Senior School Libraries
The ISD senior school has two libraries:
• the McWilliam Library, which caters to students in grades 6 to 10, located in the South Building, and
• the Learning Resource Center (LRC), which serves the needs of Diploma Programme students in grades 11 and 12, located in the North Building.
The McWilliam Library was completely refurbished in 2014 and is a modern, flexible learning space. Our acoustic pods enable students and teachers to work together in small groups, conduct online interviews, produce sound and video recordings, or to work quietly on their own. Our Makerspace was set up in 2016. This innovative area allows students to build, tinker and design.
The LRC was refurbished and expanded in 2015 and provides a pre-university study area for students and teachers.
The senior school libraries stock a wealth of fiction and non-fiction print materials in English, German, French, Spanish, Dutch, Japanese and Korean. We also house newspapers and magazines in a variety of languages. Our collections include books on parenting (Library), University and Careers information (LRC), and a collection of DVDs and CD books (Library).
Electronic Learning
Patrons can access eBooks and eAudiobooks via our library catalogue. A large collection of eResources is also available to current students, parents and teachers on our intranet. In addition to academic databases such as Britannica, ProQuest and Questia, we also provide access to Statista, The Day, Opposing Viewpoints, Grove Art and Grove Music, as well as a further collection of databases, encyclopaedia, and open access academic databases.
Curriculum
The senior school librarian works in partnership with teachers to provide collaborative instruction in the areas of creative writing, academic writing, the research process and the use of technology for learning. Two particular areas of focus are the Middle Years Programme Personal Project and the Diploma Programme Extended Essay. The librarian also supports literacy for all senior school students.
Senior School Library Website
The Library website is full of news, resources, ideas for reading, and curriculum information. On the website, you will find support materials for MLA documentation style as well as resources that support the writing process. Via the website, you can also request new resources, follow us on Twitter, or contact Library staff.