As the 'new' library gets into
its stride, it is developing and
expanding as each term goes
by, moulded by the needs of
the pupils. Perhaps most importantly,
this means that all pupils are free to
suggest books they would like the
library to stock. The pupils have enjoyed
choosing books that reflect their own
interests and enthusiasms, or putting
forward a title that they may have seen
reviewed in a newspaper. This in turn
allows the library to be a creative place,
not governed solely by the strictures of
the National Curriculum.
Titles chosen this year included The
River Runs Black, The Environmental
Challenge to China's Future; The
Gathering of Voices - Twentieth
Century Poems of Latin America;
A Greedy Man in a Hungry World;
Floating World - Japan in the Edo
Period, and The Western Way of War
- Infantry Battle in Classical Greece.
Some of these were requested by students
embarking on their EPQs, and the library
has been an especially fruitful resource
for this.
We decided that the Teen Fiction library
was a section that needed updating, as this
is the fastest-growing genre in publishing.
Pupils were more than happy to guide the
collection away from out-dated vampires
and into the realms of The Hunger Games
and similar series - not forgetting the most
borrowed book of the year, The Fault in
our Stars by John Green.
Amongst the many academic
books acquired, it was particularly
pleasing to obtain books such
as the impressive three-volume
encyclopaedia on The Art of the
Northern Renaissance (bought
at a bargain price!) and to keep
the science, maths and economics
shelves updated. Proving the
breadth of the library's holdings,
fashion books are a great favourite,
and some very attractive books on
individual designers were acquired.
New teachers bring new ideas,
and Oliver Ridley, the new Head
of Sixth Form, recommended a
'Quick Pick' style display unit to
encourage the uptake of beneficial
tomes on English A level Criticism.
This has proved to be a great
success.
As the exam season approached,
every seat in the library was taken
in the evenings, as pupils chose
this as the place to study. They
worked in silence and there was
a mutual understanding between
them that this silence was to their
own advantage.
At other times of the year the
library can be a surprisingly
convivial place - with some pupils
playing on the chess sets, others
flicking through a magazine from
the shelves - but always a hive
of activity.
A View from the Library
By Josephine Barclay
Pupils visited Taunton Magistrates Courts. Back row: Lucy
O'Donnell, Ellie Cooke, Petra Harding, Kitty Grace, Callum
McPhee, Jennifer Stapleton, Sam Everard, Toby Bennett,
George Ferguson, Jamie Day and Sam Stickland. Front row:
Ed Denton, Elena Close, Charlie Collins and Freddie Cole
CAREERS
By Kirsty Davies
The Careers Department now has a separate
section in the library, which is often a handier
place for pupils to do the research on careers
of interest. Pupils have also enjoyed visits by
guest speakers to talk on a range of subjects,
including Gap Years, the Armed Forces and
Medicine, to name a few. We also welcomed
Michael Page International to King's, to host
workshops for 6.1 on CV writing, interview
techniques and social media, during the
Metamorphosis event in late June
Also, some members of the Fourth Form and
6.1 had the exciting opportunity to experience
a morning at the local magistrates' courts and
had a chance to meet the judges when they
visited King's.
JR Al Shimali and
Victoria Greenland
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