Mr Victor Coop was appointed as the headmaster of The Grove in 1962. He immediately began negotiations with the CED for the replacement of just the prefabricated classrooms. However, on inspection it was decided to plan a completely new building instead.The plans for the new building were drawn up by architect Mr Norman Chicken, who was also the chairman of the school committee at the time.Construction began in 1964 and the first phase was completed during 1968.
Unfortunately, plans for the second and final stage, of which a library was part, were put on hold due to the financial situation at the time.Through perseverance on the part of Mr Coop and the school committee,work was resumed in 1974 and completed towards the end of 1975.The opening took place on 20 October 1975. The school committee decided that the library would be known as THE VICTOR COOP LIBRARY- a fitting tribute to Mr Coop’s dedication and driving force behind the school’s extensions.
The library was built and furnished entirely by funds raised by the parent body. At the time, the CED did not provide libraries for primary schools.
Most of this fundraising was in the form of an annual fete and was spearheaded by Mrs Helaine Gorin. According to Mr Coop, in his 1967 principal’s magazine report, “money spent on library facilities would not be wasted as it is absolutely essential that reading habits are fostered at primary school level and that the time was long overdue for education to take place via the project method.”
How we came to be...
the story behind The Victor Coop Library
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Mrs Des Oldfield (nee Gous) took charge of setting up the library. Large donations were received from past and the then current pupils to boost the library stock and within 5 months of opening, the library stock had increased from 4000 to 7000 books.Library prefects were appointed to help with the running of the library and a team of dedicated moms helped with typing the catalogue cards.The library was also used for chess practices and matches.
In 1979 Mrs Gill Palmer was appointed as the librarian. Initially, the library catered mainly for the Intersen Phase, however, Mrs. Shield remembers taking her Grade 1 class to the library for storytime!
It was decided to institute a committee of mothers to help with the covering, mending and stock-taking of books. The large display boards at either end of the library were installed and a book display stand was purchased. In the early 1980s, the library went through a transition into a media centre, housing tapes and records as well. In 1982, a full-time media teacher, Mr. Barkhuizen, was appointed. In 1984, three Apple computers and a BBC computer were installed in the library as well as a TV and video machine, sealing it’s transition to a media centre!
1985, Grove’s centenary year, saw some alterations to the library. The entrance was moved, a strongroom, a teachers’ work-room and a recording/storage room were planned and completed the following year. Mrs van der Riet was appointed as a clerical assistant to, amongst other things, keep the catalogue up to date.
The first Readathon was held in this year as well. Money raised from this was used to buy two tape recorders for classroom use and a human torso! In 1989 the running of this event was handed over to the library.
In 1993 Mrs. Shirley Sender was appointed as the library assistant. In 1994, a start was made on digitising the catalogue with the idea of computerising all library administration.
In 1999, Mrs Ryan oversaw a complete refurbishment of the library. The blue and bright lime green colour scheme and dodo patterned curtains transformed the library and is the way many generations of Grovites remember their beloved library. Mrs Ryan was also responsible for entering the first Grove teams in the inter-schools lit quiz. They consistently performed well and in 2007 reached the world finals and travelled to Oxford where they were placed sixth.
When Mrs. Ryan left to begin her own book business in 2009, the library was taken over by one of the Grade 4 teachers, Mrs. Bernadette White-Phillips. The Lit Quiz teams continued to do well under Mrs. White-Phillip’s guidance. She also started a Literary Club for children who had a passion for reading.
In 2014, Mrs. Bev Pettit took over the running of the library and immediately embarked on modernising the library and bringing it in line with twenty-first century standards. The walls and shelves were painted in more neutral shades and comfortable seating was introduced where pupils could read for relaxation. A digital signage screen was installed behind the issue desk to highlight new and good books to read. A library site was established to keep pupils abreast of what was happening in the library. Old and outdated books were weeded from the stock. The non- fiction stock was reclassified according to the updated Dewey System. A team of moms helped clean the old books, replace faded handwritten spine labels and recover the books.
The Grade R classes started visiting the library to borrow books for the first time and establish a love and appreciation of books and reading from as early as possible.
Readathon remained the highlight of the library calendar and continued to be a huge incentive for learners to read more and also more widely. The Lit Quiz teams continued to flourish. The Grove remained host for the competition and in 2016, came first in the Cape Town regional round and went to Johannesburg to take part in the nationals where they came second in 2022 and 2023!
