2013-2014 In Review
The Qatar Academy Al Khor Library is truly the heart of the school. The QAK Library offers learning services, books, and resources that enable all members of the school community to become critical thinkers and effective users of information in all formats and media.
There are two Primary Librarians who receive students during designated library sessions. They also give assistance to teachers regarding the selection of appropriate books to support the classroom programs. There are two Secondary Librarians who collaborate with Secondary teachers and assist teachers and students with their informational needs.
The mission of the QatarAcademy Al Khor Library is to teach students to be effective users of information and to encourage and prepare students to be life-long learners. This mission is accomplished by:
· providing instruction in information literacy
· providing intellectual and physical access to informational materials in a variety of formats and media
· stimulating interest in reading and in finding and using information and ideas
· promoting the use of the media center by students and faculty
· working with teachers to develop educational strategies to meet the information needs of students and to augment teaching
· supporting the school's curriculum and reading initiatives
The library makes teaching more effective and efficient. We have a range of resources in both Arabic and English to reflect to whole curriculum. Our collection consists of over 35,000 books with an average publication age of 9 years, and valued at over $850,00. We plan collaboratively with the teaching staff on units, and library use is included in curriculum planning and schemes of work. This year we have averaged 30 library classes each week as well as co-teaching in the classroom with English, Arabic, Art, Humanities, Science, and Islamic Studies. We have established a Research Skills Action plan that has been incorporated into each subject area and grade level curriculum. We have established resources lists to support units of study.
The library enables students to use technology in practical ways, for real research. We have established a school library website (http://qakseclib.weebly.com) that includes electronic resources for the whole curriculum, research, and reading. We make use of online databases, including EBSCO. Also we have established a relationship with Qatar National Library, and collaborated on an initiative to obtain QNL library accounts for all staff.
The library develops independent learners and readers for life. We strive to make reading relevant and enjoyable, and to motivate all readers, both avid and reluctant. This year we organized many reading events. Linda Newbery, a children and young adult author, visited the school to talk to the students about her books and her writing process. She conducted a writing workshop with students in Grades 8 and 9. The librarians gave Book Talks during Wednesday assemblies to give students a taste of the books available in the library, the various genres that they may not have thought about reading before, or introduce them to a new author. Twenty-five parents accepted invitations to read stories to their children’s classes. Teachers volunteered to be Mystery Readers in the classroom. Students were provided clues as to the identity of the Mystery Reader before the visit and enjoyed this activity immensely. Elementary students completed a Reading Bingo challenge that required they read at home. Middle school students competed in a Battle of the Books contest that tested their knowledge of books they read at home. The library sponsored a book fair that invited students, parents, and the community to establish home libraries. We sponsored a “From Page to Screen Movie Club” where students in grades 1 through 3 watched movies that began as books, including The Lorax by Dr. Seuss, How to Train Your Dragon by Cressida Cowell, How to Eat Fried Worms by Thomas Rockwell, and Diary of a Wimpy Kid by Jeff Kinney. The library website promotes reading with links to many reading resources, and we are using this as a platform to encourage summer reading (http://qakseclib.weebly.com/summer-reading.html). Finally we promoted a Reading Buddies program where older students read with younger students.
There are two Primary Librarians who receive students during designated library sessions. They also give assistance to teachers regarding the selection of appropriate books to support the classroom programs. There are two Secondary Librarians who collaborate with Secondary teachers and assist teachers and students with their informational needs.
The mission of the QatarAcademy Al Khor Library is to teach students to be effective users of information and to encourage and prepare students to be life-long learners. This mission is accomplished by:
· providing instruction in information literacy
· providing intellectual and physical access to informational materials in a variety of formats and media
· stimulating interest in reading and in finding and using information and ideas
· promoting the use of the media center by students and faculty
· working with teachers to develop educational strategies to meet the information needs of students and to augment teaching
· supporting the school's curriculum and reading initiatives
The library makes teaching more effective and efficient. We have a range of resources in both Arabic and English to reflect to whole curriculum. Our collection consists of over 35,000 books with an average publication age of 9 years, and valued at over $850,00. We plan collaboratively with the teaching staff on units, and library use is included in curriculum planning and schemes of work. This year we have averaged 30 library classes each week as well as co-teaching in the classroom with English, Arabic, Art, Humanities, Science, and Islamic Studies. We have established a Research Skills Action plan that has been incorporated into each subject area and grade level curriculum. We have established resources lists to support units of study.
The library enables students to use technology in practical ways, for real research. We have established a school library website (http://qakseclib.weebly.com) that includes electronic resources for the whole curriculum, research, and reading. We make use of online databases, including EBSCO. Also we have established a relationship with Qatar National Library, and collaborated on an initiative to obtain QNL library accounts for all staff.
The library develops independent learners and readers for life. We strive to make reading relevant and enjoyable, and to motivate all readers, both avid and reluctant. This year we organized many reading events. Linda Newbery, a children and young adult author, visited the school to talk to the students about her books and her writing process. She conducted a writing workshop with students in Grades 8 and 9. The librarians gave Book Talks during Wednesday assemblies to give students a taste of the books available in the library, the various genres that they may not have thought about reading before, or introduce them to a new author. Twenty-five parents accepted invitations to read stories to their children’s classes. Teachers volunteered to be Mystery Readers in the classroom. Students were provided clues as to the identity of the Mystery Reader before the visit and enjoyed this activity immensely. Elementary students completed a Reading Bingo challenge that required they read at home. Middle school students competed in a Battle of the Books contest that tested their knowledge of books they read at home. The library sponsored a book fair that invited students, parents, and the community to establish home libraries. We sponsored a “From Page to Screen Movie Club” where students in grades 1 through 3 watched movies that began as books, including The Lorax by Dr. Seuss, How to Train Your Dragon by Cressida Cowell, How to Eat Fried Worms by Thomas Rockwell, and Diary of a Wimpy Kid by Jeff Kinney. The library website promotes reading with links to many reading resources, and we are using this as a platform to encourage summer reading (http://qakseclib.weebly.com/summer-reading.html). Finally we promoted a Reading Buddies program where older students read with younger students.
Data Snapshots
