The blog is back! Watch this space for monthly updates from Shawlands Academy School Library.
2021 Recap – What have we been up to?
eBooks & eAudiobooks: The library continued to roll out the Libby app to all S1 pupils. The eBooks, audiobooks, and eMagazines supplement the physical stock in the library, offering pupils a broader range of formats and books, with accessibility features to make the reading experience more inclusive.
Reading Schools accreditation: This year, the school library has signed-up Shawlands Academy to the Scottish Book Trust’s Reading Schools accreditation programme. The Reading Schools programme is committed to building a reading culture across the school community. With some Covid restrictions still in place, we are aiming for the core level certificate with the possibility of applying for silver or gold in the 2022-2023 school year. Our Reading Schools leadership committee have met in December to plan for the 2022 term and have discuss loads of exciting activities and initiatives to roll throughout the term. We’re currently accepting submissions for our ‘Ask Me What I’m Reading’ badges and official school bookmark to tie in with the programme. Pupils will vote on the designs throughout February and the winning designs will be created into badges and bookmarks to be distributed during World Book Day in March.
Throughout January and February, learners and staff will be offered the opportunity to complete a book personality quiz and library survey. The survey will help inform best practice and identify areas of improvement in the library and reading culture across the school. The book personality quiz is a fun way to engage people with reading out with their comfort zone by suggesting genres, authors, and books that they might like to try. Both the quiz and the survey will be delivered by the school librarian in classes and on Teams. Our PT of Family and Inclusion will also be including it in their newsletter.
Pupil Library Committee: This year, the school library has created the Pupil Library Committee to help provide young people’s voice in the stock and library service. So far, we have 50+ volunteers from all year groups Several committee members are tying it into to their Saltire and Duke of Edinburgh Awards. Duties include shelving and organising stock, selecting books to be featured in the library’s monthly newsletters, create and deliver quizzes/activities, and curate monthly displays for Interfaith Week, Black History Month, and World Space Week. Some members of the PLC have also been heavily involved in stock selection, focusing on graphic novels, thrillers, and enhancing our Equality & Empowerment collections. Some PLC members are also included on the Reading Schools committee and their ideas have been crucial towards embedding a pupil-led reading culture throughout the school. We’ll be posting more about this in future blog posts.
Book Week Scotland: The library hosted pupil-led activities throughout Book Week Scotland in November 2021. Committee members created and delivered their own Manga Quiz during lunches throughout the week. Committee members also designed and compiled Book Week Scotland Book Boxes full of pupil recommendations that were delivered to teacher bases. Staff were delighted to receive their free copy of the official Book Week Scotland book, Celebrate, gifted by PLC members.
EAL book group: We’ve continued our EAL book group this year. The project is funded by the Scottish Library and Information Council on behalf of the Scottish Government through their Scottish Library Improvement Fund, which support innovative projects in the school library sector. The EAL project is aimed at pupils who are developing their English literacy skills whilst also placing an emphasis at valuing home/original languages and multilingualism. In addition to reading books and completing literacy-based activities, pupils are invited to create multilingual signage for the library and contribute book reviews to school library newsletter and magazine. In November, our group met the fabulous graphic novel duo, Metaphrog, who discussed their books, illustrations and creative journey.
The project also supported Shawlands Academy’s first ‘Community Languages’ collection, a section devoted to books and resources in languages other than English. Many thanks to GCC EAL and Dyslexia Unit as well as Multilingual Library Scotland for their recommendations. We’re excited for the upcoming Languages Week Scotland and International Mother Language Day (Feb 21st), where our group will be looking at an array of international book awards and festivals for young people. On a city-wide level, our group is collaborating with other EAL book groups to create a pupil-led Glasgow Guide by and for pupils. Work on the guide is still ongoing and we’ve commissioned Metaphrog to design the cover and background.
Seed Library: The School Library is collaborating with MCR Pathways and Fare Scotland to develop a seed library for the school and for the school garden with resources and support from the Royal Horticultural Society. The MCR Pathways and Fare Scotland coordinators work with a group of young people to build practical gardening skills as well as learn about sustainability and the environment. The seed library, though still in development, will be pupil created and led, focusing on seeds derived from the school garden as well as providing information about how to grow food at home.
