3 Research Tools for Middle School Humanities

Did a session this morning with three grade 8 Humanities classes at once - as a kick-off to them starting to research authoritarian regimes and dictators.

Began with my old favorite - water as information - metaphor, highlighting the quantity and quality problem of internet research.  Then showed them Culturegrams and ABC-Clio World History as two alternatives to Google and Wikipedia.  Finished with the "Google Doc - Tools - Research" feature (a smart Google search box inside a Google Doc) -- which luckily most of them had seen before.

Yes, parents can borrow books!

Parents are welcome to borrow books from both the Primary and Secondary libraries at UWCSEA East.

We definitely believe in the "trickle down" effect.  Take out big beautiful books, small interesting books, graphic novels, poetry, history, biography, whatever - spread them around your house.  The passive exposure is positive.  You will be helping to expand your child's map of the literate world.

Most importantly, read the books you take out.   Then talk about them.

Your children need to see you reading.  In fact, I had one parent come in and say, much as he enjoyed his Kindle, he realized that when he was on it, his children were not perceiving him as reading.  So he wanted to switch to some physical books to visually reinforce his activity to his family.  Role modeling....

How do you sign up for the library?  Either come in and see Ms. Ernie or Mr. Haniff at the Information Desk on the upper level or fill out the form below.  Remember to press the SUBMIT button at the very end.

Do you have.... in the library?

Do we have a book?

You can always find out by going to our online catalog: http://catalog.uwcsea.edu.sg

Select "East Secondary Library" and start searching.

If you have an Apple or Android mobile device, you can have the library catalog instantly available for searching using the free  Destiny Quest app.

iTunes version

Android / Google Play version

After you install it, you need to tell it where to find our library catalog on the internet.

http://catalog.uwcsea.edu.sg

Select the East Secondary library and you're in!

To simply search, explore as a "guest".

To see your own account and books out on loan, log in.

Students/Teachers:   You can log into your account with your regular UWCSEA id (e.g., smith12345) and password to see what books you have out.  

Parents:  Your UWCSEA login/password is NOT automatically loaded into the library system (as there are so many of you).  Instead our library staff hand-create you a library account, so you can tell us what you want your library login/password to be.  Come into the library or email us at libraryeast@gapps.uwcsea.edu.sg to set up login information.

For more information on using the app, see these YouTube videos made by Follett, the company that makes our library catalog software:

• Downloading and Configuring the Destiny Quest mobile app
• Learn the features of the Destiny Quest mobile app

Staying in Singapore this summer? Library access....

Summer borrowing of library books for pleasure reading has not been allowed in past years, however, many families who are staying in Singapore for the long holiday break have asked for the privilege.  

One issue has been books being taken out for 8 weeks, and taken out of the country, increasing the likelihood of them not returning.  The other has been access to the library itself, as our staff process books and do inventory (plus take their own holiday breaks), so are not necessarily available at their desks all the time.

We've decided to trial a new policy:  

Opening Time for Weekly Book Exchange: 9 to 11 am, every Wednesday during the holiday, in both the primary and secondary libraries for people to borrow and return.  

The loan period will be 2 weeks.

Please don't take out books if you are leaving the country or take more books than you can read in 2 weeks. 

Note: The libraries will not be open for general use -- only for book exchange.  We want to maximize access to books for the whole community (students, parents, staff), while minimizing disruption to the holiday work tasks in the library.

So come get your weekly selection of books Wednesday mornings, starting June 19th.

Summer Reading.... Where will the trail lead you?

This summer branch out and create your own reading trail.  

Start with any book and see how it can lead you to other books -- or films or articles or other interesting items.

See the Reading Trails below for each entering grade on the East Campus in August 2013.

• MS Reading Challenge-- student version
  -- parent/teacher version
• Grade 9
• Grade 10
• Grade 11

If you want some book suggestions, go to our Summer Reading page where there are both MS and HS booklists, created using Pinterest, for various genres.

No more free digital resources from the NLB of Singapore!

The National Library Board (NLB) of Singapore provides hundreds of digital resources free only to its citizens as of July 1, 2013.  

People with a FIN (Foreign Identification Number -- i.e., a green card holder) must now pay for an annual individual library card in order to get access. See the details above or on the NLB website (http://www.nlb.gov.sg).

This is a huge loss. Yes, forty-odd dollars a year for access isn't much to pay, but it's hard for us to guarantee every student will sign up. And, while we may purchase some of the digital resources ourselves (e.g., JSTOR), we will miss having access to some of the more esoteric ones.

If you want to recommend we get our own subscription to one of the NLB resources, please let me know.

Similarly, don't hesitate to contact me if you have a research need.....

-- Ms. Katie Day - kda@gapps.uwcsea.edu.sg

End-of-year returns / Summer borrowing

All secondary school library books are due back by Wednesday, June 12th.

But, wait!  you say, I'm a Grade 9 IGCSE or Grade 11 IB Diploma student in the middle of a two-year programme.  I need my texts!

Yes, Grade 9 and Grade 11 students can keep their textbooks over the summer, if they want.  (If you don't want responsibility for them, then just return them -- and get fresh copies in August.)

Grade 11 students writing their Extended Essay over the summer may also keep books out.

If specific teachers give you permission to take out future textbooks, that is also okay.  Just have them contact us.

Otherwise we want all books returned to the library.  The summer is long and we want to minimize the loss of books.

Many thanks.

We appreciate your cooperation, just as we hope you appreciate the library books.

p.s.  See our Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) page on the library website for general policy questions.