Category Archives: All

End of the year post!

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You might have noticed that I have been a bit quiet on the old blog front lately. I have been busy trying to devise the weird and wonderful ways in which I can continue to provide a service to you in times of social distancing.

As we well know, things are not set in stone and everything is subject to change. However, assuming that we are sticking to our current plans, then the library will look slightly different for a little while.

Firstly, we will need to provide you with books remotely. Unfortunately, you won’t be able to browse books in the way you used to. On the plus side, everyone will be able to request any books or authors they want and if you let me know what sort of books you enjoy reading then I can do all the work for you and find something I’ll think you enjoy! These will likely be done on a class to class basis and I can even also bring your requested books down to you. Any individual requests can be made by emailing me directly: gw19mcgregormark@glow.ea.glasgow.sch.uk

We will also be further promoting our online services to you throughout the year. The good news is that we now have Borrowbox and Freegal on your school iPads and we are hoping to have more by August! You can access any of the eLibrary features here: https://libcat.csglasgow.org/web/arena/home. To access them, all you need is your library card number (the D00… one above the barcode) and your PIN (I can provide that! Just let me know).

Events might also look different but we will work with everyone to make sure that we can still bring you some excellent author events throughout the year, regardless of what restrictions may or may not be in place!

As for clubs, namely the Manga Club, we will need to have a look at where we are in August but it is my sincerest hope that we can get any clubs or groups back up and running as soon as possible. 

Finally, I would like to again take an opportunity to thank all the pupils and staff at St. Andrew’s for making me feel welcome and part of the team in my first school year. It has been a challenging year and next year looks set to come with its own challenges but we will get through it and can look forward to a Library Grand Re-Opening party when everyone is allowed to visit the library again.

Enjoy your summer break everyone. You’ve definitely earned it!

Italian Read Trip

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Hello Readers!

“Habemus Italian Read Trip”! Yes, it’s finally finished!

It has taken weeks and I’ve involved Italian librarians, Scottish school librarians, Scottish English teachers and Mr Foschetti, who has made the wonderful map.. As you will read, this project was inspired by two of our amazing librarians, who have also supported me: THANK YOU!

One of the reasons why I’ve pulled this together is because many (if not most!) of our library assistants and school teachers have asked me more information about Italy, and were planning to visit it this summer. I thought to substitute the restaurants tips with books suggestions, I hope you will find the right match for you!

I have also thought of the Italy experts and added some questions for you to see how much you know.

Here is the flipbook: http://www.flipbookpdf.net/web/site/f748b808425ee11b127eedaf1f13f0e17eb67e8a202006.pdf.html#page/1

Enjoy your itinerant reading!

Words that burn project

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Hello readers,

I thought of refreshing us in this difficult time with some happy memories from the brilliant ‘words that burn’ project we took part in.

First things first, Words that burn is a national project to explore and express human rights through poetry. Amazing, isn’t it?

The first meeting was held by the poet Ash Dickinson showed us that we can all create poems and put us in a creative mood. Amnesty International representatives launched the project and after an introduction to human rights they divided us in small groups to work on our poems about some of them.

Some of us didn’t even know what a poetry slam was, until we attended one in the Mitchell library theatre. We were incredibly lucky to see the talented Dean Atta, Anita Govan and Jenny Lindsay performing. They were very inspiring, and we have talked about their poems for weeks.

After the encouraging workshop held by Anita Govan, our pupils were ready to take part in the Hillhead Library Local Poetry Slam Competition.

Every group showed great talent and bright minds, and we were very proud when one of our groups won with a sharp poem about climate change.

The last step would have been a final poetry slam in the Mitchell Library, where pupils from all the twelve participating schools would have the chance to see performing few selected pupils and grab a copy of their poems anthology. Unfortunately, we had to postpone this event; but this doesn’t prevent us from sharing our happy memories.

This project wouldn’t have been possible without the support of Amnesty International, SLIC, Glasgow Life and the poets who have collaborated with us. 

Also a huge thank you goes to Knightswood Secondary School, in particular Mr Beaton and his S2 class.

For those who want to know more about the UDHR there is a very good online course about it on Futurelearn at this link:

https://www.futurelearn.com/courses/the-universal-declaration-of-human-rights

For now, this is all.  

We hope to be able to share with you our poems and physical celebration soon!

Just Keep Reading

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Wednesday is when we would normally have our Book Club at JPA.  The book club was created when pupils asked for a quiet place and time in a busy and hectic school day to just switch off, sit down and enjoy a good book.  I think we can all agree that this is something we definitely still need in our day, especially in this difficult and stressful situation.

