Stromness Academy Library

The library is available for use before registration, lunchtimes, and after school on a Tuesday for leisure purposes. A variety of activities are on offer, however you can come in to relax quietly as well. If you have ideas for an activity or club, please discuss this with the librarian, Mrs Sinclair. As a space used for different things and by a diverse group of people it is important that you are aware of the guidelines on how to use the library.

We expect pupils to respect the space by keeping it tidy and not moving chairs or other furniture. We expect you to be participating in library activities or using the space quietly and calmly. Respect should also be given to other library users and staff, ensuring you don’t disturb them in their chosen activity, or by being too noisy, and by following instructions given by staff.  Mobile phones are not permitted to be used in the library at anytime.

Use the library during your free time for:

Study, research, revision, homework

Read books, magazines

Play board or other games

Use the computers

Take part in official activities

Use the Internet

Help the Librarian

You are expected to:

• Be seated on chairs or beanbags
• Take part in, or organise your own activities (board games, chess, MtG, D&D etc)
• Leave furniture where it is
• Talk quietly
• Respect pupils and staff who are working or reading
• Use the Reading Zone for personal reading, or individual work
• Mobile phone use is not permitted at any time
• Consume food and drink in designated areas, not in the library (some exceptions for active in participants special events or a particular activity as long as no mess is made)

• If you wish to just socialise, please use the general social areas
• Work will always get priority on the computers (Tues & Thurs are work only days)
• Upper library is available for any year to use for school work (ask permission first)

Don’t bother coming in if you are going to:

• Just stand around or wander about
• Chat noisily
• Disturb other pupils or staff
• Crowd around computers

Activities Available

Monday – Miniature Painting: Miniatures, paint, and brushes provided, but you are welcome to bring in your own.

Tuesday – Board games – Chess, draughts & other board games, or Magic the Gathering

Tuesday – After School (15:35 – 16:45)

• Dungeons & Dragons: Experienced players – Group full.
• Other pupils wishing to star up another group for D&D or other RPG may do so
• Homework & Study: Computers available

Names to Mrs Sinclair before the end of the school day on Tuesday

Wednesday – Wellness Wednesday – no tech (computers switched off). Any mindfulness activity from reading, drawing, colouring-in, miniature painting, quiet board games or jigsaws, etc.

Thursday – Dungeons & Dragons

Short D&D session run by pupils or staff.

Drop-in sessions for character creation, adventure and world building, general discussion and reading.

Friday – No lunchtime sessions as Friday activities may start early. Pupils can come into the library to read, do work or use computers quietly, if space permits.

Friday activities participants may set up and start early for a longer session if they wish.

All lunchtime activities run during the week can be done on other days (space/other events permitting) – just ask.

Lunch passes to get through the queue quicker are available from the front office or library.

How are we already over half way to the October holidays? Hope everyone has settled back into school after the summer break, which now seems such a while ago.

Last session we held a miniature painting competition to which we had several entries from three students. We had the honour of having a previous, none the least first, winner of the Golden Goblin trophy judge the competition for us.

Here is Jack’s summary:

Squid

Overall a very cool model, I really love the texture of the tentacle’s colour transition, the base has some really nice water effects and the glossy finish gives a great impression of a proper slimy sea beast.

Caleb

Nice palette choice, orange cat and blue scarf complement each other nicely. The grungy tone, especially around the coat, is very evocative of the reference pictures I found.

Nurgle guys

Very cool weathering, the rust and verdigris are really nicely done. The pallid skin tones with green look disgusting and work so well. Definition of the highlights and shadows give them all a good readability.

Braziers

The bases of these look exactly like a worn grey limestone, the subtle orange around the inside of the metal baskets make the flames look like they belong. Good “atmosphere” and textures.

Big boy

Great promise, really nice base shading, especially around the eyes. Faces are hard, but you’ve already got him looking great! (This was entered as a work in progress.)

Mr Pumpkin shall haunt my nightmares. (Not an entry – a miniature by Mrs S.)

All in all, the quality of these minis is orders of magnitude better than when I was painting in school. It’s awesome to see!

As the winner of this year’s golden goblin, I have got to go with the very handsome squid. It’s unusual, well executed, and inspired me to play with some new organic patterns!

Well done to Stella, for winning, and to Ethan and Brodie for their amazing painting skills as well.

