Welcome to St Catherine’s Senior School Library where ‘reading for pleasure’ and independent learning through purposeful private study are simultaneously encouraged by the large number of books available for loan and reference use. There is also a collection of hard-copy magazines, as well as online Library resources available to students through our online Library system, ‘Oliver’. The librarian is always happy to receive book recommendations and reservation requests, and provide support in finding information.
Highlights in the Library calendar include ‘Book Week’, celebrating literature in all its diverse forms throughout the school, and the Librarians’ Literary lectures, a joint venture with the prep. School promoting books and authors to the pupils, thereby extending their ‘reading for pleasure’ choices.
The Library is open 7 days a week and staffed by the Senior School Librarian from 8:30-5.30pm Monday -Friday. Pupils can borrow up to six books for 3 weeks. The Library is available to Day Girls after school for homework.
Do come and visit the library to see the resources available to the pupils whilst at St Catherine’s.
Our suggested reading lists for current parents can be found here.
Equality, Diversity and Inclusion.
The Library aims to support the whole St. Catherine’s School community by providing a space that is inclusive and in which all feel valued and respected. Collection development aims to create a diverse collection across both fiction and non-fiction, ensuring pupils feel that themselves, their lives, and the lives of those in the wider world around them are reflected in their reading. Pupils are also reminded of the power of reading in supporting empathy, understanding and respect, through Library collections, displays and events. We welcome suggestions for new books and feedback on our current collection from our community.
We celebrated Book Week in the Senior School this year with the theme “Reading inspires me ..”. Teachers shared books they found inspiring, and World Book Day brought fun and laughter as girls were inspired to dress as their favourite characters from fiction.
For our second Librarian's Literary Lecture this year girls from years UII, LIII, U3 and L4 enjoyed hearing from Onjali Q Raúf MBE, author of ‘The boy at the Back of the Class’ a work inspired by her experience of the plight of refugees.
