LIBRARY MEDIA CENTER

The Library Media Center supports and enriches the curriculum at the Short Hills campus and serves as an integral component of the school. The facility underwent a total renovation during the summer of 2002, transforming it into a state-of-the-art library media center. The collection contains diverse materials in various formats. Present holdings include almost 12,000 volumes, subscriptions to 50 periodicals and ten online research databases, newspapers, videocassettes, and audiovisual software and hardware. A network of ten computer workstations provides access to the online library catalog, Internet, and subscriptions to the online databases which serve as information resources for student research. In addition, there are sixteen laptop computers with wireless Internet access which accommodate a class for instruction on effective search strategies as well as independent research.

Each class from Grades One through Five has one regularly scheduled library period per week. In addition, students are encouraged to visit the media center any time to exchange books or research topics.

Through exposure to classic and contemporary children's literature, students develop a sense of appreciation for books and reading. In addition to story times, book talks, and video presentations related to curricular themes and topics, students receive instruction in basic library and research skills. In the primary grades these skills include circulation policies, care of books and materials, parts of a book, and basic library terminology. After Grade One, skills expand to include the use of the online Public Access Catalog, encyclopedias, and other print reference materials such as almanacs, atlases, indexes, and guides. An emphasis is placed on the development of information literacy skills through the use of the Internet, online databases, and print sources.