The Dixie Grammar School

Library Services Easter Progress Report 2012

The Librarian now manages both The Michael Parker Library at the Senior School and the Junior School Library (in collaboration with Mrs Debra Enston the Library Co-ordinator). In order to track progress at both libraries, the Librarian submits regular Progress Reports to the Senior Leadership Team.

Joint Services

The Librarian aims to create a Library Service for the whole school with an “offer“ to teaching staff, making explicit the services and resources staff can expect. A presentation was given at a Heads of Department Meeting in January and will be repeated to all Senior School staff at the first Staff Meeting in the Summer Term.

We have been subscribing to our local Schools Library Service (LSE) for the Senior School for some time. Some of the allocation was used at the Junior School during the Spring Term with very positive feedback from staff. Books have been requested for most year groups and are being used in the classroom and to boost the Library’s stock. We are now subscribing as a whole school from April 2012 and will use our allocations flexibly between both sites to ensure value for money. The Librarian visits LSE each holiday period to exchange books.

Our use of the LibGuides platform to create Research Guides has started off very successfully. Mrs Robinson has now created sixteen guides, with several more in the pipeline. These have been requested by Science, Business Studies and Physical Education to support work with Years 8 and 11 and with the Sixth Form. Students and staff have found these really useful, according to the feedback. This service could also be used to support staff at the Junior School at a later date.

Our published guides (more are currently being prepared) can be seen at: http://library-online.libguides.com/index.php

Resources on the Olympics are being collected in both libraries, including books, posters and also a Research Guide at: http://library-online.libguides.com/pe-olympics

The Librarian is part of the ICT Strategy Group for the school. It is hoped that this will help to inform planning for the next stages of library service development.

The Michael Parker Library – Senior School

Some Induction sessions took place this term with Years 6 and 7 during English lessons. Mrs Robinson hopes to be able to complete these in the Summer Term.

Each Year 6 to 8 English class visits the Library for one lesson each week to develop their reading. Many students are moving rapidly through the Reading Challenge, others, however, appear to be reluctant readers. To keep teachers informed about

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students’ progress, the Librarian has sent regular reports to the English Department and the SLT.

As Mrs Robinson’s voice began to recover, some teaching of research skills in the Library took place. Mr Hamson brought in his Year 8 Physics classes for a series of lessons researching and presenting information on Energy Sources. Students used note-taking sheets to avoid cut-and-paste, a Research Guide and books borrowed from LSE. The final presentations were marked collaboratively to assess both the content and the research process. When all of the presentations have been delivered, the best will be uploaded to the Research Guide at: http://library-online.libguides.com/science-energy

The Librarian continues to offer a virtual library service and is building Research Guides using LibGuides – see above under Joint Services. Of particular note are the Guides developed for Sixth Form Biology students which were used in the classroom. This kind of work creating resources for students has a very positive effect on students’ perception of the Library and the Librarian!

The Library is open every day for the whole lunchtime session and is well used by students. The Librarian is supported by a small Student Helper Team and by teaching staff, due to her vocal issues. New Helpers have been recruited this term and they will start their training in the Summer Term.

192 resources have been added to stock in the Spring Term. Stock totals are: o 4246 school resources (value £39,432.04) o 241 LSE books (value £2,645.46)

The totals for book borrowing from September 2011 up until the end of term are: o 317 borrowed by staff (mainly project collections from LSE) o 1673 borrowed by pupils – on target to exceed last year’s borrowing figures

During the Spring Term, Mrs Robinson surveyed students and staff to ascertain the extent of eReader and eBook ownership and interest so that future developments of the library service could reflect the needs of the school community. It proved difficult to get older students to use the online survey although almost 100% of Years 6 to 8 did join in. The results confirmed the Librarian’s observations that many students are reading eBooks on a range of devices and are also interested in what the Library may be able to offer in the future. Mrs Robinson has been asked to speak to the SLT about the use of eReaders and other mobile devices. At the moment, plans to develop an eBook service have been put on hold until suppliers’ offers for new services become more concrete in the coming months. Funds to pay for these services from the Library Development Budget are being carried forward to the next financial year.

The Junior School Library

Most classes have been visiting regularly over the Spring Term.

Regular updates have been sent to all staff showing book borrowing by class and by gender, also including students who have not borrowed and top borrowers. Analysis

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of borrowing statistics shows interesting trends and these are being fed back to staff for appropriate actions.

Analysis of borrowing statistics from the Library Management System, Junior Librarian, shows that older students are generally not borrowing fiction books. This could have an impact when they transfer to the Senior School. Funds remaining from the stock budget will be spent in the Summer Term on fiction books. This section needs to be weeded and improved to attract students.

Mrs Robinson has been working on the development of a Library Handbook and Procedures Manual, similar to those used at the Senior Library. Other administrative and management procedures have been implemented.

The allocation of books from LSE has had a considerable impact at the Junior School – see above under Joint Services. As we are subscribing as a whole school from April 2012, Junior School staff will be able to access more services and a larger book allocation.

The totals for book borrowing from November 2011 up until the end of the Spring Term are:

o 303 borrowed by staff (mainly project collections from LSE) o 886 borrowed by pupils

The Librarian is hoping to be able to arrange a meeting during the Summer Term with Anne Laird and Debra Enston to begin planning for a refurbishment of the Junior School Library, to include new shelving, storage and furniture.

Anne M Robinson, Librarian, 10 April 2012