Compass8

Abstract

The Compass8 library visit brings every eighth-grader in lower secondary school to the Jyväskylä City Library. The visit is part of Jyväskylä's cultural curriculum Compass, which covers comprehensive schools in Jyväskylä, and it's purpose is to open up the meaning of culture as a source of well-being. While the number of high-achieving readers in Finland remains high, the percentage of low-achieving readers has increased. At the same time, the number of library visits among youngsters seems to be decreasing. It is therefore particularly important at this point to remind these eight-graders of reading as a hobby and as a means of maintaining literacy. It is important to remind them of the library as an enabler of the above mentioned and as a place for leisure and civic activities. During the Compass8 library visit, the students get to know the modern library. They are introduced to independent use of the library by means of an escape room game. At the end of the visit, the students enjoy the modern library facilities and functions: music and karaoke room, board games – library as a living room. The Compass8 library visit encourages students to act and experience independently, to grow towards active citizenship.