The library resource centre is centrally located and easily accessible to the whole school community. It is a well-lit and comfortable environment in which to work, read or browse through the latest books, magazines or newspapers.

The school library exists to serve the needs of the whole school community - to support effective curriculum delivery and to promote, support and enable reading for pleasure. With this in mind, we provide access to traditional and electronic resources, ensuring that the library is equipped to meet the needs of teachers and learners in the 21st century.

Resources

Currently the library holds approximately 10,000 fiction and information books. There are 1500 video and audio tapes, as well as periodicals, leaflets, pamphlets, maps, information packs and daily newspapers. Annual subscriptions are taken on fifteen journals.

The main book stock is divided into Fiction, Reference and Information sections. The fiction section is well stocked, with a wide range of both classic and contemporary titles. Books in this section, which can be borrowed, cater for both the younger and older teenagers, as well as adult readers. The information books cover a wide range of subject areas - both curricular and extra-curricular - and can all be borrowed. Books in this section are organised according to the Dewey Decimal Classification system - the popular system used by most libraries.The Reference section includes all books which are best kept permanently in the library. In this way, they are always available to library users. This section includes encyclopedias, dictionaries, atlases, year books, directories and extra large books in a variety of subject areas.

Students are encouraged to make use of all the resources for individual research and project work. The school is committed to the regular purchase of new titles and publications, and each year we add to several designated sections of the library. We are always happy to receive donations of books and other information material. 

Access

The library is open throughout the school day until 4.30pm. Students may use the library during their free time, and lunchtimes are always very busy. Teachers bring their classes to the library, for reading, research and project work. All students and staff have library cards, entitling them to borrow.

First Year students undergo a series of Library classes with the full-time Librarian during which they learn how the library is organised and how to find information using a variety of sources. There is a special emphasis on reading during the MS ReadaThon and while preparing for author visits. 

Computers

The library is computerised with internet access and approximately 150 CD-ROM titles. Each student, along with their parent / guardian, must sign an Internet Use in School form. There is help at hand for finding information of a general nature. Word processing, spreadsheet, database, presentation, and drawing applications are available. There are eleven computers in the library, all networked and including the library catalogue.

Library management is fully automated and we use the ALICE Secondary library management software system. This is a cataloguing, circulation and enquiry system that was specially designed for use in second-level schools, and is popular in many countries. A feature of this system is its ease of use, and all students learn to use the Enquiry feature.

In addition to computers, we have a scanner, a photocopier, colour printer and a facilities for showing films and powerpoint presentations. The library therefore serves as a resource centre, an information centre, a learning centre, a viewing centre and a production centre.