St. Aidan's is lucky enough to have a wonderful library, run by our very own librarian, Ms. Flynn. The Library is a colourful, comfortable room for all the students and staff. Classes are held in the Library all day with a strong focus on literacy and numeracy skills. Authors and speakers are regular visitors to our Library. It is also an excellent place to come to do research or to enjoy a good read before or after school.
‘Libraries are browsing places, dreaming places, finding out places’ (Michael Morpurgo Author).
JCSP School Library
The library’s mission is to provide a welcoming and dynamic space which encourages a love of reading and improves literacy levels. The library is part of the JCSP Demonstration Library Project. Classes are held in the Library all day with a strong focus on literacy and numeracy skills.
Collection
The library has a large collection of books, both fiction and non-fiction. The collection is up-to-date, attractive and of high quality. The library also has four student PCs with internet access. There are graphic novels, audio books, magazines, newspapers and DVDs. There is also a staff section with a PC.
Services
Book borrowing, Computer/Internet access, Makerspace, Minecraft Club, Chess Club, Maths Club, Book Clubs, Board Games, DVDs, Newspapers, Magazines and Graphic novels. There is also a digital library for e-books, iPads, Journalism Room, PC’s for research.
Some things to do in the School Library…
- Read and borrow a book, newspaper, magazine, audio book, e-book etc
- Research your interests; school and personal
- Type your work and print information
- Get help with homework and research from
- Study; on your own or in a group
- Investigate a job or career using our career books and the internet
- Play chess, build with LEGO, do a jigsaw etc
- Make something with craft and art materials
- Join a club including Creative Writing, St. Aidan’s Newspaper team and Makerspace Club
- Relax and enjoy the peace and quiet!
JCSP Digital Library - SORA
SORA is your online library. You can borrow novels, non-fiction and audiobooks. All students are given a username and pin number for the JCSP Digital Library. Download the app to your device to read anywhere, anytime even without wifi. It is free, easy to use and ensures you can always have a book to hand. New books are uploaded all the time. To find your favourite author just search. Struggle with dyslexia? Change the font and screen appearence in settings. The Digital Library has something for everyone. Don't have the book you want in our school library? Check on the Digital Library! Get your username and password from the library and check your emails for updates. Watch this short video to get started Video tutorial
Users can borrow up to 3 titles at a time. The default lending period is set at 21 days.
Some things to look out for:
Users can place requests for items that are on loan and they can choose to have the available items automatically added to their account when they become available.Place holds on books that you wish to read. This will help identify titles that are in high demand – and additional copies can be purchased for the library. The library currently holds over 4,000 unique titles – with multiple copies of many of these. Additional titles are being added to the collection on an ongoing basis. Further details available in the library ask Ms Flynn.
Accelerated Reader
We use the Accelerated Reader programme in the library. All first-year students have a log on for this and are encouraged to do quizzes on the books they read. Doing quizzes is fun and means Ms Flynn can keep up with what everyone is reading. Check out the video below to find out more about what the students are reading. Click here to access AR.
Opening Hours:
- Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday: 8.15 am to 4.30 pm
- Friday: 8.15 am to 3.00 pm
Follow happenings in the Library on Twitter @staidanscslib