Stromness Academy Library

Well, the summer holidays are over for this school librarian as I am now back and preparing for the new term. There is still a long list of things to do, none the least reshelving the books removed whilst central heating pipework was being replaced.

The other main task for day was to sort the Reading Record files and prepare various new versions of library notices which get tatty over the course of a year. Plants have also been tidyed up a bit, removing dead leaves and pruning back where necessary. Furniture is also nearly all back where it belongs. Still lots to do over then next 4 days before pupils are back next week including preparing library cards for our new S1, ensuring catalogue works on all PCs, putting up fresh posters and notices,  catching up on book processing and cataloguing and giving the desk / office area a good tidy.

I can’t quite believe it was March when I last posted. The school year is now nearing its end and some of us are preparing to head off on a Geography field trip to Switzerland. Sports Day and Band Comp are also looming on the horizon.

It has been a busy year in the school library with a new library and information literacy skills course having been successfully piloted with the S1 as well as the pupils working to their Bronze certificate for the Reading record. Pupils’ work and effort in the course and Reading Record were recognised with certificates being issued during library periods last week as well as sweeties and small stationery prizes for those who completed their workbooks fully. The S1 course is now currently being revised and a new S2 course is in development which will reinforce library skills learnt in S1 as well as introducing new info lit skills to help them in their reading and studies.

Lots of new fiction books have been purchased and subsequently displayed over the course of the session and it is hoped we can do the same in the new session as well as up-dating (much needed) our non-fiction book stock. Pupils continue to use the library during their leisure time (before registration, lunch, or after school) on a regular basis using the library for leisure or school work purposes. The S6 stalwarts who played Magic the Gathering and Dungeons & Dragons have left to go on to pastures new, but they have left behind a new cohort of younger pupils playingMagicand I hope that they, in time will join in with the D&D activity.

The summer holidays will see me continung with development work, giving the library a much need tidy, up-dating posters and notices and preparing for the new intake amongst other things.

A selection of new senior fiction books from bestselling authors / prizewinners has been added to library stock and are now available for borrowing.

Happy New Year to you all. A selection of new books are now on display and available for borrowing in the school library.

Try out:

Dark Callling by Darren Shan

Vortex by Chris Ryan

Boys Don’t Cry by Malorie Blackman

The Red Pyramid by Rick Riordan

Crescendo by Becca Fitzpatrick