LRC User Guidance

Welcome to the Learning Resources Centre, the heart of the Howard.  Please click here for the LRC Guidelines.

School Librarian:  Mrs Cornish. LRC@thehoward.thpt.org.uk

Opening times:  8am - 4pm

The LRC acts like a third space at The Howard of Effingham School, linking home and school with the focus on an academic space, a pastoral space and a reading space.

Students and staff can use it as an area to study with individual study tables, computer spaces and areas to relax.

The silent reading area offers students a quiet area to enjoy reading for pleasure and progress.

The relaxed reading area offers more comfortable seating (including beanbags for special occasions such as book clubs), where students can share what they are reading in a more relaxed setting.

During breaks the group study tables can also be used for card games such as Top Trumps and board games such as Scrabble, chess and draughts.

The computer area can be used for homework, project research and school sanctioned study websites such as BBC Bitesize, Hegarty Maths and Linguascope.

The big table is used for lunchtime clubs such as crafts and tournaments.

During study periods the LRC is a quiet focused space with no talking and we ask students to respect this.  Priority is given to sixth form students during lesson time.  Students who wish to work in groups should use the Cyber Cafe or the Sixth Form common room.

During breaks the LRC space is more active with mixed year groups from upper and lower school and sixth form students are encouraged to have a screen break and refreshments as well as to use this time to socialise in the sixth form common room.

GUIDELINES

At break and lunchtime KS3 and KS4 students may use the LRC with a maximum number according to the available seats.

Students may:

• browse, borrow and return books
• purchase stationery and collect stationery orders
• play games such as chess, Scrabble and Top Trumps on the 4-seater tables and giant chess on the benches
• study and complete homework on the individual study tables and PCs
• participate in clubs and tournaments
• read in the silent reading and relaxed reading areas
• use the printer/copier

What can I borrow from the LRC?

• 3 books for 3 weeks
• 1 DVD/audio CD for 1 week
• text book loans are unlimited and for the school year

Please note that reference books are not available for loan but you are welcome to use them in the LRC.

What can I borrow from the digital platform?

• 2 e-books for 2 weeks
• 2 audio books for 2 weeks

Don't go overdue - renew!  You will receive 1 email saying your book is due back, and 2 overdue emails in your school account before the School Librarian will contact your Year Manager.  Please discuss any queries about loans with the School Librarian or renew your book yourself by logging onto your Accessit account.

Lost and damaged books - please note you will be charged a replacement fee for all lost and damaged books.  This is normally the replacement cost noted on the library system.  However, you may discuss replacing items with a good quality second hand copy with the School Librarian if appropriate.

Please log into Accessit, our Library Management System and ePlatform, our digital service for information about the resources we have available and your account information.

Donations

The Howard LRC warmly welcomes donations from parents and the local community which can be brought to the School Reception bagged/boxed and labelled for the LRC.  We welcome good quality fiction books for children and young adults and non-fiction books to support the secondary school syllabus.  Magazines and specialist newspapers would be interesting for the students, especially back copies of BBC publications.

We also welcome board games, card games etc for the students to enjoy at break such as Top Trumps, Rubiks cubes, chess and Scrabble.

Our craft club welcomes donations of coloured card, old greetings cards and crafting bric a brac for projects such as library displays and bunting.

Over the years we have been grateful to receive items as diverse as bottles that became a greenhouse in the LRC Secret Garden, new book stock which has filled our library shelves and delighted our readers, and foreign newspapers which we have shared with the languages department.