Libraries

Highland School's libraries support the mission of the school by providing access to resources and information that upport the curriculum, by teaching students to access, evaluate, and effectively use information and by promoting reading for both information and enjoyment. The Highland libraries operate with the philosophy that students, faculty members, staff, and parents benefit from a welcoming, attractive space with a helpful librarian and access to a full range of resources: books, the internet, electronic databases, CDs, DVDs, magazines, newspapers, and other appropriate library resources. We believe the Highland libraries create a positive atmosphere and encourage students, faculty, and parents to develop a love of books, reading, and learning. The libraries promote information literacy by preparing students to become independent library users both now and in the future.

Currently, there are two libraries at Highland - the Loeb Library, serving PK-Grade 8 and the William A. Hazel Family Library for Grades 9-12. The library catalog includes the holdings of both libraries and books are exchanged between the two libraries as needed. Each librarian has administrative duties and they include collection development, bibliographic instruction, cataloguing, processing, training volunteers and student assistants, budgeting, database maintenance (patrons, circulation, resources), and book displays.

Collection development is constant and ongoing in each library and is the task of the librarian for that particular library. Each library is considered "full service" - so anything that is needed to promote reading, academics, special events, or faculty needs is considered and included in that library's resources. Interlibrary loans are seldom necessary. Collection development involves keeping up to date with current best sellers and award winners and continually checking the collection to make sure it answers all of the resource needs of the students, teachers and faculty. Many venues are used for collection development, such as the library software vendor's (Follet) "Titlewave" process, the internet and keeping ahead of catalogs and other resources that come in daily. At the end of each school year, each library conducts an inventory.

The Loeb Library holds two books fairs each year, Fall and Spring. Students in K-Grade 4 participate in an Accelerated Reader program conducted via the library. The library also supports the Battle of the Books programs for two divisions (Junior Division for Grades 4 and 5 and Senior Division for Grades 6-8) and the National Education Association's "Read Across America" program. This program is a reading celebration that takes place on March 2, the birthday of Dr. Seuss. There are 1-2 author visits each year.

The Upper School library is a 5,500-square-foot facility with approximately 8,000 volumes, 20 magazine subscriptions, and four newspaper subscriptions serving Grades 9-12 and the faculty/staff of Highland's Upper School. An ongoing program, Brooke's Books, is dedicated to the memory of a former student. The overall function of this program is to receive recommendations of favorite books from faculty, staff, parents, and students. These books are then purchased and the information about who recommended the book and why is added to the copy. The library participates (with at least book and bulletin board displays) in other Upper School or school wide programs, such as "International Week," visiting authors and monthly themes (i.e. African American History month or Valentine's Day).