We held a number of activities in the Library throughout September.

Library Club

The Library Club was launched on September 2^nd and runs Mondays during Lunch and Friday’s after school, offering space where pupils can participate in making book-themed crafts. Each month, we focus on making one craft so that all pupils are given the chance to create the craft if they are attending other clubs/activities during lunch or after school. Our September craft was creating bookmarks re-using damaged books and magazines. It was a relaxing way to spend a lunch break and practice some creative skills. Check out these beauties.

Library Inductions

It was a busy month full of Library Inductions. Each S1 class was given a short talk about the rules and sections in the Library. They were then given a Library Map with a set of questions that prompted them to explore the different sections of the Library so that they had an understanding of the layout and arrangement. They were then issued their School Library cards.

First Minister’s Reading Challenge

This year, the Library is participating in the First Minister’s Reading Challenge. To help support a school-wide Reading Culture, we’ll be showing the number of books issued in each class on the teleprompter at the entrance. Over 450 books were issued to S1 pupils in September! FMRC Shelf Cards were also distributed to S1s who were encouraged to recommend a book. Once the cards are completed, we’ll be posting the titles on our notice board outside of the Library and display the cards on the shelves.

Hurricane Book Club

We’ll be one of two Glasgow secondary schools piloting a YA version of Hurricane Book Club. Hurricane Book Club is an online book group that originally started as a collaboration between PanMacmillan and Orkney Libraries. Now running on its fourth season, Libraries and bookshops across Scotland are now connecting with each other and authors on Twitter. Glasgow Libraries have teamed up with Lourdes Secondary School and Shawlands Academy to trial a YA Hurricane Book Club. Pupils will be reading I Am Thunder by Muhammad Khan, a recent Branford Boase award winner which questions how far you’ll go to stand up for what you believe in.  The book group was advertised within the Library. Members will be meeting in October to come up with questions for the author who we’ll be Tweeting in November.

LGBTQ+ in the Library

The Library has also been participating in a SLIF-funded project for LGBTQ+ students, partnering with Hillhead and Smithycroft Secondary Schools. We’ll be hosting author workshops for our LGBTQ+ pupils who’ll also be involved in the selection of titles for an LGBTQ+ section that’ll be launched in February 2020.

Blog

Lastly, as you can see, our blog is now up and running! heck here for information for Library events/activities, pupil and Librarian book reviews, reading lists, and all things School Library related! Follow our Twitter page at @Shaw_Acad_Lib

Coming Up

October will be a busy month for our wee blog, with observances such as Black History Month, Mental Health Awareness Month, Dyslexia Awareness Month, Challenge Poverty Week, National Poetry Day, and National Tell a Story Day just to name a few! Watch this space for more information, recommended reading lists, feature fiction, and book reviews throughout the month.

The Library is divided into three main sections: Fiction, Non-Fiction, and Senior.  The Fiction section is arranged by genre and the Non-Fiction section is arranged by subjects. This is a result of a pupil survey that was circulated in December 2018. The pupils opted for a Genre-based system so that they could access the stories that interested them.

Fiction Sections

Fantasy: Magic & wizardry, supernatural powers and beasts, adventures & quests, myths, legends, folklore, fairy tales 

Science Fiction: Space, time travel, alien beings, dystopian futures, alternate reality/universe, gamer stories

Horror: Ghosts, hauntings, zombies, creepy dolls, dangerous creatures, Gothic stories

Action:  Spies and espionage, missions,  survival, adventure

Thriller/Mystery: Detectives, crime, disappearances

Realistic Fiction: Bullying, discrimination & racism, refugee stories, bereavement, mental and physical health stories, poverty, homelessness, coming-of-age

Relationships: Romance, families, friendships, crushes, first-love, crushes, emotional connections

Humour: Comedy, diary stories, jokes, cringe stories

Historical Fiction: Based on true events/people, set in the past, diaries/memoirs. Currently covers stories set in Neolithic period through to the end of WWII

Comics, Graphic Novels, and Manga: DC/Marvel, Simpsons, Adventure Time, Lumberjanes.  novelizations of chapter books & classics (Alex Rider, Percy Jackson, To Kill a Mockingbird, Pokemon, Blue Exorcist, Fairy Tail

Quick Picks: Novellas, short stories, dyslexia-friendly, fewer words, pictures/illustrations. All separated according to the genre

Non-Fiction Sections

The Non-Fiction Subject arrangement ties in with the curriculum so that pupils can easily access the information they require for classwork or leisure reading. Sections include History, Society, Arts, Literature, Science and Technology, Sports, Entertainment, Languages, Mental and Physical Health, and World of Work.

Senior Section

The Senior section holds a small but well-stocked range of classics old and new, award-winners, Scottish authors, popular film tie-ins, and best-sellers, non-fiction titles, and adult graphic novels.