Finding good websites for school

How's your term going? By now you're probably super busy!

But don't forget the library has lots of things that might help you with your school work, including Oliver (and for you younger students, Olly).

Oliver is the school library catalogue and you can use it from anywhere you can access the internet - just go to the library page on the Harrow Thailand website and click the link.

One thing that's really useful about Oliver, is that we subscribe to a service which lets students and teachers find websites which have been specifically chosen to fit with areas they are studying. You can also do a Google or other kind of search (and I recommend that you do this too if you have time :)) but this is a great way of finding useful sites easily.

So... how do I do it? hmmm?
From Oliver:
1. Open the library catalogue click the OPAC search button (along the left hand side).
2. When this opens up click on the third tab (advanced).
3. Type your topic into the anywords box (eg myths, dogs, Oscar Wilde) and click on the online content button.
4. Press enter or click search.
5. You'll get a list of specially chosen web addresses just for your topic!
6. Click on the links to access the sites.

You'll need to click the back button to get back to your search as the links don't open in a separate window.

Better than Google, cos they're all chosen especially for school students!

New website links - The Victorians

As many of you are studying The Victorians this term, we have posted a list of (hopefully!)
useful weblinks on the library blog.

Scroll down the page to see them. They're on the right hand side at the very bottom.
We're here to help you with your research. So, if you haven't found what you need, please call in and see us.

Welcome back to Harrow!

Hi everyone!

Welcome back to all our new and returning pupils.
The library is here for all of the school community. If you'd like to come in and browse or ask for help finding books or information we'd love to see you. Teachers, parents and other family members can also borrow from the school library.

We have started class visits to the library, and you can also come by at lunch time and before and after school. We are open from 7.30 - 4pm.

The library staff are looking forward to seeing you all in the library soon!

New Library System

The Library has a new computer system called Oliver. Oliver is web based, meaning that it is easier for students, staff and teachers to access. All library users also have a username and password which allows them to renew books, reserve books, and check their library account. To learn your username and password, please contact library staff.



Netlibrary audio books and a set of curriculum linked websites are also loaded into Oliver and can be accessed by users.

Illustrator Visit

UK based children’s book illustrator Paul Geraghty visited Harrow this term. Students from Year 1 to Year 7 were entertained by Paul’s stories and his descriptions about how he comes up with the ideas for his books.

Being of South African origin, much of the inspiration for Paul’s books has been drawn from the animals and people of the African continent. He spoke wonderfully of the creatures he saw on moonlit nights around the waterhole, and how the animals outside his bedroom window inspired creativity within him.

Paul also discussed the creative process, and identified techniques that students could apply to their own creative work.

Some of these creatures came to life during the day, as the school was left with three startling illustrations: a frog, a dinosaur and an elephant. These illustrations will be hung around the school for viewing shortly.

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.