The Millennium Library and Learning Resource Centre

Opening Hours - 08.15 - 16.00

The LLRC is situated on the ground floor, bordering one side of the lower playground. It is a fairly new building and was dedicated and opened by the Right Reverend Crispian Hollis, Bishop of Portsmouth on the 10th February 2000.

Everyone in the school is a member of the LLRC and a computerised issuing system is in operation to facilitate borrowing and returning of resources.

There is a team of Library Prefects who help with the “day to day running” of the library and carry out many extra duties.

As well as books, there are newspapers, magazines, tapes, videos and DVDs. There is a suite of computers with full multimedia and internet facilities. Students are encouraged to read for pleasure and to gain research skills to help them become independent learners. An introduction programme is carried out in the first term for all year 7 students to help them feel comfortable and confident in the library. New Fiction books and popular authors are recommended and students are encouraged to ask for help in searching for information.

There is also a Library Club for Year 7 pupils which meets on a Friday lunchtime. They can borrow extra books from a special collection and discussions take place about various authors. Quizzes and games are regularly on offer and occasionally members of staff entertain the club with all sorts of activities. In particular poetry reading and drama are very popular.

We have had visits by guest speakers and authors in the library. Linvoy Primus, the Portsmouth footballer, came to launch a Reading Scheme for boys to encourage them to read more.

Local author Michael Coleman visited and spoke to the pupils about his books. The talk was very interesting especially as his children attended St Edmund’s and the school is actually mentioned in one of his books, although not by name.

Another local author John Seddon came to talk about his new book “Mudlark” and that was fascinating because it is set in Portsmouth and has lots of local detail.

Friend of the School and local author James Riordan has visited many times and always has the class completely enthralled.

Alan Gibbons visited to give talks and creative writing workshops to year 9. We were very lucky to have him in school that day as he rushed off to do a live radio interview about his new book “Hold On”. In fact this book is now on the short list for the Portsmouth Book Award.

Every year St Edmund’s takes part in the long and short listing of the Portsmouth Book Award. Years 8 & 9 pupils read new titles of paperbacks and give them a score out of 25. A shortlist of six is selected and the pupils then read all the titles and a winner is chosen. Last year Michael Morpurgo won with his excellent book “Private Peaceful”.

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