In the middle of last term, we started having a slightly different Wednesday lunchtime, after discovering there was such a thing as ‘Wellness Wednesday’.  We already had a small book group (reading, discussion, and journaling) so to encourage a disconnect from technology (PCs, phones, laptops, etc.) our Wellness Wednesday session was born. Pupils can come in and do what they want, as long as it is relatively quiet and no technology is involved. We already have a no phone policy in the library (unless permission sought for educational use) however, this was ignored from time-to-time. On Wednesdays we are much stricter.

The relaxed atmosphere has been commented on by passing SLT. It is a really pleasant way to chill and wind down from screen time.

Dungeons & Dragons (and other RPGs) have been running for nearly 20 years in the school library. Over the last few years there has been an overwhelming resurgence in Dungeons & Dragons and as a result, since around 2016 the Friday activities group usually has over 25 pupils signing up to it, and recently we hit 39 pupils, which is over 10% of the school roll. Back in 2018 we received a number of welcome donations of core rule books and miniatures (we also have a miniature painting group on a Monday) to support the groups. These were very welcome and much needed as the librarian often provided her own resources for use.

Fast forward to 2022, there has been a resurgence in interest, especially within the younger year groups (S1&2), and they were more interested in actually borrowing the rule books to take home to read and use. This meant that the groups (Tuesday after school, Tuesday and Thursday lunchtime as well as the timetabled Friday afternoon activity sometimes didn’t have access to them if needed. Back in August/September a call was put out on Twitter and we received more core rule books as well as the newer Monsters of the Multiverse. They have proved popular. Some have been catalogued as reference only, which means we now don’t have to worry about pupils forgetting to bring the borrowed books in with them every

week. There will alwyas be copies available in the library as well as ones for borrowing to take home, which is encouraged.

More recently, we also receive donations from a couple of independent RPG / D&D publishers. Another donation came our way from Grinning Frog, their

latest book, You Ask, I Write covering everything from adventure design, RPG ideas, locations, running sessions, etc. The publisher / writer has also donated their RPG magazine The Oracle as well.

A small publisher, Cawood Publishing, from Vancouver in Canada recently sent a couple of his books from the ‘Monsters’ series of books. Monsters of the City and Monsters of the Wilderness are certainly welcome additions to the RPG shelves.

We’d like to thank the aforementioned donors without whom, we’d have struggled to provide easily for large D&D / RPG groups.

A list of donors is available here.

This week is Mental Health Awareness Week. We are promoting a public library initiate, ‘Keep the Heid and Read!‘to promote and celebrate the power of reading with regards to mental health and wellbeing.

“To celebrate the power of reading, libraries and good mental health, you are being asked to pledge SIX minutes on Wednesday 11th May 2022 and devote it to reading.

Why? Because taking some time for yourself to relax and do things you enjoy like reading is important to help look after your mental health and wellbeing.

It has been scientifically proven that reading for just SIX minutes a day boosts your mental health by 68%.” (Keep the Heid, 2022)

To join in the ‘Reading Moment’, pledge to read 6 minutes on Wednesday 11th May here. There is still time for the target of 300,000 minutes to be met.

At Stromness Academy we are encouraging staff an pupils to read for 6 minutes and all our S1-3 have been pledge as a group. There will be a display of fiction and non-fiction books in the school library whic are available for borrowing. These include books from the Empathy Lab reading list as well, many which deal with mental health, as well as helping to building empathy in our young readers.

‌Links to Mental Health support services can be found on the school website and in LearnPath in OLIVER, the school library Catalogue.

Links to Information on Reading & Mental Health

National Literacy Trust. (2018). Mental wellbeing, reading and writing. [online] Available at: https://literacytrust.org.uk/research-services/research-reports/mental-wellbeing-reading-and-writing/ [Accessed 9 May 2022].

Reading-well.org.uk. (2021). Reading Well. [online] Available at: https://reading-well.org.uk/ [Accessed 9 May 2022].

Why (2018). Why reading can be good for mental health. [online] MHFA Portal. Available at: https://mhfaengland.org/mhfa-centre/blog/reading-good-mental-health/ [Accessed 9 May 2022].

That’s us back in school after a needed Christmas break. Hope everyone got much needed rest and that you had a good festive season. This term, we will be continuing with the usual lunchtime activities in the library, as well as supporting learning and teaching, project research, Accelerated Reader (AR), and your reading interests.

