Learning Resource Centre

"Our mission is to enable all students to be confident, independent users of the Library. We aim to support their learning needs by providing access to appropriate books and resources in order to prepare them to succeed in their futures."

“Our mission is to enable all students to become confident, independent users of the LRC. We aim to support their learning needs by providing access to appropriate books and e-resources, preparing them to succeed in their futures.”

Our qualified School Librarian, Mr. Evans, manages the Learning Resource Centre (LRC), which houses over 8,000 physical books and over 500 eBooks in our online collection, known as VLeBooks. The LRC also offers computers for students to use in their studies. Furthermore, a Zen Room is available for Sixth Form students to use as a study area during lessons and as a relaxation space during social time.

Students can use the LRC during social time for the following activities:

Reading
Completing homework
Studying
Drawing
Reviewing for exams
Playing board games

Opening Hours

The LRC is open to students and staff during the following times throughout the term:
Mondays: 8:00 am to 4:15 pm
Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays: 8:00 am to 4:00 pm
Fridays: 8:30 am to 4:15 pm

Clubs

We also run the following clubs in the LRC for all Year 7 to 11 students:

Homework Club
Podcast Club
Board Games, Warhammer, and Dungeons & Dragons Club
Reading Groups (Following the Carnegie Medals in Writing & Illustrations, Scholastic Laugh Out Loud Book Awards, and School Library Association Information Book Awards).

For updated club days and times, you can find information on the club page on the LRC website: https://sites.google.com/view/abbeyfieldlrc/clubs

Loan Allowance

Students can borrow the following number of books from the LRC at any one time:

Year 7 to 9: 3 books
Year 10 & 11: 4 books
Year 12 & 13: 6 books

Student book loans are for 4 school weeks. The due date will be extended if the book(s) are issued towards the end of the term. All students can renew their books if they present them to Mr. Evans, LRC Student Leaders, or renew online using the school LRC management system (Libresoft Librarian +). Students can renew their books up to 2 times before returning the book, or if the book is requested by another user. Students will receive automated email reminders via their school email address when their books are overdue.

Any student with overdue books cannot borrow more books from the LRC until the previous books are returned. If a student damages or loses any books, they must replace them. Additionally, some of our fiction books are not accessible to younger students. However, if you feel your child is okay to read these books, they can obtain a permission letter to access these books from Mr. Evans, the school librarian in the LRC.

VLeBooks eBook Collection

The school also has access to a large eBook Library Collection via our service provider called VLeBooks. The collection contains a mixture of fiction and non-fiction eBooks that students can access online on their computer, tablet, or mobile device. Students will need an account to access the eBook Library Collection. They can log into VleBooks using their school email address and PC password via Microsoft 365. Year 9 students and above will have access to all the eBooks on VLeBooks. However, if your child is in Year 7 and 8, they will not have access to our fiction Advanced Readers eBooks, as these are aimed at Year 9 students and above. If you are happy for your child to access these eBooks, they can obtain an Advanced Readers parent/carers permission letter from Mr. Evans in the LRC. Once you have signed your child's permission slip, please have them return it to Mr. Evans. Your child will then have access to the Advanced Readers eBooks. For more information about VLeBooks, click on the link below: https://sites.google.com/view/abbeyfieldlrc/vlebooks-help-zone

LRC Catalogue

Students can also access the school LRC catalogue via the school LRC management system: Libresoft Librarian +. Students can log into their LRC student account using their Microsoft 365 School Account details. Parents & Guardians can access a basic version of the school LRC catalogue from the LRC catalogue home page.

{Embedded the school LRC Catalogue home page here: https://apps.libresoft.co.uk/8654000-xovyqmdsf87q53bus6qw-as/}

E-Resources

Students have access to a number of E-Resources available through the school LRC site home page: https://sites.google.com/view/abbeyfieldlrc/home

This Week Junior: Online weekly news magazines for Year 7, 8, and 9 students.
Newspaper for Schools: Online newspaper article search database containing newspaper articles from National and Local newspapers from 2006 to the current day.
Issues Online: Provides students with a safe, reliable place to explore today’s most important social issues. It contains hundreds of articles, infographics, videos, assignment ideas, and eBooks on topics ranging from human rights and domestic violence to drugs and alcohol.
Britannica What On Earth!: A new magazine for children with curious minds. Each issue is packed with facts, knowledge, figures, quizzes, puzzles, jokes, and much more.

Reading for Pleasure:

At Abbeyfield School, we promote a culture of reading for pleasure, encouraging students to read books they enjoy. We also have a reading for pleasure policy to support and promote reading throughout the school.

We encourage parents and guardians to support their child's reading by valuing reading themselves, prompting their child to remember their books each day, and encouraging them to read at home for at least 10 minutes a day.

There is a range of websites to help your child with their reading selections:

Books for Keeps (Children Online Book Magazine): http://booksforkeeps.co.uk/

Book Trust Bookfinder: https://www.booktrust.org.uk/books-and-reading/bookfinder/

DC Kids Comics (Online DC Comics): https://www.dckids.com/

Marvel HQ (Online Marvel Comics): https://www.marvelhq.com/comics

Lovereading4kids (Reading Website): https://www.lovereading4kids.co.uk/

Project Gutenberg (Free eBooks): http://www.gutenberg.org/

We also provide reading lists and reading support information for parents and guardians on the school LRC website: https://sites.google.com/view/abbeyfieldlrc/parents-and-guardians-reading-advice-and-resources

If you have any questions regarding reading choices, please feel free to contact the school librarian (Mr. Evans) via email at library@abbeyfield.wilts.sch.uk, or for reading support, contact your child's English teacher via their school email address.

Events, Projects and Competitions

The LRC also hosts a number of events and competitions throughout the school year, for example:

Book Fair
World Book Week
Carnegie Shadowing
Creative Writing Competitions
Author Talks

Volunteering in the LRC

All Year 7 to 11 students can volunteer in the LRC during break and lunchtime as LRC Leaders, assisting Mr. Evans with various tasks:

Tidying and shelving books
Helping students make full use of the LRC e-resources
Issuing, Returning, and Renewing books for students and staff
Book stock work or creating a display
Running clubs and events
Supporting students with reading recommendations

The students are supported via our LRC Leaders training program, which involves hands-on training and online learning modules. Previous LRC Leaders have also had significant success in winning the UK Pupil Library Assistant of the Year Awards in 2020 and 2023.

Sixth Form students are more than welcome to help out with any clubs or volunteer in the LRC as well.

More Information

For further information about the LRC, please visit the school LRC website at: https://sites.google.com/view/abbeyfieldlrc/home