice and delicious cookies. Decorating the Christmas tree among the books was the most beautiful thing I’ve done. 

Maria Tudose, IX C: The library’s atmosphere fascinated me. We worked as a team to decorate the Christmas tree and I must say the result was great: a sparkling golden-green Christmas tree. Being near the Christmas days, we have done an act of kindness and brought some books for the library.   

Ana-Maria Teodorescu, IX C: Today I really felt the Christmas holiday atmosphere, though there is no snow.

Andreea Stratulă, IX C: The only different thing that remains the same each year is the Christmas. It is magic, the Christmas tree, the carols, the snow, everything… The smell of these holidays is feeling in the library as well. The sparkling of the tree among the books touched all our souls: colourful globes, the gifts, the bells, the carols, each of these represent a word to define the story of Christmas that we read year after year. We played with tinsel and bells, decorating each other in the the funniest ways, joking and forgetting about our everyday life, becoming children more than we had been before. Childhood and Christmas are words that give to our souls a power that will never disappear. 

Raluca Lupu, IX C: Jesus’ Birth is approaching slowly and along with this holiday the children prepare with all their souls, bringing to the library a part of their heart: a book.   

Irina Urloiu, IX C: Our pictures describe the fantasy of this day… Look! 

Lavinia Constantin, IX C:  While decorating the Christmas tree everything felt more lightly and happy.  

Alexandru Năstase, IX B: Decorating the tree, we felt the Christmas’s spirit along with my mates. The books I offered were with all my heart so others can read them as well.

Preda Ciprian, IX B:  It was a special event and I wish to, of course, to repeat.

(prof. Ana-Maria Norocea-Cornilă) 
Translated by Oana Zlatovici - volunteer

santa's presents

Santas work in team

we decorate the tree

We are happy

We decoreate ourselves too

So many presents

This is how it looks in the end

Tuesday, December 13, 2011

“The library’s eyes” and old books


On Friday, 2nd of December, at 11 o’clock, after a looong holiday…of a day, we continued our activities concerning the project. This time we decided to rediscover the charm of old books, to explore publishers (some being unique) from long time ago, to redefine the relationship with time that ages not only the people, but also the books that instead doesn’t lose their value. A yellow and removed page, a faded cover represents the fact that the book makes a tribute for the passing time and the readers’passion. (Prof. Ana-Maria Cornilă-Norocea)   

Participants: Seven 9th grade students from Alexandru Ioan Cuza National College (the others enjoyed the holiday until 1 o’clock in the afternoon, when the classes started).

Maria Tudose, IX C: Old and broken books made me sad at first, but the librarians explained us how valuable they are and how we can improve them. To me, the library remains the most beautiful universe.
    
Ana-Maria Teodorescu, IX C: I was impressed by the experience at the library, because I felt it as being back in time through the yellow and shrivelled pages. No matter how it looks, the book imprints in the reader’s soul the alphabet of knowledge and imagination.
   
 Lavinia Constantin, IX C: The cold of the winter has evaporated in the presence of the lights and books (and of course in front of the librarians: Ms. Anamaria Catanoiu, Ms. Nicoleta Oprisan and Ms. Gogu Irimita)

Mihaela Ştefănescu, IX C: I noticed at the library the fact that not every book retains the external beauty. We tried to capture in pictures the books from the old editions to the newest. The atmosphere was magnificent as always, including the librarians as well.

Raluca Mirabela Lupu, IX C: The book is your heart and your soul. Your mirror. If you break it just because you don’t care or because your indifference, you also scratch your mirror. If you keep it in the dark, you toss and close your own heart. Free yourself from ignorance, give freedom also to your book and love them, and last but not least, READ them.

Translated by Oana Zlatovici - volunteer 
Read ...and re-read

Comfortably...reading a book

Imagination

Us and the book

Caragiale

The eye in the library

A sea of books