During Book Club we would talk about what we are reading, make demands of the librarian (me!) for what we would like to read, and of course: READ!  With lockdown in place, we can’t meet up in the library at lunch time for now, but Book Club is not cancelled!

Join us on Twitter on Wednesdays for #VirtualBookClub – everyone is welcome!  Staff, pupils, families and librarians alike can join in and talk about what they’re reading – I would love to hear what people are reading on lockdown, and listen to any recommendations for books.

(Psst!  You can read this series at home through the eLibrary!)

You can also keep track of your reading at home to tell me all about it when schools reopen!  All of my Book Club pupils will have their Reading Passports to do this in, but keep a record in any way you like to join in.  You can also talk about what you’re reading and read together with the people at home.  Start your own mini Book Clubs at home!

Feeling impatient?  Want to read something right now and not wait?  Have a look at the No Wait, No Problems collection of the Glasgow Libraries eLibrary – all the books here are available to read RIGHT NOW so you don’t have to wait!  Some Book Club favourites are on this list, including Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling, Big Nate comics by Lincoln Pierce and The Brilliant World of Tom Gates by Liz Pichon.  Just look for the orange banner at the top of the book cover to see if you can read it right away!  

Of course, if you have something specific in mind, but it’s not available right now, you can reserve it for when it’s returned.  Just select ‘Place a Hold’ on any books with the white ‘Wait List’ banner, like the Dog Man graphic novel – another much loved favourite in the library!

Can’t find what you want?  Don’t worry – you can still demand the books you want!  Just like your regular library, the eLibrary doesn’t have everything, but you can still ask for it!  If you have something specific in mind but when you search for it, it says ‘Not Owned’ in a black banner at the top then you can recommend it to the Glasgow Librarians.  For example, I know a few of our Book Club members have and definitely would recommend The School for Good and Evil series by Soman Chainani, and there were loads of requests for My Hero Academia throughout the year – get online and get recommending!  

Standard Book Club rules apply at home as in school – read whatever you want!  It doesn’t matter what format or genre, so long as you enjoy it!  Prefer audiobooks or graphic novels?  Excellent!  Fantasy instead of Mystery?  Brilliant!  Try something new or stick to what you know, it’s up to you.  Stop at least once a week, maybe even Wednesday lunch time, or join the Scottish BookTrust #readinglunch on Thursdays, and enjoy reading a book – and talk about it if you can.  Just keep reading!

 

 

Napoleon Dynamite: a masterclass in comedy

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Librarian’s note: this is a historic blogpost – the first written by one of Lourdes Secondary‘s pupils! S1 Jack decided to write the first of what I hope will be the first of many pupil posts, with a film review.

Napoleon Dynamite film poster (source: Wikimedia Commons)

Napoleon Dynamite, a masterclass in comedy.

Napoleon Dynamite is a 2004 comedy film starring John Heder, Efren Ramirez, Jon Gries, Aaron Ruell, Elren Ramirez, Tina Majorino [Librarian’s note: Tina also plays Mac in the excellent series Veronica Mars, and I recommend that everyone should watch it. Right now.]. The film follows a boy named Napoleon Dynamite and his friend Pedro Sanchez, as Pedro tries to win class president for his school. Directed by Jared Hess, the film is a love it or hate scenario; some might see it as too juvenile or plain unfunny, but it is a hidden gem sadly lost to the void of time. John Heder’s comedical timing is impecable as well as the look of his character, Napoleon, who is frequently bullied at his school and lives an utterly miserable life until he meets Deb, a girl with all kinds of strange jobs as she tries to raise money for college, who turns his life around. It is one of the most quoteable films to date and is generally underappreciated by the masses, receiving a 6.9/10 on IMDB, it is a must watch and can generally be found in most charity shops.

Librarian’s note: I knew of the film, but for some reason had never actually sat and watched it until I got this review. It was funny, odd in a very good way, and had a fantastically 1980s prom scene with some great music. The other dance scene, near the end, is also just a bit good.

Lockdown List

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A number of School Librarians across Glasgow have produced a list of books to read during Lockdown. Glasgow School Librarians Lockdown List

This is, of course, just to get you started. You can also access online books via your library card at https://libcat.csglasgow.org/web/arena/elibrary.

There are also loads of suggestions and activities available via the Scottish Book Trust website (scottishbooktrust.com) as well as their Bookzilla app (information here: https://www.scottishbooktrust.com/reading-and-stories/bookzilla) which is free to download.

Happy Reading!

LOCKDOWN LITERATURE

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Hi!

