St Mary's Libraries
Library Mission Statement:
The libraries aim to be a resource that can be used by staff and students to support teaching, learning and research, as well as extend individuals both academically and personally by housing quality resources in welcoming facilities.
St Mary’s has three libraries which are open every day throughout term and house a variety of resources to entertain, support and stretch all our staff and students.
Both the Gabriel Library and the Oratory Library contain the fiction stock of St Mary’s, with the oak-panelled Oratory also holding current issues of periodicals and daily newspapers.
Bodington Library overlooks the lower sports pitches and houses the school’s non-fiction stock, with twenty two individual desk spaces for staff and students to work from.
In addition to the 22,000-plus books and an archive of periodicals, students also have access to audio books and online journal databases.
All three libraries have computerised self-issue circulation facilities and a library induction programme takes place every year for LIV Form, as well as additional information literacy lessons throughout a girl's academic career at St Mary's. Girls are encouraged to become broader readers by taking part in the Reading Odyssey, with certificates and distinctions being awarded each summer.
Reading for pleasure is developed further by regular author visits and literary related trips, such as our recent weekend trip to the Jane Austen Experience in Bath and visits to the Bath Kids' Lit Fest. The last few years have seen a plethora of writers talk to our girls, to answer their probing questions and lead us in our creative writing days including; Sarah Singleton, Jamila Gavin, Sam Enthoven, Alec Williams, Beth Webb, Rachel Ward, Jonathan Stroud, Julia Green, Sarah Webb, Lauren Oliver, Steve Voake, Michael Morpurgo, Cathy Hopkins, Nicola Morgan, Ellen Renner and we look forward to welcoming more in the coming months!
Miss Charlotte Smith
