The Library aims to support and enhance the educational aims, policies and practices of the College through the Librarian, especially as these relate to independent learning.  Towards this end, the Librarian is responsible for relating the Library's hybrid collection to the current and anticipated requirements, both academic and recreational, of teachers and scholars.

The Librarian is ably assisted by a team of pupil Librarians who share responsibility for running this busy Library

Borrowing from the Library

Pupils may borrow up to five books at a time from the Library, and books are normally issued for two weeks.  Pupils may, however, borrow books over school holidays should they wish to do so. If items are returned late then small fines are incurred. This system has greatly increased the circulation of popular items.

Print Resources:

Reference Section: The Reference section contains items that may not be taken out on loan so that they remain available to everyone, such as encyclopaedia and dictionaries.

Fiction Section: Pupils are encouraged to read as widely as possible. An exciting range of reading for pleasure is provided, ranging from children’s classics and modern fiction to mainstream contemporary and classic fiction.  Recommendations for new titles are welcomed, and the Librarian is always on hand to help.

Non-fiction Section: The wide selection of non-fiction books are carefully selected to support teaching and learning across the whole curriculum.

Electronic and audiovisual resources

The Library has two IT/Audiovisual balconies available for pupils to use during private studies or for recreational purposes outside lesson time.

• ICT: There are 8 computers which are linked to the school network giving pupils access to the intranet, internet, networked CD-ROMs, Microsoft Office software and other subject-specific packages.  They can also be used for searching the library catalogue.  We also subscribe to "Issues Online", an internet database of topical articles. Before and after school, and during break and lunch-time, boarders are able to check their e-mail, which provides a vital link with home.  Other pupils may use the computers for work. Games, however, may not be played on the library computers at any time.

• Audiovisual: The audiovisual balcony houses a TV and video recorder for use with our large selection of educational videos, and a CD/tape player to listen to audiobooks and to the wide range of music CDs that we stock to support the Music curriculum.

Recreational Activities

During breaks and lunch-times the library is open for borrowing, quiet reading and home to a growing number of board game enthusiasts.

Events

The Library is host to a range of seasonal events throughout the year to promote reading for pleasure. Currently about 50 students and 10 members of staff are involved in the 100+ Book Challenge (to read 100 books in a year). Previous events have included Book Fairs, an author visit, Readathon and papering the Library with everyone's favourite poems for National Poetry Day.

Information Literacy

The promotion of Information Literacy is a key part of our mission. In Elements all pupils visit the Library once a week for an Independent Learning lesson in which they learn vital research skills using print and electronic resources through the medium of project work. In Figures the Librarians visit pupils in their classrooms to build up these important skills through curriculum based research in collaboration with subject teachers. Further up the school the Library provides a range of handy research guides for pupils to take away, and subject staff may choose to bring a group into the Library for specific guidance at the start of any research project.