School librarians across Glasgow have compiled a list of books to read during these bizarre times. Hit the link and take a look:

Glasgow School Librarians Lockdown List

Remember you have access to online books through your library card. Which can be accessed here: https://libcat.csglasgow.org/web/arena/elibrary

All you need is your pin and if you’ve forgotten that just email me!

Final thought – who knew that the Apocalypse would be so slow and boring?

Glasgow School Librarians’ Lockdown Book List

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A bunch of school librarians in Glasgow have come together to recommend a huge variety of books to help pass the time while we’re all staying home.
Glasgow School Librarians Lockdown List

I encourage you to have a browse of the list, and to keep recommending books to your friends and family. Remember – stay safe and stay home!

Do you want to write for the library blog?

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The planned School Library Blog Machine (or possibly a Dr Who episode)

If you’re interested in writing for the school library blog, then this is the post for you! You can write about anything you want – book reviews are always welcome, so you could talk about what you’re reading during lockdown. Similarly, reviews of tv shows, films, video games, comics, and boardgames are very welcome. What have I missed that you would like to review? You can help each other find ways to pass the time by sharing your recommendations through the blog. Have a look at the blog posts already published, including those from other Glasgow School Libraries, to get some ideas, but don’t be put off if you think your idea has been done before, or if you can’t see your idea. Get in touch with me before you start writing your post, so that we can talk about your idea and plan the publication date (you’ll find my email address in your year group/class Team on Glow if you don’t already have it). Continue reading →

Free Online Resources

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Hello all!

Even though the school and library is closed, that doesn’t mean that you can’t have library fun at home!  For all pupils, teachers, parents, carers and anyone with an interest in books and reading, I’ve compiled this list of free online resources that you can access from home!

Glasgow Libraries eLibrary

Glasgow Libraries are available online!  All pupils, as well as anyone with a library card, are able to access eBooks, eAudiobooks, eMagazines and music for free online through the Glasgow Libraries eLibrary.  All you need is your library card number and four-digit PIN to access.

If any pupil needs help accessing these resources please get in touch with your English teacher.

#UnitedByBooks

Follow this hashtag on Twitter and other social media to see an amazing range of free resources online, promoted by a range of organisations, authors and illustrators.  This will provide a variety of activities to do at home, as well as access to free reading materials.

Also, keep an eye to your favourite authors on Instagram and Twitter, as many are doing live readings of their books, offering free eBooks and a variety of other activities during the lockdown that anyone can join in with from home.

Scottish BookTrust: Live Author on Demand

Watch videos of talks and discussions with authors and illustrators of children’s books for a range of age groups.  There are accompanying activities with each video.  You can find the schedule for promoted events at the link above or visit the Authors Live on Demand page to browse the authors and illustrators available.

BookTrust HomeTime

Enjoy free online books and videos, games, quizzes, competitions and a host of other activities with BookTrust HomeTime.  There are a variety of activities suited to a range of age groups so there’s something for everyone to get involved in!

Elevenses with The World of David Walliams

A free audio story is released every day featuring a character from David Walliams popular books, which I know many of our pupils will be familiar with!  Previous audio stories are available for a limited time so make sure you take the opportunity to listen in every day!  The website also has other activities available to help pass the time in lockdown.

Dekko Comics

Dekko Comics have made a variety of their educational comics available to read for free online.  These can help pupils keep on top of school work during the lockdown as they cover a range of topics including maths, english, science, history, geography and PSHE.  Find them at the link above.

Coronavirus: A Book for Children

The situation we find ourselves in is scary and confusing for everyone.  This free illustrated book, which can be accessed online, helps to explain what’s happening for children and answers many of their questions and concerns.

Authorfy

A free online resource good for any budding writers out there!  Find creative writing resources, activity packs, and writing masterclasses from well known authors.  People everywhere are getting involved in their 10-minute challenges – why not give it a try yourself!

For Witches, Wizards and Muggles alike

For fans of Harry Potter, there are a variety of free resources to explore, including the first book in the series which now has unlimited access on the Glasgow Libraries eLibrary for every library user.  See Glasgow Libraries eLibrary for information on how to access.

In addition to this, you can also visit the British Library: A History of Magic exhibition online for free, which explores magic in muggle history, as well as the wizarding world.

You can also visit Harry Potter at Home where you can find a variety of Harry Potter and magical activities to keep you occupied, including videos, games, quizzes and puzzles.

 

I’ll do my best to keep this post updated with resources as I find them, but remember to keep an eye on the library Twitter page @JPaulLibrary for more regular updates and to take part in our Wednesday #virtualbookclub – I want to hear all about what people are reading during lockdown!

Stay safe and well.