Our traditional library has evolved over the years to help us access limitless learning by becoming a hub for all pupil and teacher research.
It now not only contains more than 14,000 titles but also has an e-library service for girls to download books to their own devices, alongside an online search and reference facility which is constantly updated to provide the most current and contemporary information.
The library is situated in Q6 and has three main areas that staff and students may use. LR1 is the main reference area, LR2 has an extensive fiction collection, LR3 is another subject-based area integrated with the careers office and library. LR1 is a quiet working area while LR2 can be used for group work and students can make full use of the dedicated careers service in LR3 led by Mrs Dawson.
All students are given a library induction class where they are introduced to all aspects of the service,and can then use the library independently in the morning or at break and lunch times. Sixth form may use the facilities for private study.
We have an online library system, ‘Oliver’, which allows students and staff to manage their own accounts and search the library catalogue through Firefly. Booklists and reference lists can be created using this, requests can be sent to the library manager and recommended reading suggestions can be accessed. All library news and events are posted on the front page of Oliver.
We have run a Queen’s e-library service for a number of years. Using this, students are able to download books from our virtual library to their own devices. Queen's was one of the first schools in the UK to introduce this service and it has been of great benefit to all students. We are currently updating our system to integrate the e-library with our Oliver catalogue of print resources.
The library area of Firefly provides direct access to many online journals which include daily newspapers, scientific journals, history articles and subjects across the curriculum. This is a great resource and is proving invaluable for students who want to increase their general knowledge and awareness, as well as helping to develop independent research skills. EPQ and HPQ skills are also developed through the use of these resources and each qualification has their own dedicated area on Firefly, along with reading lists for all year groups.
A library and information skills programme is offered for all standards of The Duke of Edinburgh’s award.
High profile author visits have included Royd Tolkien, Cathy Cassidy and CJ Daugherty. Year 7 girls can take part in the National Kids’ Lit Quiz and Year 8 students have now won the Cheshire Inter-School Book Quiz numerous times. We’re currently recruiting for a Year 8 book team to take part in the National Reading Champions Book Quiz, run by the Literacy Trust.
We run book groups for all year groups with a range of activities from themed book events for Year 7 to watching classic literature on screen with Years 12 and 13.
Our library aims to provide an effective centralised learning resource for the school curriculum, to encourage independent learning and to promote a lifelong passion for reading.
