Miles Kington OG opens the new Reading Room

The College Library
is housed in a beautiful building in the middle of Front Quad - right at the heart of the College. It was built as a memorial to the eleven Old Glenalmonds who were killed in the Boer War. Officially opened in 1906, it was designed by local Perth architect, A.G. Heiton.

Reading Room
On the ground floor, the Reading Room houses over 2,000 works of fiction as well as over 1,000 junior non-fiction books, 800 classical CDs, a collection of audiobooks, videos and DVDs. Magazines and newspapers, covering a wide range of topics, are provided.

Computers
There are six networked computers. Pupils can access the Internet, use the library's CD Roms and work with the usual Microsoft Office applications. A scanner, a printer and photocopying facilities are available for pupil use. In addition, a wireless network point enables pupils to access the resources of the College network via their laptops in any part of the building.

Sixth Form Library
The Sixth Form Library, so called because of the books it contains, is maintained as a quiet study area for all pupils. Juniors may access this room during their free time to work quietly and it is heavily used by Sixth Formers during their study lessons. The Library is very well resourced with around 15,000 books to support the Sixth Form teaching. There is a reference section containing the usual encyclopaedias and dictionaries and a complete set of UK university and college prospectuses.

Although the majority of the books in the Sixth Form Library are up to date and reflect the current curriculum, it is important to recognise the fact that there has been a Library in some form at Glenalmond since its foundation in 1847. A small number of older books are, therefore, kept in the Library in order to preserve this important heritage.

Reading Challenge | Recommended Read | New Books | Exam Revision links | Staff

GLENALMOND PERSONAL READING CHALLENGE

The Glenalmond Personal Reading Challenge is designed to encourage and reward personal reading. Pupils in junior entry and third form will begin their bronze award and can go onto silver and gold as they move up the school.

The bronze award is achieved by reading eight books, two of which have to be non fiction and can therefore reflect the pupil’s own interests. Pupils will be presented with a certificate that celebrates their achievement at assembly.

There is no doubt that the child who reads – succeeds! The challenge has been enthusiastically tackled by one third form this term and will be available to all pupils from Michaelmas 2005 onwards.

All pupils are expected to gain at least a Bronze Award by the end of their first year at Glenalmond. Thereafter, they will have the opportunity to work towards the Silver and Gold Awards which are increasingly demanding. The Gold award for example is reached by reading ten books, one of which must be by a pre-twentieth century author and two of which must be connected by a theme.

The Challenge has been set up by the English Department in conjunction with the Library to encourage and promote reading for pleasure amongst pupils; to encourage pupils to read a variety of different styles of literature; and to establish a lifelong enjoyment of reading amongst all pupils.

Pupils whose first language is not English and those with Special Educational Needs, such as dyslexia, may use Audiobooks, abridged or easy readers in consultation with their English teacher.

This initiative is being supported by all House Staff and reading suggestions will be posted in Houses. If you would like to look at some of the reading lists, please click here. It must be stressed, however, that these are only suggestions as the choice of books to be read is very much a personal one for each pupil.

The pupils will be responsible for logging each book they read by obtaining the signature of their English teacher or the librarian. They will have a chat about their book before gaining this signature. The scheme has been specially devised to avoid lengthy book reviews and written assignments as it is designed to promote extra reading outside the classroom and the reading will be over and above the prescribed textbooks used throughout the curriculum.

Teaching staff can also become involved in the challenge by advising pupils on non fiction books that may interest them and enhance their subject e.g. a physics teacher may recommend a biography on Einstein which would count as one of the non fiction books required for Bronze.

There are some very good websites about children’s books, for example, www.achuka.co.uk. In addition, many authors have their own websites.

Link to Reading Suggestions
(not yet live)

A "Recommended Read" section has been added - visit for a synopsis of this month's choice!

If you would like more information about the library or any of the books mentioned, please e-mail or write to me at Glenalmond College, PH1 3RY.

Reading Challenge | Recommended Read | New Books | Exam Revision links | Staff

Staff

Librarian

• Mrs Elaine Mundill MA Dip Lib MCILI

Library Assistant

Reading Challenge | Recommended Read | New Books | Exam Revision links | Staff

The Recommended Read

Alone on a Wide Wide Sea by Michael Morpurgo

Alone on a Wide Wide Sea is the latest book by former Children’s Laureate, Michael Morpurgo.  Written for teenagers, it is a book of two parts and the first part at least is gripping and compelling.  It tells the story of the orphan, Arthur, who is shipped off to Australia just after the Second World War, when he is six years old, leaving behind a sister who he can only dimly remember.  The only clue he has to his origins is a key.  The story of his childhood and early adulthood in Australia is brutal in parts and Arthur has many struggles and difficulties to overcome.  His story is exciting, interesting and it certainly keeps you reading.

The theme of Arthur’s love for the sea and for sailing runs throughout his story and it is this theme which is explored in greater detail in the second part of the book.  However, this is a story that would appeal to anyone – not just lovers of the sea.   It is interesting from a historical point of view - such “banishments” of children really did take place and are described in an author’s note at the end.  Arthur is a likeable character with whom the reader can easily sympathise.  If it has a flaw it is that the second part is less compelling than the first but it all ties together well at the end.

Thoroughly recommended for adults as well as teenagers.

EM

AS & A2

Revisionworld.com - a new revision site for GCSE and A levels

E Mundill, Librarian