Library Newsletter: Winter 2017

Library Newsletter 6: Winter 2017

It’s been a busy term, and this latest bumper edition of the library’s newsletter sheds some light on what’s been taking place amongst the usual library periods!

The library has taken part in two national celebrations this term – Libraries Week and National Poetry Day, and we’ve a summary of our activities later on in this edition.

We’ve also got some great book recommendations for you, as well as a ‘save the date’ for an upcoming author visit for Year 8. Don’t forget the annual Christmas TV guide is also out – details of how to get your copy are on page 2.

Have a lovely break.

Miss Skipper.

Scholastic Book Fair Thank you to all who supported our recent Scholastic book fair, which was held from the 27th November – 11th December.

We had a great range of books and posters on offer, and sold £390 worth of books at the event, which raised almost £200 in commission. As in previous years, it is intended to use part of this commission to buy books for children undergoing treatment at the Clark Clinic at the Royal Belfast Hospital.

The book fair will return next year!

Libraries Week This year, CILIP (the Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals) organised a week-long celebration of libraries across all sectors from the 9th-14th October.

Using the official strapline ‘discover something new’, the library decided to hand the reins to our pupils for the week, and ran a series of break time events where pupil volunteers held introductory sessions on skills or hobbies they had.

We started the week with a demonstration of magic tricks, and this was followed by a session on origami where we made cranes and jumping frogs (with strict instructions they were not to be hopping in class!). A dominoes session proved popular, and the week was rounded off with a chess masterclass.

Books to support many of the hobbies were displayed All in all, this was a really positive week that highlighted the range of information that can be found in libraries, as well as showcasing the varied talents of our pupils.

A huge thank you must go to our super volunteers, without whom this week would not have been possible.

Upcoming Author Visit!

Christmas TV Guide

We’re very excited to announce that the author Dan Smith is coming to visit us in February!

The annual Christmas TV Guide produced and shared by Helen Smith, the librarian at Eckington School in England, has arrived!

Dan is the author of a number of adventure novels and thrillers for both adults and children, and his most recent book for younger readers, Below Zero, is being published in the new year.

By now a Christmas tradition in its own right, this guide lists all of the films and TV programmes on over Christmas that are based on books.

Dan will be visiting Year 8 on February 8th to talk about his life and career, as well as hold a Q&A and book signing. There will be more information announced closer to the date.

You can pick up your guide from the library, or download it from Firefly, and know that what you’re watching is ‘librarian approved’. Of course, don’t forget to check out the books the shows are actually based on as well!

National Poetry Day National Poetry Day took place on the 28th September, with the theme of ‘Freedom’.

To mark the occasion, the library asked staff to create their very own ‘blackout’ poems. These are created by using a page of text, and blanking out words until the words that remain form a poem. Easier said than done, and we had some very creative entries from staff across the school!

One of the Year 9 Library classes also took part on the day, and spent a period coming up with their own fantastic poems.

Here are some of the poems produced for the day.

Beside Bo was a black eagle, beating its immense wings.

The razor sharp talons waiting for more food.

The wingspan so huge that shaded the whole tree-tops.

He was badly wounded, he kept fighting.

They cut him down, arrows in his chest.

Enemy soldiers hacked him to pieces.

Dead. Alone.

It wouldn’t matter. He was too late.

The fortress fell silent.

Post-Christmas Exams  We have a range of revision guides for use within the library, as well as books on exam and study skills.  The library has produced a couple of booklets that you may find helpful, and you can access them via Firefly, or by clicking on the images to the right.

Good luck!

Our world was beautiful.

Peaceful.

But everything changed.

They turned humanity against itself.

But you can be powerful.

Change the planet.

Reading List Whilst it might not seem this way now, the Christmas holidays can feel quite long once the excitement of the big day is over and you’ve watched everything there is to watch on TV! Here are a few suggestions for some books to tide you over…

Wing Jones - Katherine Webber Please don’t be put off by the cover! This is possibly one of the best books I have read this year.

