A lot of students at our school tend to overlook the resources that our library provides, whether it’s the books themselves or the research sites the library offers. Students can also use the library as a place to study if they want somewhere quiet. The library has a plethora of very helpful, yet unused resources. If students were made more aware of these resources it could help with studying or their grades.

All students are added to the Canvas page for the school library where they have links to all of their resources. A student can reserve a spot during Patriot Period to study or they can browse the library’s online catalog to find audiobooks and eBooks. There is another link to an app called Sora that also provides eBooks and audiobooks to students.

Students can use the library during lunch to do homework which is a great way to get caught up on missing work. The loud and bustling cafeteria is a stark contrast to the library where it is quiet and has only a few people in it.

Another helpful tool is the opportunity to sign up for a 1:1 consultation with a librarian who will help with any research a student has to do. This can provide a new perspective on the topic the student is researching, help a student flesh out a thesis or find the books and sites that will hold the information they need. This has flown under the radar for a while, but it can be very helpful to students. This is definitely by far one of the best resources offered by the library.

The Canvas page also holds the waypoint to the research databases. On this page, there are multiple categories like General Research, Advanced Research and Literature Research with many others specific to each subject. This page also includes a website to generate citations, as they can be confusing for students.

The Learning Center is housed in the physical library. This is where students can go if they need to take a test while their teacher is unavailable if they missed the test date or need a retake. This is a great place for students who need quiet space to take a test.

Overall, students are unaware of many of the resources that are available in our school’s library and they should strive to take advantage of them more often.