DLS College Library 2010/2011

The college library is a vibrant hub of activity each lunchtime during the school week.
It is staffed by Ms. McGinn who welcomes all students who are interested in reading, browsing, researching projects, using the computers or perhaps just looking for a quiet chat about books!

Our readers particularly enjoy the junior fiction section which is updated on an ongoing basis as new books become available. Students can and do suggest new purchases for the library staff to acquire. We are informed by our regulars that our fiction section far surpasses that of the Dundalk town library for teen readers. We have included in our stock books intended to encourage all ages and abilities of readers from the avid bookworm to the sometimes reluctant reader.

Having comprehensively re-stocked our fiction section in the last five years we are currently in the process of endeavouring to build up our non-fiction/reference section. This is being done in consultation with subject teachers and with reference to suggested support texts/materials in each discipline. Materials are sourced within Ireland and where necessary from abroad.

Ms. McGinn and Ms. Heekin attend conferences organised by the Irish section of the School Library Association to keep up to date with new developments in library administration. They are also a source of new ideas/suggestions for enhanced library usage e.g. book clubs, computerised reference systems (encyclopaedia Britannica), student blogging etc.

The stock in our library is now fully computerised which allows students/staff to place requests for books. The information gathered by this automated system is useful in many areas of library administration and allows for a more effective use of library resources.

Link with Junior Cert English
First year students have an induction to the library at the beginning of the year which familiarises them with the layout and use of the library. This is carried out by Ms. McGinn/Ms. Heekin in conjunction with their English teacher. It takes the form of a word search competition using authors names and a book search for titles by the same authors.
All Junior Cert English classes are timetabled into the library for 1 class period a week which allows students to have a quiet personal reading session. This allows all students to have access to the library and its facilities, particularly to the fiction books that are hugely popular. Students can borrow, return or read books at this time with follow up often occurring in class in the form of review writing etc.

Lunchtime Facilities
The library is open every day through lunch. Students have the opportunity to change or take out new books and sit for a quiet read. They have full access to the reference library. There are two computers available to students. These may be used for referencing educational websites, researching/completing school projects. Students have to obtain a permission slip from the relevant teacher outlining specific purpose for which computer access is needed. Printing facilities are also available through the librarian.

Book Club
This is the third year running in which we have organised book clubs. They take place once a month in the library on either the first or second Wednesday of the month. Their operation has been revised and modified each year in consultation with the students.

Games Day
A popular event introduced this year is games day. It takes place once a month all through lunch. We have a good selection of board games including draughts, chess, snakes & ladders, monopoly, connect 4, frustration, Discovering Ireland, dominoes and ludo. Some students also bring in games from home for use on the day. This concept has been a big hit with all students and has also attracted some new users to the library.

Table Quizzes
At different stages throughout the year we hold table quizzes - often seasonally based. There is always a big demand for places and tables are often booked up in advance. We generally like to give our regulars a slight advantage by including a book based round of questions.

World Book Day
We run various different competitions to celebrate World Book Day e.g. book review, design a bookmark or design a poster for World Book Day. We also run a competition on World Book Day in the library at lunchtime - last year it was Murder in the Library, where students were given clues either in the title of the book or the authors name to help them solve the mystery.

MS Readathon
The schools participation in began in 2003 with one class. Now all first, second and third years are encouraged to participate. Over €45,000 raised for the MS society in that time with the school finishing in the top three for money raised in the second level sector for the last three years in a row. A percentage of the money raised goes to the library for the purchase of new stock. The library facilitates the Readathon and the Readathon in return facilitates the library. Each depends on the success of the other. The amount of money raised this year was in the region of €5,300.