Pupils at the Northlands Primary school will have a special visitor this week who will see the school's library, which has been undergoing upgrades courtesy of a local sorority.

Members from Altrusa International (Bermuda Chapter) have been working to enhance the quality of the school's library in an ongoing project since last May.

This week, Altrusa International's Governor Elect Joanne Doherty will be visiting Bermuda and will visit the school to see the progress made at the library.

The effort was started to provide materials in conjunction with the 'Reading Counts' Programme, a reading comprehension plan which is active in many public schools on the Island.

'Reading Counts' is a computer programme from the Scholastic Company which measures pupils' comprehension levels, additionally, It then matches the student to books from the library that are at an appropriate level.

Children are required to read the book and then attempt a comprehension quiz.

Except for the actual reading of the book, all activities are done electronically, with results monitored by the class teacher and certificates of achievement given to those that perform well.

Six hundred new hardcover books have already been donated by the local Altrusa organisation. Many of their members also volunteer in the library to code and to prepare books for the shelf.

Some even work there to assist students in choosing their next book. The Altrusas are now preparing themselves for the next phase of the project called 'Reading Buddies'.

However, volunteers are still needed to read with some of the struggling students to ensure they will also be able to participate in this important programme.

* For more information, contact Sue Wale, president of Altrusa (Bermuda) Chapter, at suew@logic.bm.