End of Term One

It's been an exciting first term in the library. We've given away copies of The Lost Symbol and Dog Days, as well as tickets to New Moon. There was a wild and wacky prizegiving for the 2010 Guinness Book of Records, when Orhan proved he really could eat a plate of dried weetbix in 2 minutes, and Rubik's Cube proved no match for the incredible Pasa!


Next term there will be a small scale film festival in the library, showcasing student and Thai films. World Book Day is also not far away - this year we will have a 'Space' theme in the library, with a number of linked events occuring throughout the school.

Library Activities

Mrs Soriano has been very busy with student activities during lunchtimes in the Primary library this term. Apart from the regular book reading and borrowing, students have been happily engaged with film and drawing clubs. Both draw a large crowd, with the library often filled to capacity! The books that have been created in the drawing club are outstanding, with many students demonstrating high levels of creativity. The finished products will be displayed next term in the library.

Competition Winners

The winners were announced this week for the library’s first contest of the year. Ploy (SO11) and Yanin (7H) each won a copy of Dan Brown’s new book ‘The Lost Symbol’. Both students correctly answered three questions about previous Dan Brown books. Well done girls!

There will be more chances to win in the library this term with contests for the latest Wimpy Kid book, the 2010 Guinness Book of Records and for a chance to go and see the next movie in the Twilight series.

Welcome Back!

After a wonderful break, the library is open again for the new school year.

There are piles of brand new books to read - old favourites like Tintin, even more Darren Shan and new editions of Stephen King.

Come in and visit the library. Parents are welcome at any time, and I love seeing students at break time and after school. The more books that get borrowed, the happier I am!

Library hours are 7.30am - 4pm Monday to Friday. An announcement will be made about Saturday openings soon.

P.S. Have a look at Literature Map. It's a great way to find someone who writes like your favourite author.

Project Gutenberg

Project Gutenberg is a site that offers free access to e-books. Mostly classic texts, they offer users the chance to read a Jane Austen novel or a Sherlock Holmes short story direct from the computer. You can print out the books if you wish.

As an added bonus, some of the books have an accompanying audio version, meaning that you can read and listen at the same time, which is great for anyone reading in a second language.

Gutenberg is free, and available by clicking the link above, or the listing on the side of the page.

Saturday Morning Opening

Good news! The library will now be open on Saturday mornings from 8am until 12noon. Students, parents, teachers and other Harrow affiliates are welcome to use the library during this time, when Mrs Soriano will be on deck.

You can borrow books, read the newspaper, bring the family, do some study, or just sit down and read the latest novel!

Britannica Online and Other Electronic Resources

The Library subscribes to a number of electronic resources. These include Britannica Online, EBSCO and Issues Online, all of which are accessible both in school or at home.

Britannica Online is basically what is suggested in the title: an online version of Encyclopaedia Britannica. The online version is arranged into class levels, meaning that students will find information appropriate for their age. This is an advantage over Wikipedia, which isn't organized according to age group.

EBSCO is a database that makes available articles from academic and popular magazines. At the top end, it is useful for Secondary students preparing for university, where they will be required to use similar databases. But it is also offers a more organized and authoritative alternative to regular search engines for younger students. It is also arranged into year levels.

Issues Online provides online access to articles about topical issues, such as internet use, bullying and racism. The articles provide points of view on both sides of the issue. This is a useful resource for students doing work on projects that require deeper insight.

Britannica Online can be accessed through the school intranet. Links to EBSCO and Issues Online are available on the links at the side of the page - they do however require passwords, which are available by contacting the librarian.

Web Portal

Here is a link to Intute, a site that collects useful pages from the web in one place. It is UK based, and has a great deal of useful information for curriculum areas that are taught at Harrow.

Donation From Parents of Japanese Students

At the last Friends of Harrow meeting, the library was presented with 91 new books donated by the parents of Japanese students.

The parents had raised the money for the books from a stall at the Harrow Fair. I am extremely grateful that they then selected the library as a beneficiary of their hard work - the books will add tremendously to the richness and diversity of the library collection. So, a million thanks to the parents for being so generous for providing the library and its users with access to the best possible resources.

There are a range of titles, from non-fiction texts about Japan and Japanese life, to Shakespeare and classic English literature, to modern Japanese fiction and picture books in translation. It's all wonderful stuff!

Some of the books are pictured above. The rest will be available to all students in the library in the coming weeks.

World Book Week

World Book Week 2009 was a fantastic experience in the library. Students and parents loved the Arabian tent erected in the library, the slightly gruesome story of Ali Baba, the performance of Arabian Nights by talented drama students (and the chocolates that went along with all of it!).

The Primary School had an exciting week too, incorporating Book and Art Week together. The result was some great stories and some high quality illustrations of favourite book characters. Some of these will be on display from the middle of this week.

The dress-up day in Primary was also a hit - apart from one slightly dodgy Mr Twit who kept appearing in the oddest places and saying the strangest things! And who was that giant animal cavorting around the school?

The book fair was also a success. Personally, it is magical to see so many students excited by books - browsing, buying, touching, smelling and talking about them. Long may it continue.

Borrow-a-book Day

World Book Day on Thursday, March 5th, has been selected as Borrow-a-book Day at Harrow International School library.

On that day, we would like as many people as possible to come to the library and borrow a book - students, teachers, administration staff, parents, management - especially those who haven't borrowed a book in a long time.

Bring your classes. Bring yourself. Come and (re)discover the magic of books!

Welcome to Harrow International School Library

The library is located next to the clock tower at the beginning of the walkway. Students, staff and parents are welcome in the library Monday to Friday, from 7.30am until 4pm. Come in and visit!

This Term in the Library

Everyone in the library is looking forward to Book Week in the first week of March. Highlights include the Book Fair which will be on Wednesday, March 4th and Thursday, March 5th. There will be up to twelve different book suppliers along the walkway from first thing in the morning until 4pm. Parents and families are welcome!

The library will also be decorated in an exotic theme, with special events happening at lunch time each day. On World Book Day (Thursday, March 5th) primary students will come to school dressed up as favourite characters.