Esquimalt High School’s Library Learning Commons program helps students and staff to develop a love of reading and the information and thinking skills we all need to succeed in school and as lifelong learners.
Drop by the library learning commons, phone 250-382-9226 extension 240 or send us an email.
The goals of the library learning commons program are to:
- Promote literacy through recreational reading;
- Support inquiry-based teaching and learning;
- Encourage critical thinking and support the growth of skills and attitudes that contribute to it;
- Develop information, media and digital literacy skills;
- Facilitate the effective, purposeful and sophisticated use of information and communication technology throughout the school.
The library learning commons staff supports these goals by:
- Collaborating on the design and teaching of research lessons and units;
- Helping students find appealing reading materials and useful information during and outside of class time;
- Managing the library learning common’s collection of thousands of print and digital items, including books, newspapers, magazines, videos, government documents, digital recordings and items in a variety of other media;
- Coordinating access to information through online services available anywhere, anytime.
Using the library learning commons during classes, before and after
The library learning commons is open before classes, during breaks and lunch as well as after school, Monday through Friday. During classes students may use the library learning commons on their own when provided with a pass by a teacher.
Students in grades 11 & 12 may arrange to have an “Excused Study Block” by talking to a school counsellor, and submitting a Study Hall Application to Room 315. Students who choose to work in the library learning commons during their Excused Study Blocks must sign in at the Circulation Desk when they arrive. As well as getting access to the library learning commons students who have completed Study Hall Applications and provided these to Room 315 may also choose to leave the school property during their Excused Study Block.
Borrowing
Fiction and Non-Fiction: 10 school days
Reference, Magazines: By 8:20 am next day
DVDs, Videos, Reserves: Use in library learning commons
AV Equipment, etc: Ask staff
As well as library learning commons items, all school textbooks are circulated through the library. All students are issued a special student card marked with a barcode to enable them to borrow items.
Renew items before they are due if you need them longer than the initial loan period.
Due dates are stamped on all items when loaned.
Lists of overdue items are sent by email to students and parents/guardians each week.
If you do not return or renew items before they are due you will not be allowed to borrow anything until the overdue items are returned or renewed.
Facilities, technology and services
The library learning commons seats over one hundred users in three separate work areas:
- the Fiction area at the front includes approximately one hundred Book Club novel sets and more than 3,500 novels
- the computer area with 30 computers and space for students and staff to use their own portable devices, and
- a separate teaching space at the back near the Non-Fiction collection.
Download a larger version of the library learning commons map here.
An audio-visual room is available for students to make videos and sound recordings or watch videos and listen to sound recordings for class assignments. A teacher planning room is available for teachers who need to meet, prepare lessons, mark assignments and collaborate on the design of units.
Staff and students are able to borrow laptops, iPads, Chromebooks, HD video camera, document camera, video/data projector, OCR scanner, portable public address system and other audio-visual equipment. These can be used in classrooms as well.