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Library Online Services: our virtual library

The Dixie Grammar School

Library Services

The libraries at The Dixie Grammar School have a developing range of resources and services to support teaching and learning, and also to extend the curriculum.

In addition to our physical libraries, our Librarian has created “Library Online Services”, a collection of digital and web-based resources.

1) Staffing Professional Librarian: Anne Robinson, MA, MA SLA School Librarian of the Year 2005. These are some of the things that I do: manage the resources, services and facilities in the libraries at the Junior and

Senior Schools. plan and deliver Information Literacy lessons, inductions for students and staff,

INSET, reading development, ICT skills development and extra-curricular activities in collaboration with staff.

manage and develop our range of online and digital resources, Library Online Services.

work full-time—8.15-5.15. Email: library@dixie.org.uk Telephone ext: 225

2) Library Online http://library-online.org.uk Library Online is the main website for our libraries at DGS. It is the hub for all of our online activities. If you look down the left side of the

homepage, you will see the logo for Library Online Services and a list of all of the social media and other sites that we use, such as Twitter, Netvibes, YouTube, Facebook and so on—more about these later. The homepage is a news feed of all kinds of information—about our libraries, new books, lessons in the library, guides and reports, and lots more.

Library Online Services: The Dixie Grammar School’s

Virtual Library

At the top you will see links to the main sections: About—pages about The Dixie Grammar School and its Librarian. Our Libraries—pages about our libraries, library guides and reports, book

requests, calendar of bookings and Student Helpers. Online Resources—our subscription databases are linked from this secure page

(password available) - more about these later. Reading—pages with book trailers, our Reading ChAllange for Years 6 to 8, our

Reading is Fun Wiki, the Carnegie Medal, and reading ideas. Research—pages with downloadable presentations, “How-to” resources, links to

our Research Guides. If you explore the site you will find a wealth of information about the development of our libraries, the public library services in Leicestershire and Warwickshire, books and reading, research and information skills, with lots of general news updates.

3) Research Guides on LibGuides http://library-online.libguides.com I can collect and organise a range of evaluated websites to support virtually any curriculum subject. These are then made into a Research

Guide on our LibGuides platform with YouTube videos, information about suitable books, downloadable materials, rolling website feeds and so on. Research Guides can then be used 24/7 in school or at home; in the Library, lab or classroom; as a lesson starter, a homework guide, for research skills teaching or simply as a place to put lists of favourite links. If you have a look at the main page, you will see that I have made a basic guide for most subject departments, others are works in progress. The rest of the guides listed have been made to support classes from Year 6 to the Sixth Form. Please talk to me if you would like me to make a Research Guide for any topic—I need a few weeks notice as they take a while to get right. I love working on them though, so please ask!

4) Online Subscription Databases We now have a series of superb online subscription databases available for use by staff and students:

Credo Reference History Study Center

Curriculum Visions (Junior School) Philip Allan Archives

Essential Articles Science Reference Center

Guardian and Observer Digital Archive

These are suitable for a range of subjects. More may be added during the year—please ask me for access details and training. If you would like the Library to subscribe to any other online resources, please ask. If you are a member of the public library, then you will be able to access an extensive range of online resources. There is a link to these from our website, Library Online.

5) Reading is Fun! Wiki http://library-online.pbworks.com I also utilise technology to encourage reading. All students in Years 6 to 8 have access to our Reading is Fun wiki which enables them to create pages where they can write about their reading, share their favourite books and add helpful comments to each others pages. There is also a range of information pages with book suggestions, downloadable resources and instructions for how to use the wiki. Teaching staff are welcome to have a look, please ask me for access to the wiki and I will do the rest!

6) Social Media and other websites Our Library Service has accounts with the following sites which enables me to model responsible and appropriate use of social media: Diigo: Links to recommended websites

http://www.diigo.com/user/library-online Facebook:

http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Dixie-Grammar-School-Library/138446669526299?sk=wall

Flickr: Photos of the libraries as they develop http://www.flickr.com/photos/library-online/

Issuu: Our publications for you to download http://issuu.com/libraryonline/docs

LibraryThing: Our online book catalogue http://www.librarything.com/catalog/LibraryOnline/yourlibrary

Netvibes: Our news services from the UK, France, Germany, China http://www.netvibes.com/library-online

Prezi: Our presentations http://prezi.com/user/x64r8n6po0rg/

SlideShare: Our presentations and publications http://www.slideshare.net/LibraryOnline

Twitter: http://twitter.com/Library_Online

YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/user/LibraryOnline

7) Other Digital and Online Resources:

Audio books: we have access to Listening Books which enables us to stream or download audio books for students who have an illness, disability or special educational need. The books can be accessed at home or at school via a PC or laptop, or downloaded to portable devices such as iPods or MP3 players. Please ask me for more details.

Ebooks: we are trialling some ebook platforms at the moment with a view to subscribing if any of these prove to be suitable for our needs.

DVDs: purchased to support the curriculum, please suggest new titles. Presentations: I have made several covering a range of topics including Internet

searching, creating bibliographies and citing sources. These are available from the main Library Online site.

8) Library ICT Facilities Michael Parker Library: 6 laptops for student and staff use: part of the school network. 1 laptop for use as an OPAC (the Library’s catalogue of resources). Colour laser printer. Headphones and mice for use with the laptops. Floor sockets for use with electrical equipment. Drop-down screen and projector. Kobo ereader and iPod Touch. Junior School Library: The library itself does not have ICT facilities as we are able to use the ICT Room on the same floor.

9) Information Literacy Skills Research and Study Skills: I offer support with teaching research and study skills such as planning research, locating and evaluating information, citing sources, avoiding

plagiarism and creating bibliographies. I am happy to plan a lesson or set of lessons with teaching staff to be delivered in the Library using our resources and facilities, or help to create materials to be used in the classroom. All teaching resources that I create are downloadable from the Library Online website. Anne M Robinson, MA, MA, Librarian

The Dixie Grammar School, Library Services 2013