Hounslow School Library Service provides essential, high quality loan materials and support for all subscribing schools. All project loan materials are tailored to teachers needs and complement the school’s library provision, increasing access to wide range of books to encourage reading for pleasure and independent learning.
Advice from professional librarians on all aspects of the library can prove to be invaluable. A number of annual events are provided to develop children’s book knowledge and love of reading.
Services Available
Primary Schools
- Project Loans – boxes of fiction and non-fiction containing a minimum of 30 books provided for each teacher on a termly basis. All boxes are tailor made to satisfy each individual request.
- DVD Service – curriculum related DVD’s available for loan throughout the term. Stock is regularly updated and includes titles such as ‘Horrible Histories’ and the BBC’s ‘Absolute Genius’
- Visits to Schools – annual ‘library health check’ is carried out in all subscribing schools to help maintain the relevance and appearance of library stock. Advice on stock gaps can be given. The School Library Service can also help to create and maintain classroom book corners
- Book Ordering – knowledgeable staff can create orders according to schools particular needs and budget. All books come with a competitive discount and will be labelled to individual schools specifications so they are ready to go on the library shelves
- Advice and Support - practical and impartial advice given on school library stock and layout. Expert staff can help in both setting up a library from scratch or revitalizing your existing library
- Annual events
Secondary Schools
- Termly Meetings – we organise termly meetings for all subscribing secondary school librarians to share good practice and plan internal and external events
- Expert advice and practical support – knowledgeable staff can help secondary librarians with stock taking, weeding and displays. Advice can be given on library layout. Staff are happy to visit reading groups, Carnegie shadowing groups and those taking part in our annual events. Specific project loans are available on request
- Annual Events
Annual Events
Primary Schools
- Hounslow Picture Book Award - The first ever Hounslow Picture Book Award will be launched in October. 6 of the best pictures books published in the last year will be chosen for the shortlist by the School Library Service staff. Key stage 1 children will then have until the end of February to decide on and vote for their favourite before attending an award ceremony to hear the winner announced in March. More details will follow when the shortlist is announced.
- Hounslow Junior Book Award - The School Library Service have been successfully running this annual award since 2006. It is a chance for schools to introduce Year 5 and 6 pupils to some of the best new children’s fiction published that year and to vote for a winner at the end of the process. The final award ceremony in held in Hounslow’s Paul Robeson Theatre in the summer with previous guest speakers including Clive Goddard, Joshua Doder, Kate Saunders, and Anne Marie Conway
- World Book Day – Every year we celebrate World Book Day with a special guest author and invite all subscribing schools to attend. World Book Day is a global event which encourages children of all ages to celebrate authors, illustrators, books, libraries and most importantly reading. We invite a well know author to speak to children about their work and how important books and reading are. In 2014 we marked the occasion with a visit from Michael Rosen, former Children’s Laureate, bestselling author and enthusiastic advocate of libraries and reading
- Black History Month –This annual celebration takes place every October. In 2014 we expanded our popular Black History Month event to include Key Stage 2 children who were invited to share the morning with Valerie Bloom MBE
Secondary Schools
- Hounslow Teen Read – The Hounslow Teen Read has fast become a popular event in the school calendar. Following the successful establishment of the Junior Book Award the equivalent was introduced in 2007 for secondary schools. The aim of the Hounslow Teen Read is to introduce those taking part to new and interesting fiction and create a buzz about reading for pleasure. Hounslow Teen Read 2016.
- Speed Read
- Black History Month – The annual Black History Month celebration takes place every October. Each year we have a special guest speaker who runs lively interactive poetry, storytelling or creative writing workshops. In previous years we have hosted Dreadlock Alien running slam poetry sessions and poet Valerie Bloom teaching children Jamaican Patois
- Poetry Slam
- World Book Day – Every year we celebrate World Book Day with a special guest author and invite all subscribing schools to attend. World Book Day is a global event which encourages children of all ages to celebrate authors, illustrators, books, libraries and most importantly reading. We invite a well know author to speak to children about their work and how important books and reading are.
Subscriptions
The School Library Service is available on annual subscription to all schools, nurseries and playgroups in Hounslow. We also welcome subscriptions from any school outside of the London Borough of Hounslow.
Please download our service level agreement
Opening times
Monday – Friday (excluding Bank Holidays) 9am – 5pm
The office is closed from 24th December to 2nd January each year.
Contact
Email: School library service
Telephone: 020 8583 5569
Hounslow School Library Service Manager – Charlotte Arthur
