Library
The Team
The Library is staffed by a professional librarian, and part-time library assistants and runs with the help of student librarians.
Opening Hours
The library is open 8.30am - 4:30pm, including break time and lunch time.
Facilities
Alongside the library’s 11,000 fiction, non-fiction and reference books, there are desktop computers, iPads, printers and photocopying facilities. There is a quiet area with soft seating for reading and a Sixth Form study space upstairs.
Reading Cloud
All students can search the online library catalogue: Reading Cloud. They can also log in to see their current and past loans, review books and set up reading lists.
Non-fiction stock
The library has a large collection of non-fiction books on all topics, with many especially selected to support and accompany curriculum areas. Students can use Reading Cloud to search for useful books. We use the Be Alert acronym to aid students research skills.
Fiction stock
We stock a wide range of fiction and non-fiction books to support students’ reading for pleasure. Our collection caters for all tastes and abilities, including graphic novels, manga, and shorter books for reluctant readers. Our team strive to find the perfect book for every student. We have books by popular authors and we are always open to stock suggestions from our students. We have funny books, horror books, Classics and more!
Any student can ask for help finding a book, from a member of staff.
Wellbeing
We are particularly proud to be part of the whole school focus on student wellbeing – an inclusive and supportive space, students can be themselves in the LRC. Our Shelf Help selection of books covers topics such as bereavement, mental health, online safety and exam stress. Simply search these topics on the library catalogue, visit the shelf help section or contact library Staff.
Events
The library is regularly involved in local, national, and international events to celebrate books and reading, including World Book Day, Storytelling Week, the Staffordshire Young Teen Fiction Prize and the National Reading Champions Quiz. Students will be informed via morning briefing notes and Satchel One about what is taking place to celebrate books, reading and libraries!
A KES student is a reading student
All students at King Edward VI School, Lichfield are encouraged to become life long readers. The library helps support this by creating challenges and activities throughout the school years, including:
- Year 6 – Visits to the library on Transition Day and the King Edward VI Summer Reading Challenge, for students to complete the summer before their first term here
- Year 7 – Book Buzz and the A-Z Reading Challenge, beginning in January and lasting until the end of the first year. Year 7 students are invited to apply to be a Student Librarian, assisting in the library during break and lunch with library tasks such as displays, shelving, stock selection and library promotions and events
- Year 7 - Students also have a library lesson, per half term to ensure they have the key skills to navigate the library resources and successfully retrieve information
- Year 8 – All Year 8 students take part in Accelerated Reader, a programme which enables students to choose their own reading books and encourages regular reading to improve their reading level across the year
- Year 9 – Students use an online vocabulary and grammar learning tool called Bedrock
Students across all years and subjects have research lessons in the library and are supported to access authoritative and reliable information from a variety of resources.
Sixth Form Use
Our Library is the ideal place for 6th form students to explore their chosen subjects further.
There is a specific private study area exclusively for sixth form, specialist collections of books and periodicals aimed at specific sixth form courses, as well as online subscriptions.
