Tower Hamlets Schools Library Services

Category: Advisory & support

  • Book Buying and Cataloguing

    Book Buying and Cataloguing

    School2Book Buying

    A good school library needs to be regularly replenished with new books to excite the children and old and out-of date books need to be removed.  Starting with an audit of what you already have, our librarians can help you buy books to:

    • support your school’s curriculum
    • Meet OFSTED and inspection targets
    • support literacy schemes and Accelerated Reader
    • address gaps in the current collection
    • promote race, gender, disability, LGBT, age and class equality
    • Support Philosophy for Children
    • provide for children with special educational needs
    • support the Global Dimension and Black Perspectives in the curriculum
    • support healthy schools, anti-bullying, road safety and other initiatives

    We can buy books on your behalf, or accompany you to a library supplier showroom to select books – usually at 10 – 20% discount or more.

    We recommend using the processing service (book jackets, school stamp and spine labels) that most large library suppliers offer for a small additional fee.  In order to make the most of this service, our librarians will classify the stock as it is selected so that the library supplier can put the correct spine label (colour and number) on each book.

    Cataloguing your collection

    Our professional librarians will catalogue your new and/or existing books using your school cataloguing software.

    An accurate library catalogue will help:

    • Track pupil borrowing and reading patterns
    • Help you monitor reading attainment
    • Keep track of your book collection

    Why use our cataloguing service?

    A team of qualified librarians is the best choice for cataloguing your library.

    • Accurate and comprehensive data entry
    • Services, including custom key wording of all books and use of YOUR school classification schedule
    • Ongoing stock auditing process
    • Competitive prices
    • We will catalogue on-site OR can catalogue books at our library (no additional charge for transit)
    • Book processing (labelling, stamping, etc) services included
    • All books will be sorted and shelved at the end of the cataloguing process.

    Call us on 020 7364 6428 or use our contact form to get in touch about this service

    You may also be interested in:

    [associated_posts]
  • Professional Librarians in Primary Schools

    Professional Librarians in Primary Schools

    “The most important element of an effective school library is the person managing it”

    Your School Librarian

    To ensure that the library is strategically managed and developed as well as open and available to children as much as possible,  we recommend that schools employ a professional librarian for a number of hours (3.5 to 35) a week with support from a library assistant.

    “The work of a School Librarian has the potential to make a huge contribution to the school in ways that I had not realised until we found ours.  Her work has impacted directly on the children; their involvement and enthusiasm for reading as well as our participation in enrichment activities and the maintenance of the reading environment.”
    Headteacher, Primary School in Tower Hamlets

    With HMI Ofsted expecting to see good quality libraries and ambitious expectations and support for home reading, the management of your school library with its tens of thousands of pounds worth of resources is more important than ever!

    A professional librarian will:

    Support children’s learning by:

    • Promoting enjoyment of, and excitement about, reading
    • Plan and run exiting library-based activities
    • Establishing skills for independent learning and assist in the delivery of information and research skills teaching in the school
    • Monitor reading and attainment

    Support the teaching staff by:

    • Identifying and buying quality resources for the school library and classroom libraries
    • Assisting in the delivery of information skills  and information literacy teaching in the school
    • Helping to select resources from the Schools Library Services

    Support the school by:

    • Working closely with school leaders to ensure that the library meets the needs of the school
    • Managing and promoting the school library and teacher resources, ensuring consistency and maintaining quality
    • Ensuring value for money when buying new resources
    • Raising reading and literacy standards

    Tower Hamlets Schools Library Services can provide schools with the services of a professional librarian on a regular basis
    Minimum contract – one year

    Call us on 020 7364 6428 or use our contact form to get in touch about this service


     

  • Why your library matters

    Why your library matters

    Plan for improvement coverSchool Libraries : A Plan for Improvement

    Report of The School Library Commission, Chaired by Estelle Morris

    Tower Hamlets Schools Library Services features prominently in this report as an example of best practice and excellent services.  In particular our “professional librarians in primary schools” service is commended as a way for primary schools to maximise their own school library provision.

    The commission identified the impact a good school library can have on literacy and learning, but found that in many schools around the country the potential of the school library is not fully realised.

    The commission found four factors in good school library provision:

    • effective staffing,
    • resources in all media
    • partnerships with planning and teaching and personalisation
    • offers a series of recommendations aimed at Headteachers and governors

    These factors, properly implemented, would improve literacy and attainment levels thorughout the school.The report can be found at:
    http://www.literacytrust.org.uk/…

  • Supporting Your School : What we can do

    Supporting Your School : What we can do

    school3Libraries are fantastic resources and need regular care and attention to keep them up-to-date and working well.  If you feel your library needs some attention, a health check by one of our experienced librarians is a good place to start.

    A FREE initial one-hour advisory visit is included in your subscription to the Schools Library Service from which will emerge an action plan to get your library moving.  We will look at:

    Primary Schools

    • ­  Library policy, development plans and budgets
    • ­  Classification, colour coding, library guiding and subject index posters
    • Computer cataloguing services and stock checking
    • ­  Library design
    • ­  Stock audits and resource purchase, including equalities assessments
    • ­  Installation and management of computer systems for school libraries
    • ­  Electronic books and other e-resources
    • ­  Training for teachers, teaching assistants, governors and library staff
    •   Promoting the school library to all children and creating a reading culture
    • ­  Teaching information and library skills

    Secondary Schools

    We offer professional support for your secondary school librarian through:

    • advisory visits, telephone support and best practice wiki
    • membership of Tower Hamlets School Librarians Network
    • regular school librarian meetings (primary and secondary librarians working together) looking at news and collaboration on national & local reading initiatives, liaison with local public libraries and Idea Stores, best practice in running school libraries and recent new books for children and young people
    • INSET and training
    • ability to borrow both children’s level resources and professional literature
    • access to our e-book platform

    We can also help schools with recruitment by providing job descriptions, interview questions and model answers and attendance at interview

    IT Support and user group meetings

    Library management systems are an effective tool for librarians to:

    • Accurately keep track of school book borrowing
    • Monitor reading patterns and reading attainment
    • Collect important reading data and statistics for your school records
    • Enable pupils and staff to know exactly what resources are in the school and where to find them

    However, the software requires managing! We offer annual library software health checks and weekly user-group meetings at the Schools Library Service that are free to subscribers.

    Call us on 020 7364 6428 or use our contact form to get in touch about any of these services

    You may also be interested in:

    [associated_posts]