Fifteen-year-old Wing Jones is growing up in 1990s Atlanta. With one grandmother coming from China and the other from Ghana, and an older brother who is a super-star on the football field she can often find herself torn between worlds and overshadowed.

But when tragedy strikes, Wing discovers she has talents of her own – but how far can she go, and will she be able to save her family?

Dealing with topics of racism, friendship, family, love and identity, this is a rollercoaster of a read, and I highly recommend it.

The Muse - Jessie Burton The blurb: London 1967: Trinidadian immigrant Odelle Bastien has been offered a job as a typist at an art gallery under the tutelage of the glamorous and enigmatic Marjorie Quick. But though Quick takes Odelle into her confidence, and unlocks a potential she didn't know she had, she remains a mystery - no more so than when a lost masterpiece with a secret history is delivered to the gallery.

The truth about the painting lies in 1936 and a large house in rural Spain, where Olive Schloss, the daughter of a renowned art dealer, is harbouring ambitions of her own. Into this fragile paradise come artist and revolutionary Isaac Robles and his half-sister Teresa, who immediately insinuate themselves into the Schloss family, with explosive and devastating consequences…

The Robin: A Biography - Stephen Moss It seems appropriate to include in a Christmas list a book all about the bird which is undoubtedly Both the nation’s favourite and a symbol of Christmastime. This charming book, full of wonderful Illustrations, tells the story of the robin.

The book is split into twelve chapters, one for each month of the year, and follows the life of the robin from birth to death. In addition, the book looks at how the robin has become so popular, and delves into some of the facts and folklore that surround this little bird.

This is not just a book for ornithologists. As The Times review noted, ‘The more we learn about our favourite bird, the more we realise how much we don’t know. This gulf is evidence of how we have become distanced from the natural world…’ – perhaps a reminder to us all that we should put our phones away and explore the outdoors more in 2018!

Harry Potter: A History of Magic - The British Library This is the official book that ties into the Harry Potter exhibition currently showing at the British Library, and produced in collaboration with JK Rowling and her publisher, Bloomsbury.

This lavishly illustrated hardback is a real collector’s edition that captures the folklore and magic at the heart of the wizarding world. Alongside artefacts from the British Library’s collection, this book collates notes and sketches from JK Rowling’s own collection, as well as a number of essays from those inspired by the exhibition, such as Steve Backshall and Tim Peake.

This book is a must for any Harry Potter fan!

Libr-arghh!-ry!

This year, the library hosted a special ‘library lockin’ evening for our junior boarders to mark Halloween.

Following the first prep session, the library was transformed into a spooky spectacular before the boarders arrived for their second session of prep after dinner.

Following the discovery of a monster lurking in the shelves, the boarders then enjoyed listening to a selection of three short tales, each with a spinetingling twist!

Overdue Books!

At the time of writing this, there are 570 library items identified as overdue on the library’s management system These items have an estimated value of at least £5750!

As I’m sure you can appreciate, this is a considerable sum of money, and the library does not have the means to but second copies of all these items.

Over the holiday period, please take a moment to check and see if you have any library materials forgotten about on the shelves – it’s never too late to return them, and the library would be very grateful to see them back on the shelves for others to enjoy.

New Books!

Here are just some of the great new books that have been added to the shelves this term. Click on the covers to find out more about each title.

CCB Library in Numbers 

Total loans so far this year: 646

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Year group with the most loans: Year 8 (281 loans)

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House with the most loans: School House (125 loans)

Top 5 titles 1. Demon Dentist by David Walliams 7 loans 2. Brigands MC by Robert Muchamore 6 loans 3. Tom Gates: Genius Ideas (Mostly) by Liz Pichon 6 loans 4. Agent 21: Codebreaker by Chris Ryan 5 loans 5. Billionaire Boy by David Walliams 5 loans

Librarian: Cath Skipper Campbell College Library Belmont Road Belfast BT4 2ND Tweet: @ccb_library

In addition, the following three titles were purchased following the generous and much appreciated donation of £25 to mark the occasion of OC 7015 Alistair McCutcheon’s 50th birthday.