MECS Library & Information Centre
This really is the centre of the school is more ways than one! The location is ideal, with woodland views from every window as a feast for the eyes after too much reading or computing.
We have a stepped reading pit, perfect for story-time and surrounded by our great picture book collection.
We keep up to date with all the latest, good quality publications and our students enjoy access to the very best books currently advertised in the bookshops. Research shows that voluntary reading, chosen from an extensive selection of books (not classroom bookshelves), is a major factor in literacy achievement.
As a resource and information centre, we are also proud of our non-fiction collection which is tailored to our unique curriculum and its needs.
Presently we have eighteen multipurpose computers networked in the library, and students may use these at lunchtime as well as in their timetabled Information Literacy classes or personal study time.
Information literacy is a major focus of our teaching time, and we are passionate about the need for our students to become information “fluent” – that is, able to recognise their need for information, know how to go about finding and selecting appropriate, accurate information, and becoming skilled in creating and presenting their findings. Each CS unit will have a research or investigation component, which, in collaboration with the class teacher, becomes the opportunity for these vital information literacy skills to be taught and practised.
Research shows that students achieve higher results in literacy when their school libraries are staffed with qualified teacher-librarians, who know both their students and books and who believe in teaching information literacy.
Just as an idea; it would be really cool if the library sectioned off the fiction age groups more. For example; have primary school bookshelf with the younger fiction books and have a specified section for teenage fiction. I think it would be cool because than we can get some older books in that are appropriate for teenagers (e.g middle school and senior school) but not for primary-school ages…let me know what you think (:
Dividing up the fiction collection would be a great idea and one that we are actively planning for. Can’t tell you when it will happen but it will!
Meanwhile you do have a wide choice of books already, and dividing the collection won’t actually change the range of books you know. Maybe you haven’t noticed that many books are already marked for ‘Year 7 and up’ or have a yellow band showing that it is for Senior School students only.