International Library
Over 5,000 volumes
All our teachers agree that it is vital for students to have access to English or German-language literature - and not just for schoolwork. This is why we have libraries for all SIS school levels - primary, collège and lycée.
The libraries all work in the same way. Volunteer parents are in charge of acquisitions - based on teacher recommendations - and also classify the books and man the library. We are lucky enough to have professional librarians among our volunteers. Their help is invaluable.
The Inter libraries are friendly places where students like to borrow books or study.
We are recruiting volunteer parents! More volunteers mean longer opening hours and a lighter load for each volunteer.
The English primary library
by Louise Spencer
The books are kept on the Gambetta site, where the Wednesday morning classes take place. The children either come into the library with their teachers to choose a book, or the parent volunteers take a selection of books into each class for the children to choose from. We have, not including the hundreds of class readers, around 1,600 books for the children in classes P3-P6, including 400 non fiction, and 700 for P1-P3. Many of the books are new, having been bought over the last 2 years and the selection is now excellent. Our children are very enthusiastic readers!
There is also a book club which is run twice a year. This enables parents to buy books direct from England and at the same time benefits the school, as a percentage of the order is given to the school to get free books . A second club is proposed for this year extending the choice to American books.
Primary German library
by Nikola Gazzo
The German primary school library has about 1,200 books suitable for children of this age. The children can read and borrow fiction, non-fiction and poetry books. Books are classified under the Dewey system used by libraries worldwide. We also use the ten-coloured wheel which is often found in libraries for young children.
This allows pupils to easily identify the area which interests them (for example green for biology, blue for technology, grey for novels).
Practical information: open on Wednesdays between 11 and 12. Up to three books can be borrowed for three weeks (renewable).
Sèvres collège
by Nathalie Cousin and Suzanne Hempel-Lory
The international library at the collège in Sèvres is on the third floor in building A. Students love to go to this “CDI Inter”.
The “CDI Inter” has about 1,700 books, divided into three sections:
- the young readers’ section (for students in 6ème and 5ème), which has about 800 books;
- a section for more experienced readers (4ème and 3ème) which has about 700 books;
- the reference section, with about 200 books including dictionaries, encyclopaedias and history and geography books.
There are also a number of newspapers and magazines suitable for collège students, such as Ellegirl, MAD in English, and even Time. German publications include Mädchen and der Spiegel.
Practical information: open during the week - except on Wednesdays - between 12 and 2 pm. Up to three books can be borrowed for a month (non-renewable).
Video Club
by Sandra Basset
The video club is very popular with Sèvres collège students. For a €10 annual subscription, students can borrow English or German-language videos or DVDs for the weekend. Loans take place on Friday and returns on Mondays, when reservations can be made for the following weekend. Films include Narnia, Harry Potter 4, Siegfried, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, King Kong and Walk the Line.
Chaville Collège
Chaville’s international library is quite new. It opened in 2003, at the same time as the inter classes. It is in the main collège library and has a collection of 345 Juvenile books, 280 Young Adult and a small selection of non fiction books. There are also dictionaries and periodicals including Muse and National Geographic which can be consulted or read in the library.
A video and DVD collection was created in 2006. Loans take place on Friday and returns on Mondays. Reservations are made early in the week for the following weekend.
Practical information: open every day except Wednesday from 12 to 2 pm. Books may be borrowed for 1 month.
Sèvres lycée
by Françoise Couasse
The international library is in a room in the lycée library (building A), with access controlled by the librarians. This room is shared by the German and English-speaking sections, and although it is primarily for ‘inter’ students, other students can also go there. It is also used for teaching sequences in small groups or modules.
About 1,000 books are available for the students, as well as magazines such as Time and Damals. There are many books - especially history and geography books - which can help students with revision and homework.
There are also plenty of novels - including detective novels - which can be enjoyed in the holidays. Fiction is not divided into categories, so that students can discover new kinds of books.
There is also a book where students can write their suggestions for new acquisitions, which we then take into account when appropriate and when our funds permit it.
Practical information: the lycée library functions under the normal rules and under the librarians’ authority. The library is open between 8 am and 6 pm except on Wednesdays (8 am - 1 pm) and Saturdays (8 am - 12 noon). Books can be borrowed for three weeks.
High level of volunteer participationThese centres can only work with volunteers who are motivated to create a warm, friendly and family-like atmosphere for students in an international English and German-speaking setting. |
Dernière modification le 09-12-08 par
