International children library. Giving a better chance to multicultural children
We would like to open an international library for children. Rotterdam is a hyperdiverse city with over 170 nationalities. Our project embraces that beauty. Expats often buy books to be able to read in their mother tongue, to ensure that in addition to the Dutch language kids maintain that second language. Bilingual children are part of the future of the city and form a great asset to international and local companies. The project will collect second handed books from parents in every language. We display them per language and make them free for children to borrow. We will have a great collection of the languages spoken in Rotterdam. It will be an additional asset to the Dutch speakers that are learning another language(or their children's second language). It will be a place to connect local and multicultural families. We organize workshops, readings, events and a place to socialize with like-minded friends. Building a community is crucial for the well-being and mental health of the (international) families in Rotterdam. Our library will include a coffee corner and a large announcement board to initiate and link people. Inclusiveness is high on our agenda. Every national day will be represented, celebrated and experienced in our library. The project is environmentally friendly. It avoids overconsumption of buying books online . It will provide the international and local community a place to gather in Rotterdam.