Library Periods & Accelerated Reader

S1-S2 have timetabled time in the library once a week during English. Other year groups might also come on an ad hoc basis. During library time, pupils can select and borrow books, read quietly, and do AR quizzes, use the online catalogue, OLIVER to search for books or check their loan records. From time-to-tome, there may be library induction activities, for example, learning to use OLIVER, how to find resources, note taking, research skills. Pupils are also given a chance to suggest books for the library.

During this time your teacher or the librarian may talk to you about your reading, finding out what you like, and giving recommendations. You will also be told your AR levels. It is recommended that you read within or above your level to help improve your reading which also has a positive impact on your learning across all subjects. You don’t always have to read an AR levelled book but it is important you do read some and do the quizzes.

OLIVER & LearnPath

Remember to use the library catalogue to help you find books in the library, including other books similar to what you searched for. If you are logged into your account it will also give you recommendations based on what you have previously borrowed.  Speak to Mrs Sinclair if you have forgotten your login details.

LearnPath is part of OLIVER and is a collection of curated weblinks and other information to help with you subjects, project research, and course choice.

Library is open at lunchtimes for reading, research, homework, computer access and activities. Please be aware due to split lunches, there may be a class. They will get priority over computers and use of the upper library. This means users will need to be quiet. Pupils requiring to do school work or Accelerated Reader quizzes will always get priority over leisure use of the computers.
Lunch passes for these specific activities can be picked up from the library of front office.

Lunchtime Activities​

• Monday – Miniature Painting: some miniatures available for you to paint or bring your own. Paint and brushes supplied.​
• Tuesday – Chess Club (and other board games)​
• Wednesday: No specific activity. You can choose: Magic the Gathering, Colouring, Reading, Manga Club… or suggest something you’d like to do and we’ll see if it is possible.​
• Thursday – Dungeons & Dragons: Discussion, character creation, help understanding the rules, RPG reading, possibly even a short game.​
• Friday – library not available for lunchtime use due to Friday activities.

Tuesday After School 15:35-16:45​

• Dungeons & Dragons: Experienced players – waiting list for Mrs Sinclair’s Rime of the Frostmaiden game (S3-6), or set up your own group.​
• Homework & Study: Computers available​
• Names to Mrs Sinclair before the end of the school day on Tuesday

The COVID Stuff

Mitigations are still in place. Please be mindful the library is used by a lot of people.

• Windows are on ventilation or are opened fully when the library is busy – please do not close them. Make sure you wear warm clothing as it can get quite cold.
• Sanitise your hands on entering and leaving the library as well as in between handling books, board games, and other resources.
• Clean shared equipment: computer keyboards and mice, desk, and chair levers after you used them. Also wipe down chairs and desks where you have sat. NB. Staff will spray down desks after classes have been in.
• Wear your masks properly at all times, ensuring your nose and mouth are fully covered.
• Keep your distance from staff at all times and from each other. Library furniture is arrange to help with this.

Overdue Books

Please return or renew all books borrowed before the Christmas holidays.

Here is an updated PowerPoint video presentation about the library. Note – there is no voice over. Use the video controls to control the presentation.

Over the last few years we have had a number of generous donations for our D&D and miniature painting groups which has enabled us to support the larger numbers of pupils opting into our Friday afternoon [timetabled] activity, on occasion been as high as 39 which is more than 10% of our school roll. Currently we are at 26 across two sessions. In addition there is also a smaller group consisting of the more experienced players and those who DM groups on Fridays on a Tuesday after school.

Out most recent donations come from Stephen Hart at The Grinning Frog. Abracadabra arrived in February in the middle of lockdown and more recently we have received issues of The Oracle, a theme based magazine.

Abracadabra: a guide to becoming a magical games master is a substantial and beautifully illustrated book which was donated as a memorial gift after the original backer of the Kickstarter project sadly passed away. Packed full of tips, ideas and prompt, it has already drawn some attention for the DMs who are worldbuilding.

The Oracle, of which we now have five editions is a monthly system neutral magazine. Each one is based on a theme, eg. Shadowrealms, frozen north, love and romance, for example.

Not only can I see a use for these resources sparking off ideas for RPGs and our D&D groups, but as a general resource for sparking off any creative writing that might be done in classes, or by pupils who write as a hobby.

Thank you, Grinning Frog! We have all been grinning here!