Chris Rutherford of the Reading and Learning team blogs about International Community Day at the Civic Centre….
Last week I was involved in the student event at the Civic Centre. The event took place in the Banqueting Suite where 36 tables were set up to accommodate exhibitors from a wide range of services from council offices, arts, health, careers and accommodation. The aim of the day was to welcome newly arrived international students. The event provides them with an opportunity to find out more about the fantastic leisure and community resources available across Newcastle.
Each year Newcastle and Northumbria Universities receive over 4,300 international students. Judith, Barbara and I set up our table with promotional material showcasing all that the libraries had to offer from author events to computer sessions. We handed out dozens of application forms and many students wanted to sign up immediately. We were kept busy for the whole afternoon signing them up. We ran out of forms and just had enough tickets!! All together between the three of us we joined 87 students to the library. It was pretty hectic but certainly a productive afternoon. We were all so busy that we missed the refreshments that were being served! My thanks go to Barbara and Judith who worked so hard and with great enthusiasm. The event was a huge success and well worth the effort.
