The Library, housed in a purpose built area accessed from the main reception hall of the school has been built up over the years to nearly 20,000 items, some 50 periodical titles and subscriptions to a number of electronic databases.
There are two strands to the work of the library; providing information and support for the curriculum and secondly promoting recreational reading.
The School recognises and emphasises reading as vital in education and the habit is encouraged by having one private reading lesson in the library each fortnight for the first two years in school. Worthwhile and wholesome fiction appropriate for the school age groups is purchased and reading promoted in ‘Book Discussion Breakfasts’ or ‘Literary Lunches’ when students can exchange ideas and thoughts about their reading. Visits from authors, story tellers and speakers from the world of books and publishing also create interest. Story writing and book review competitions are promoted and modest success has been achieved. (A winner in the Guardian Young Critic of the Year competition)
The library is a valuable resource for providing information for independent learning. Computers with internet links and access to subscription e-resources (including the Dictionary of National Biography and Science Source Collection) are heavily used. Instruction in library skills and information retrieval from the internet is given throughout the school. Less formally, quick quizzes on special days (Burn’s Day, St Patrick’s Day) practise information finding skills as well as offering appropriate rewards like butterscotch and green sweets!
Themed weeks have been introduced in the past year: Summer 2008 looked at the spy fiction genre and demonstrated sources of information on that theme. Book title Pictionary, activities around codes and finger prints and a literary Quiz provided a ‘fun’ element. Christmas around the library was investigated in that season, demonstrating resources from all areas of the subject classification, ‘science of Christmas’, Christmas customs and Christmas in literature – Harry Potter as well as Dickens’ Scrooge. Ten minute teacher talks at break-time in ‘French week’ and on the American Scene are appreciated and again bring attention to Library resources on particular topics.
A compilation of ‘What your Staff read at school’ is kept. This fascinates the boys but more conventional reading lists are available in the library and on the Internet Fronter Reading Club. Teachers give Break time talks or interviews about books and their reading. Staff too have enjoyed ‘book breakfasts’ and ‘Inset’ day literary lunches. A parents’ Reading Group has started meeting for about an hour and a half, early evening once or twice each term. An adult title is discussed but also a children’s book. This gives parents help with understanding and guiding the reading of their own children.
Through these different initiatives the aim of the Library is to encourage all connected with Cardinal Vaughan Memorial School to acquire information skills and to develop the habit of reading so that a culture of literature in a strong ‘whole school reading community’ is created.