The Library at Dulwich College Singapore Reading Research and Resources for 7-13 year olds “Libraries store the energy that fuels the imagination. They open up windows to the world and inspire us to explore and achieve, and contribute to improving our quality of life.”–Sidney Sheldon The Junior/Senior School Library at Dulwich College is at the heart of the college as a 21st century resource supporting and enhancing teaching and learning and encouraging the development of independent learning, critical thinking skills and intellectual curiosity. Currently it serves all students in Years 3-9. Staff The library is staffed by a full-time professionally qualified librarian, with a Masters Degree in Library and Information Science, assisted by a library assistant and a team of student library monitors. Their role is to guide, enthuse and encourage all students in their research and reading choices so as to extend their learning, foster a love of knowledge and a pleasure in reading, and develop their lifelong learning skills. Resources The library has an expanding and developing stock of over 8,000 items including fiction, non-fiction, reference books, periodicals, newspapers, textbooks, revision guides, on-line encyclopedias, career guides, E-books, DVDs and CDs, as well as a number of online databases accessible via the student portal and the library catalogue. The stock is catalogued by the Dewey Decimal classification system and all students are taught to become confident users of the library, proficient at locating suitable resources, using this internationally used system. The web-based catalogue – Destiny – is accessible via the student portal and as a mobile app, Destiny Quest, allowing staff, students and parents to access the catalogue on a 24hour basis and both reserve and review items. It also includes a bank of authoritative and curriculum relevant websites key-worded by topic via the WebPath Express service Currently the library subscribes to several subscription online resources and databases:• Issues Online • Complete Issues • Britannica online encyclopedia • First News - weekly digital newspaper aimed at 7-13 year olds • Tumblebook Library – audio and e-book collection of fiction and nonfiction titles suitable for junior students. • Philip Allan Archive
Relevant curriculum related and research links are added to the library website including online encyclopedias such as Encyclopedia Britannica and the Q- files illustrated encyclopedia to support students with their homework and research tasks.
Opening Hours The Library is open throughout the day from 8 a.m until 4.30 pm allowing students to use the facilities during lesson time, when classes may be booked in by teachers for research or reading, as well as independently before school, at break, lunchtime and after school every day. Facilities and Loans Students have access to both desktop and laptop computers with printing facilities, a photocopier, iPads, and audio devices. Students in Year 3-8 are able to borrow 2 items for 2 weeks. Students in Year 9 and above are able to borrow 4 items for 2 weeks Research The Library provides a range of guides as well as lesson activities on research skills, creating bibliographies and avoiding plagiarism. The Librarian liaises with all teaching departments to ensure their subjects are supported by a range of relevant and up to date reading materials to extend student learning. Departments are encouraged to bring their classes to the library to carry out research. Reading All classes are timetabled for regular library based reading sessions where teachers and library staff advise and enthuse students about their reading choices. The fiction stock is organized into Junior and Senior level fiction. A range of Recommended Reading and Resource Lists are available on the library website. The Library collaborates with the English Department in running a Reading Challenge where students read and review a range of genres over the course of the year. This aims to extend and develop students’ reading choices and introduce them to new authors, award-winning books, and to encourage discussion about reading choices. The library organizes an annual Book Week event and book fair as well as author visits, book groups, competitions, and participation in the local Red Dot Book Award and Readers’ Cup event held every year.
Students are encouraged to post book reviews on the library website which also keeps them in touch with new books, writing competitions, and book trailers. “With a library you are free, not confined by temporary political climates. It is the most democratic of institutions because no one – but no one at all – can tell you what to read and when and how.” –Doris Lessing A book is like a garden carried in the pocket - Chinese proverb