Professional Development Library: This year saw the implementation of the Professional Development Library, curated by Mrs Torbett and housed in the school library. School staff can now access a range of professional reading to help develop and enhance existing skills. Mrs Torbett also runs a staff professional reading group and takes book requests from staff. In addition to the in-house collection, The Glasgow Libraries’ eResource, ProQuest, offers professional and trade journals and articles which can provide staff with recent research and analysis in their discipline.
Workshops: Throughout the Autumn period, the school library visited several classrooms to deliver bespoke workshops to BGE, Higher, and Advanced Higher classes. The workshops introduced pupils to a number for quality, online resources to supplement their studies. These included the British Library, the National Library of Scotland, National Museums Scotland, the Natural History Museum, ProQuest and Gale Literature Resource Center. Staff from the Mitchell Library’s Business & IP Center were also invited to deliver a session on copyright and intellectual property to the school’s S2 Enterprise class in November.
Primary visit: We were delighted to arrange a special class visit with a small P6 class from Shawlands Primary as part of their transition programme. Children were introduced to the school library and stock through a book tasting session.
Library publications: This year, the school library has continued its monthly newsletter, packed with book lists, reviews and the latest news in the YA literary world. An interactive format is posted in each year group Team’s Library Channel. The Glasgow School Library service has also continued its quarterly digital magazine, Swatch. In it, you can find author interviews, guest features, book lists, crafts, quizzes and more. The upcoming issue will be released in March. Links to past issues are below.
Winter 21 Autumn 21 Summer 21 Spring 21 Winter 20 Autumn 20
January/February book lists:
Best books of the year 2021 – BBC
Best new books January – Book Trust
Best new children’s books February – Toppsta
Bookbug book of the month January – Scottish Book Trust
Book of the month February – Scholastic
Debuts of the month February – LoveReadingforKids
Great Books Guide 2021 – Book Trust
Monthly Roundup January – Love Reading
Top 10 Audiobooks February – Love Reading
UK Public Library Authorities ‘ top eBooks, audiobooks and digital magazines borrowed in 2021 – Overdrive
Waterstones Books of the Month February– Waterstones
Literary & cultural calendar book lists:
Veganuary: Veganuary, Vegan Society
Martin Luther King Jr Day (17th): Book Riot, The King Centre, Reading Rockets,
Holocaust Memorial Day (27th): BookTrust (YA, Middle Grade), Holocaust Memorial Trust/World Book Day, Penguin Random House, Reading Agency (2020), Scholastic
In the news…
Bookbug Picture Book Prize shortlist announced
Branford Boase Award Longlist Announced
Costa Book Award winners announced
Games review February – Metacritic
“The Last Cuentista” wins 2022 Newbery Medal; “Watercress” earns Caldecott; “Firekeeper’s Daughter” wins the Printz – School Library Journal
Read for Empathy Collections 2022 Announced
Tennesse School Board Bans Pulitzer Prize Winning Maus, Becomes #1 Bestseller -Open Culture
Terry Pratchett Estate backs Jack Monroe’s idea for ‘Vimes Boots’ poverty index -Guardian
T.S. Eliot Prize winner announced
Upcoming film releases for 2021 – IMDB
What is entering the public domain in 2022? – Public Domain Review
In January, we had almost 250 new books delivered! This included a wonderful mix of classics and library staples along with brand new MG and YA books that our pupils are going to love! A lot of these books have already flown off t
On National Poetry Day we had a visit from Anita Govan. Ms Longo’s S3 put their heart & soul into improvising and performing their own poems. Anita presented us with a copy of her book. What a fantastic day.
Alex Nye visited us for Book Week Scotland. S2 & S3 loved Alex’s ‘Art of the Ghost Story’ workshop. Miss Cameron & Mr Clarke’s classes came up with brilliant questions. A fascinating insight into being an author. Well done all!
A December highlight was a visit from Metaphrog (John & Sandra). It was amazing to learn all about the creative process. Our audience included our EAL Book Group, and our own published graphic novelists now in S4, who had worked with John and Sandra previously. It felt like a lovely family reunion.
