ABOUT OUR LIBRARY

• Open every school day from 8.30am-4.00pm
• The library has about 9,000 books: approx. 2,500 fiction and 6,500 non-fiction.
  
• There is one dedicated library catalogue computer (although you can access the library catalogue from any computer by going to the school website and clicking the Students or Staff portal, then Oliver catalogue)
  
• Nine networked computers providing internet access, most at individual study carrel desks
  
• One small meeting room - the Library Pod - with networked computer and interactive whiteboard. Used by reading groups, the student librarian team and for careers interviews, tutorials and presentations - ask your teacher if you wish to book it.
  
• Magazines such as BBC Music, Modern Painters and Rugby World
  
• 20+ journals supporting the curriculum at GCSE and A Level, such as Economic Review, New Scientist, Poetry Review  and several language titles – many also available online via school library subscription
  
• The Times and I daily newspapers, plus all the weekly local news via the Express & Echo, Pulman’s and the Midweek Herald
  
• Several computer programs such as Solidworks, Missionmaker, Autograph and ProDesktop can be borrowed on memory stick/USB to download
• The careers library contains information on careers, gap years, apprenticeships, job applications and CVs. We also stock prospectuses from every university in the UK, and specialist books such as how to get into medical school, vet school, Oxbridge and advice on taking various university entrance exams
• Full colour copier/printer
• We also sell a comprehensive range of stationery to students at cost price

STUDENT LIBRARIANS
The aim of the student librarian team is to organise and run book-related events in school, which promote reading for pleasure.

The team is led by the school librarian, Mrs Burns-Price, along with a group of Sixth Form 'Library Ambassadors', whose role is to support and guide the younger student librarians in all their activities.

Please click on the 'Meet the Student Team' link above to see who is involved.

'What Staff Read' is exactly what it says - interviews conducted by the student librarians, where they ask staff questions such as "When did you learn to read?", "What was your favourite book as a child?" and "What have you been reading recently?".  We plan to update this regularly with more interviews.

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The fiction reading area and library 'Pod' (small tutorial/meeting room)

A SELECTION OF 2016-17 LIBRARY DISPLAYS AND ACTIVITIES

SUMMER 2017

June: Carnegie Medal


The Carnegie book shadowing group hosted a ‘voting party’ for this year’s Carnegie Medal Award on Tuesday 13 June 2017, which was attended by a group of eleven Y5&6 pupils from Colyton Primary School, who came with two of their teachers.

After hearing Colyton Primary School pupils’ creative ‘tweet’ reviews of ‘Sputnik’s Guide to Life on Earth’ by Frank Cottrell Boyce, the members of CAKE club, which is run by Sixth Formers, presented some very honest reviews of the books they had read, finally voting ‘Salt to the Sea’ by Ruta Sepetys the group’s favourite.

When talking about Salt to the Sea, Johana P in Year 7 said, “I became very involved with the characters, who followed me in my dreams, greatly inspired me, and changed my view on the world. I would eat my hat if I came across someone who didn’t enjoy Salt to the Sea!”.

The winner of the Carnegie Medal Award is announced towards the end of June each year at a ceremony in London. The full 2017 shortlist can be found here and Colyton’s book review page can be found here.

By Megan T, Student Reporter

UPDATE: The winner of the 2017 Carnegie Medal was announed on Monday 19 June 2017 - click here to read all about it.

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SPRING TERM 2017

February: Valentines reading display . . .

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March: Year 8 Volcanoes display . . .




Maths 'Pi Day' on 14 March . . .

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AUTUMN TERM 2016

Towards the end of term we promoted reading for pleasure with 'Mystery Christmas Readers'

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Also - students decorated the library tree with baubles naming "The book that would make my Christmas complete".

One bauble was chosen at random and the winner received their nominated book as a prize.

As a by-product, the library also received a list of recommended books to buy!

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We also introduced a monthly book box in Staff House to encourage staff to read . . .



2015-16 IN THE LIBRARY

SUMMER TERM 2016

June: The Carnegie Book Shadowing group presented the shortlisted books to an invited audience . . .

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The library hosted the school's own UK EU Referendum on 23 June 2016 . . .



Y11 and Y12 Research Skills sessions also took place in June . . .

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A whole-school Olympics themed day was held on Friday 8 July 2016, and the library joined in with book themed displays and an inter-Tutor Group book quiz to win an Olympic cake.


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And finally: An end of 2015/16 academic year cream tea for Mr Bush's team of Student Reporters and the Student Librarian team.



SPRING TERM 2016

A group of students took part in a successful Guinness World Record attempt to mark World Book Day.

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AUTUMN TERM 2015

A 'Great British Book-Off' competition saw book-inspired baking, with the winning student producing a 'Swallows & Amazons' cake.

At the end of term, the Millennium Library of classic books was turned into a 'novel' Christmas tree.

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OLDER NEWS

WORLD BOOK DAY

In March 2015, we held a grand book swap and sale in the library. Everyone was asked to donate books in the week leading up to World Book Day, then on the day students could either buy a book for 50p [proceeds to the Devon Air Ambulance Trust] or bring their own book in and swap it. The Student Librarians also did a book-themed whole school assembly in the morning, and there was a very successful 'Don't judge a book by its cover' book promotion in the library, which encouraged students to read outside their comfort zone by borrowing a book without knowing what it was beforehand.

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Don't judge a book by its cover!


VALENTINES DAY READING PROMOTION


Book Blind Date - 14 February 2015

HALLOWEEN WRITING COMPETITION

In October 2014, we ran a writing competition for students, the winners of which have now been announced. Year 7 students Megan S, Sebastian S and Anton T all won book prizes for placing as runners-up in the contest, while Joseph G, also in Year 7, was highly commended.

The overall winner was Year 8 student Freya R, whose entry is published below:

Deep in the dark graveyard
Where shadows seem always to grow
Screams from dead souls whose
Faces they’ll never show

Deep in the dark graveyard
In the dead of night
Rain pelts down and thunder sounds
And lightning gives the only light

Deep in the dark graveyard
You’ll never be so scared
What’s that behind  you?
What’s that beside you?
To come here, no other has dared!

LIBRARY REFURBISHMENT

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Long-standing parent library volunteer, Nigel Harding, opening the newly refurbished library in November 2012


The team of library parent helpers - past and present - with librarian Mrs Sue Burns-Price (centre front)