VCB Library
The College has two libraries – one in each campus – and both are busy, vibrant spaces at the heart of the school community.
Both libraries are open every day so pupils can access the resources they need. They can do some research at lunchtime, find a quiet space to read or just to pop in and change their books.
It is so important to provide books that young people want to read and Ms Farrelly works hard to make sure that we provide a wide range of fantastic books, allowing our young people to see themselves represented in the books they read and also to experience life from other perspectives.
The library also works directly with subject teachers to provide books and research material for specific projects in class so pupils can gain experience in using different types of information in their research.
Book club
We have lunchtime book clubs on both junior and senior sites. The emphasis is always on having fun and encouraging reading for pleasure. As well as quizzes and craft activities we shadow many major awards through the year, including the Royal Society Young People's Book Prize which looks at science books, CBI Book of the Year awards, Northern Ireland Book Awards and the Yoto Carnegies which is always the highlight of our year.
Library team
Each year, our senior library team is decided through an election in which all pupils librarians have a vote. This allows every librarian to have a voice, and the opportunity to help shape the library they want to see. We have meetings every month where any ideas and suggestions can be raised and discussed, allowing pupils to gain confidence in speaking up and sharing their thoughts.
We also have an enthusiastic team of junior librarians who love the responsibility of caring for their library, issuing books to other pupils, keeping the shelves tidy and helping to make the library a bright, fun place to be.
Author visits
To inspire enthusiasm and a love of reading, there is nothing quite like meeting an author, and each year we will organise a visit or trip to allow pupils to engage with a writer and see that books are exciting and relevant to their own lives.
In April 2022 we were lucky to have Sue Divin visit the library to deliver a series of writing workshops to senior pupils in partnership with The Crescent Arts Centre and Belfast Book Festival. We were also lucky to have a live visit from Belfast based Ciara Smyth who spoke to Junior Book Club about her latest book “Not My Problem” and a zoom visit from CG Moore who talked about his battle with illness and his verse novel “Gut Feelings”.