Francis Holland School Library

Library

The Anderson Library was opened in 2000 by the author Jacqueline Wilson. It is a bright, airy space (the former Gym) and is well stocked with fiction, non-fiction, a DVD collection and newspapers and periodicals, and of course, that essential element: floor cushions to enable the girls to curl up with a good book.

The aim of the Library is to provide a range of resources in order to support the curricular and leisure needs of the pupils, in a friendly, welcoming environment.

There is a full time Chartered Librarian who is always available to help, either to recommend a book to read or help with research. Finding the right book for each pupil is high on her agenda and with this in mind there are flourishing Reading Clubs. Currently available for Years 7, 8, 9 and Sixth Form, we meet every three weeks (having all read the same book) to talk about what we have read. They are very informal meetings, usually involving the consumption of chocolate biscuits at some point! In the Summer Term we “shadow” the Carnegie Award.

Book Lists are available for all years throughout the school, from Reception to Sixth Form, and are put together by the Librarian. Each entry gives brief details of the book.

Subject guides are currently being produced. These give an indepth picture of the resources available for a particular subject, currently available: History of Art and Theatre Studies.

Book Weeks take place every other year when we also hold a book sale. Recently Daunt Books visited the school to sell books to the Junior girls. Author visits have included former pupil Rose Tremain, Caroline Lawrence, Sally Gardner, Magda Archer, Lauren Child, Michael Morpurgo, Anne Fine, Jacqueline Wilson, John Ryan, Michelle Magorian, Doris Lessing and Jackie Kay.

Year 7 have Library Skills Lessons as part of the timetable. They learn how the Library is arranged and how to set about doing research, as well as how to track down that book they are longing to read!

Junior girls visit as a class on a fortnightly basis to choose books and do research. They have a dedicated area of the Library with floor cushions and soft toys. Each session ends with a story time.