Towers Library makes books accessible in creative ways
With the myriad changes brought on by our COVID-19 reality, the Towers Library program has had to pivot to meet our patrons' needs.
To continue to fulfill our mandate of encouraging a thriving reading culture at SAC, we have come up with some creative ways to reach the boys. As a safety precaution, the school is maintaining cohorts as much as possible, which has seriously affected the "gathering place" appeal of the library that is enjoyed by so many. We are grateful that Upper School advisories, GLC, Writing Centre, and ACPlus are still running in our beautiful space.
In order to get the books into the boys' hands, we have decided to bring the books to them through the following ways:
MS Borrowing à la Amazon
Middle School boys make requests via email to the library staff or place a hold using our online catalogue. The books are then delivered to their homerooms, much to the boys' delight. I have even enjoyed the odd standing ovation when I arrived with a basket full of books, which always puts a huge smile in my heart.
US Borrowing
Upper School students do not benefit from the delivery system but are also putting in requests and then picking up their books from the front desk.
Pop-Up Library
On Wednesdays, as we head into the holiday season, we will be bringing a satellite library to Rogers Hall so Middle School boys can pick up a good book. The Upper School pop-up will be on Thursdays outside Cole Hall.
Online Magazines
This year, we delved into the world of e-reading through the Flipster app, accessible on the Towers Library website. Boys have access to all their old favourite titles right on their phones or laptops and can even download copies for reading offline.
eBooks
We are examining a trial subscription to SORA, an online reading platform that many public libraries use. Not only would this give students access to books from afar, but it would also integrate with our local library to expand the selection for the boys.
New Books and Advertising
We are constantly taking requests and bringing in new books each week to add to our collection. New titles are advertised via the Edsby Towers Library page and often through the school's social media channels.
Story by Melissa Ramon, P '27
Head Librarian & Canadian and World Studies Department
Back
To continue to fulfill our mandate of encouraging a thriving reading culture at SAC, we have come up with some creative ways to reach the boys. As a safety precaution, the school is maintaining cohorts as much as possible, which has seriously affected the "gathering place" appeal of the library that is enjoyed by so many. We are grateful that Upper School advisories, GLC, Writing Centre, and ACPlus are still running in our beautiful space.
In order to get the books into the boys' hands, we have decided to bring the books to them through the following ways:
MS Borrowing à la Amazon
Middle School boys make requests via email to the library staff or place a hold using our online catalogue. The books are then delivered to their homerooms, much to the boys' delight. I have even enjoyed the odd standing ovation when I arrived with a basket full of books, which always puts a huge smile in my heart.
US Borrowing
Upper School students do not benefit from the delivery system but are also putting in requests and then picking up their books from the front desk.
Pop-Up Library
On Wednesdays, as we head into the holiday season, we will be bringing a satellite library to Rogers Hall so Middle School boys can pick up a good book. The Upper School pop-up will be on Thursdays outside Cole Hall.
Online Magazines
This year, we delved into the world of e-reading through the Flipster app, accessible on the Towers Library website. Boys have access to all their old favourite titles right on their phones or laptops and can even download copies for reading offline.
eBooks
We are examining a trial subscription to SORA, an online reading platform that many public libraries use. Not only would this give students access to books from afar, but it would also integrate with our local library to expand the selection for the boys.
New Books and Advertising
We are constantly taking requests and bringing in new books each week to add to our collection. New titles are advertised via the Edsby Towers Library page and often through the school's social media channels.
Story by Melissa Ramon, P '27
Head Librarian & Canadian and World Studies Department
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