The Library
The library is committed to helping students reach their individual goals and become independent life-long learners by:
- Providing a range of high quality stock, which is regularly updated.
- Encouraging enthusiasm for reading and learning.
- Promoting effective research skills
Opening times
The library is open as follows:
| Monday - Friday | 08:00 - 16:00 |
|---|
Using the library
- The library has a wide range of desktop computers and laptops for students or classes to use.
- There are over 12000 books (both fiction and non-fiction), a wide variety of journal titles, and 250 DVDs available for loan, with over 20,000 bibliographic resources in total.
- Student participation is always welcome and actively encouraged: requests, reviews and opinions in particular.
- With the exception of water, eating and drinking is not allowed in the library.
The Library Management System (Oliver)
Oliver, hosted by our supplier Softlink, is the system which controls all cataloguing, stock management, movement, loans and returns. No login is required by staff or students to use the system simply enter a search term (author/title/subject/genre/ISBN), and all results, including full bibliographic data, will be displayed.
Overdue items
Notification for overdue items are sent initially by email. If items remain overdue for an extended period, then they will be deemed lost and a letter requesting payment or replacement will be issued to parents/carers. Payment for lost items is via ParentPay, replacement can be in the form of new copies, or second hand in good condition.
Learning in the library
The library is a bookable resource, and is often used in school time by classes to enhance the learning experience. Its resources are always in demand and it is a heavily used IT facility, the computers being booked for the majority of the school day.
Events in the library
Annual events are many and varied, and include Year/Key Stage and Whole School activities, such as:
- The Year 7 Readathon, which raises money for children's charities as well as giving the whole of Year 7 the opportunity to enjoy a period of reading as much as they can/want.
- World Book Day (during the first week in March) is also an enjoyable experience, where every student in the school receives a book token to use either against the full price of a book, or to exchange for a special World Book Day book.
Visit the diary dates on our Home page or the Events page here for all upcoming events.
Library iLeaders
Introduced in September 2018, the library has a number of students who assist with the daily tasks in the library: shelving; tidying; operating the circulation system; suggesting and organising special library projects and displays.
The atmosphere is special!
The library works best when everyone co-operates and respects the needs and wishes of others. During lesson times, the lower library (unless booked by a class) is a silent Post 16 independent study area, whilst the upper is usually either booked for a lesson or used by Post 16 for group work, independent study, research or reading. Although at break and lunch time the library is very busy, generally if you are using the library, you are here to work or read, and the atmosphere reflects this.
