At the start of the academic year, in school and university libraries around the world, the diary is dominated by Inductions. This year – at Epsom as elsewhere – Covid-19 meant that the format of our inductions had to change (the traditional library Treasure Hunt morphed into a Catalogue Hunt) but now all our 3F, M4 and L6 pupils have been introduced to the knowledge and skills that will unlock the vast and varied resources of the library for them.
The Library During Covid-19
As browsing in the library is temporarily limited, pupils can borrow books through our new Click and Collect service. Simply search the library catalogue for the books you would like then email the library with details of the books, and you will be able to collect from outside the library.
If anyone is stuck for ideas about what to read, we have introduced a ‘Chosen for You’ book selection service: tell us what you like and we will handpick books from our shelves for you collect. We might discover your next all-time favourite book!
Autumn is the busiest time of the year for books as publishers release new titles and we have been busy buying new fiction and non-fiction, including the hugely popular The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman.
We have been catching up on publishing from the earlier part of the year too, and have the winner of the Women’s Prize for Fiction which was announced this week: Hamnet by Maggie O’Farrell. In addition, we have been adding some exciting new fiction to our Lower School and our Young Adult shelves.
A History Of The Library
At Epsom we are lucky in having a particularly stunning space for our library. It was converted from the old gymnasium in 1996 – a project which won a Design and Conservation Award from Epsom and Ewell Borough Council. Now, instead of hosting boxing lessons and exam-taking, it houses around 24,000 books and journals.
However, for many years, libraries have been increasing access to their treasures by developing their services online and we are no exception. From subscription databases to recommended reading lists, the digital library is readily available, often with easy-to-use QR codes or linked from Firefly.
By Sally Perry, Librarian
