|
The library is an information hub for the whole College
community. In the traditional manner, it harnesses resources
- both physical and electronic - to support teaching and
learning at all levels, and provides for the recreational
reading needs of pupils and staff.
The library has moved beyond its core remit into a wider
role as manager of institution-wide information. Librarians
manage the school website, intranet and extranet, coordinating
the organisation of content from the whole community. This
involves handling material in a range of formats, from simple
text to rich multimedia. The library has taken a leading
role in making this information accessible to pupils, staff,
parents and alumni according to their different needs. It
is a key partner in the strategy to build on this accessibility
through the implementation of an online learning platform.
The library extranet is accessible anytime, anywhere, via
the internet. With an online catalogue at its heart it also
includes reviews, reading lists, and other book-related
news. Its portal of web site links, arranged by curricular
subjects, is accessed around the world. The library is pioneering
the use of emerging web technologies for cooperative working
and communication, including the use of wikis, blogs and
news feeds. The library staff play an important part in
supporting colleagues and pupils in their use of ICT.
As information professionals we can supply expertise in
managing information; as librarians we see our primary role
as facilitators, working towards building a community of
teachers and learners who can organise, use and publish
electronic information with confidence.
|
|
The school benefits from having information specialists
closely involved in planning and organising the way in which
teaching resources and organisational knowledge are both
managed.
Pupils benefit from the information handling skills
which they develop, and their active involvement in web
publishing across the whole range of co-curricular activities
promotes a strong sense of ownership of the school's online
environment.
The library benefits from the high profile it has
across the whole community, and from the perception that
the librarians have valuable expertise to share.
|
![[back to HMC home page]](../smlogo.gif){kind=small}
