The library is located on the 3rd floor of our new building affording us beautiful views of Lake Michigan from our reading area. Our collection contains over 14,000 items that include books, videos, CD-ROMs and DVDs. Materials are selected to encourage the joy of reading and to strengthen the curriculum of the school. We subscribe to 15 periodicals, as well as 2 daily papers, and a variety of online databases.
All students in the school community have library privileges. There are no overdue fines. However, the prompt return of borrowed material is encouraged and a replacement fee for lost items is requested. Classes from the Primary and Lower Schools have a regularly scheduled library period once a week. The Middle School, while not scheduled on a weekly basis, does use the library for research during curricular class periods as well as before and after school.
In the Primary School, students are introduced to an array of picture books. They examine award-winning books, especially Caldecott winners, and are engaged in discussions of illustration and voice. Their curriculum is reflected in the books read aloud to them during their library period. The children learn to handle books with care and become aware that there is a certain order to the library that enables them to find books easily. They also learn the parts of a book and the difference between fiction and nonfiction. Various genres of literature are introduced, particularly folk tales.
In the Lower School more emphasis is placed on research, in close cooperation with the classroom teacher, in order for students to learn how to use the encyclopedias, in print and electronic formats, as well as our other reference materials. The students learn the basics of the Dewey Decimal System and the organization of our library. They are also taught how to use our online card catalog and how to locate books on the shelves. They are encouraged to explore the library collection in order to foster varied reading experiences.
In the Middle School students become adept at finding information independently while researching specific topics and reports assigned by their classroom teachers. The classroom teacher, librarian, and computer teacher collaborate as a research team to provide students the tools to become information literate. They learn how to develop research criteria and locate and gather information from print literature, the Internet and other electronic databases.
