The McLauchlan Library
The McLauchlan Library aims to provide a stimulating environment for girls of all ages, encouraging them to explore their interests and to develop the habit of in-depth reading and quiet independent study.
What we do…
Complementing the Careers Library, Buss Sixth Form Library and Junior School Library, the Library is at the very heart of the school, and provides a well-stocked, exciting centre for independent study and research. There are study spaces on four floors for about 100 students, with access to state-of-the-art ICT facilities and to over 25,000 resources, including periodicals, books, and audio-visual materials.
The Library is the centre for independent learning and the teaching of research skills throughout the school. Students have opportunities to work on research projects with other schools; current projects include two annual research symposia for students in Year 13, one with boys from Winchester College and one
with boys from Whitgift School. There are also joint debating symposia and a range of other partnership activities in conjunction with a number of schools in the maintained sector.
A highly qualified team staffs the Library, which is open throughout the day, and before and after school. Each librarian has responsibility for specific subject departments, and this liaison ensures that links are maintained, that information needs are anticipated, and that the development of research and information skills in all students can be integrated within the curriculum. Librarians conduct classes in writing abstracts, searching the Internet and creating bibliographies, and advise on how to conduct research and how to avoid plagiarism, encouraging students to develop the skills they need to become lifelong learners. Pupils are encouraged to exploit the full range of resources that proximity to London can offer, and can also access a wide range of academic material using membership of the British Library and other institutions, and by means of a growing number of subscription services on the Internet.
Pupils of all ages use these facilities and services in their independent study, learning how to research both efficiently and effectively. A natural progression of skills is encouraged, commencing as soon as pupils join the school, progressing through the GCSE years and culminating in the work done for AS and A2 examinations and within the International Baccalaureate. Whether in class work, homework, coursework or the International Baccalaureate extended essay, students become thorough and well organised in their academic studies.
Other Library activities
Since its opening in 1999, the McLauchlan Library has also proved to be a popular venue for the sharing of knowledge. Staff have given talks on subjects as diverse as Peter Carey's Oscar and Lucinda, travel writing, the film version of Breakfast at Tiffany's, the works of Penelope Lively and the tenets of Nietzschean philosophy.
Numerous writers have been invited to speak, including Ann Pilling, Jan Mark, Jean Ure and Michelle Magorian, Anne Fine, Elizabeth Laird, Lesley Howarth, Lynne Reid Banks and Cliff McNish, Professor Russell Stannard, Jamila Gavin, Gillian Cross (ONL), and Linda Newbery. Most recently, speakers have included novelists Judith Kerr, Sally Prue, Adele Geras, Tim Bowler and William Nicholson.
There are many other opportunities for girls to become involved in activities as part of their extra-curricular life. They introduce speakers, participate in discussions, report on activities for the school magazine and take part in groups. Past activities have included, readathons, quizzes and poetry competitions. Students organise book discussion groups during the lunch break and can become involved in mounting displays on topical matters and other subjects.
