The Library as a Platform to Mentor Young People
There is always the need to expand the reach and functions of what the library is intended for, in this case, education. In this 21st century, there are some libraries in most developed countries that have adapted the educational center as a new platform to engage their audience and help them in developing new ideas and realizing their talents. This is all possible by having libraries digitized. But even installing the latest gadgets and other technological tools is not enough – there is need to have developers who can help mentor the audience.
Such was a situation which enabled me to realize my talent in writing and eventually helped me become a gifted script writer. It all started back in 2001 when a local company equipped our local library with the latest technology. We were able to access the internet for free at the library (internet was quiet expensive then and hence a free option was a big opportunity for learners). They also installed some projectors and donated several screen and films about sciences and other disciplines. At this time, I had just joined high school.
Nurturing Talents of the Youth
I used to go to the library on weekends and during the holidays to learn. Now that the technology had arrived, the management of the library sought some tutors to teach basic computer to the kids so that they could use them efficiently. I was among those who joined the first lot even though I was good at computers. I did so just for fun. We were almost finishing the first packages, when a group of volunteers from a local drama club announced that they would be having various sessions to enable us develop our talents during the weekends.
I too was part of the group that joined the course. However, I was too horrible at acting and anything to do with drama. I was always faulted for missing some lines or doing something completely different from what was directed and practiced. I simply could never make it in acting. That didn’t stop me from attending the session. Basically, I enjoyed being part of the group because they we were always given free tickets to watch the volunteers when they were acting.
To ensure that I was never kicked out of the mentor-ship program because of my poor skills, I tried to practice had. I usually went with the script at home and tried as much as I could to practice my part. To enable me do that and to clearly know when to appear in the different scenes, I had to study the script as much as possible. I would go through it multiple times. The more I did, the better I became at understanding the flow of the various drama plays that we practiced.
This made me to research more about plays and drama. I would go to the library and research a few things about writing plays and realized the format in which captivating drama content was written. I got well versed with the flow of the content and the various twists involved. I felt that I needed to learn more to get a better understanding.
Using Technology to Exploit One’s Gift
To do that, I went and analyzed the different TV shows at home that I loved and then back in the library I would download and print their scripts. I would then watch the TV shows as I followed closely on what was written in the script. This made me fit myself in the shoes of the script writer and visualize about his/her thinking while he was creating the script. I would visualize and understand why a certain act or a twist was used in a certain scene and the message intended to for the audience. I learnt how to use suspense creatively and how to think outside the box.
After about 4 months of learning, I decided to come up with a storyline and see if I could write. Of course if acting was not my thing, probably writing was. I took about three weeks to write a play about political deceit where political bigwigs and their cronies exploited the naivety of the citizens to flinch the country’s public finance. I ensured that there were various twists in the play and they all had a nice flow.
After going through it and making the basic edits, I decided to forward it to the group of volunteers who were mentoring us. The following day after submitting my piece, I found them waiting for me at the library with some good news. They actually never believed that I was the one who had script-written the play which was amazing. They told me that they would be adapting it in the next drama play and would pay me royalties for my work. Finally, I had realized a talent that I would never have thought of.
