Library

The Library has a bank of 6 networked computers for students to use for Internet research, homework and study. You can also use these computers to find books in the library using the library catalogue “Eclipse.net” this will show on your homepage as a button called Library System. Library System is available on all the computers in the library and on any networked computer in school, it holds information on all the books and resources in the library. You can search for particular books, check your own records, place a reservation on a book, renew your library books, write a book review, find out about new resources and search for inspiration for your projects or reading using the library system. The Library Catalogue can also be accessed from home by logging onto the school website, clicking onto Student Sharepoint followed by the Library System icon. The library also has 16 laptops which students can use for research and accessing the Library catalogue.

Library Computerised Catalogue system “Eclipse” Your login should be your school email address and your date of birth (no dots or slashes).  If you have any problems logging in please speak to a librarian.

Library E-Resources and more

The Library Catalogue has a range of e-resources to support your learning. Once logged into the Library System – using your usual school logins – under the Links tab you will find a range of useful websites for homework and research purposes, including access to Project Gutenberg (free ebooks), Google Books (this tells you everything you might want to know about your chosen book), Google Scholar (online articles).

If you go to the View tab just under the search bar you will see suggested reading lists for each year group from Years 7 to 6th Form. The Picture tab shows all the available books in our main and Sixth Form libraries by genre. There are many other ways to find the right book, please feel free to email bambi.holden@notleyhigh.com with any queries.

You can also access a fantastic range of Online Reference Material FREE of charge through Essex Library services. All you need is an Essex Library card. You can access all of this through the school Library System, just click on Links, Essex Reference Library. A booklet is available from Essex Libraries outlining the resources available. Please see your local librarian if you would like a copy.

In addition to the Online Reference Library you can now access a large number of books free of charge through the Essex County Council eBook catalogue. With Essex Libraries you have 24-hour access to hundreds of free e-books and e-audio. To find an e-book or e-audio, search the catalogue by title or author to find the available formats. You can even create your own e-bookshelf.

You can also access suggested reading lists for Years 7 & 8 using the link below (this is general suggested reading for ages 11 – 13 including fiction and non-fiction and Notley specific books linked to English lessons).

• Year 7 Suggested Reading List download_for_offline
  download_for_offlineYear 7 Suggested Reading List
• Year 8 Suggested Reading List download_for_offline
  download_for_offlineYear 8 Suggested Reading List

 Events and Activities

The Notley library aims to foster a lifelong love of reading and learning. Throughout the year, the library holds a number of themed activities and events to promote literacy.

Our extra-curricular activities have covered a wide range of themes; from art and poetry, to multicultural and historical events. Previous activities have included a Great Library Bake Off, where participating students won prizes in age categories and sold their cakes to donate to the Queen’s Green Canopy, a charity that provide green spaces in deprived urban areas.  We’ve also marked Black History month and Holocaust Memorial day, as well as holding an art competition to help decorate our library.

One of the key events in our calendar is World Book Day. This is a celebration of authors, books and, most importantly, reading. This event is celebrated in our library with new competitions and quizzes every year.  This year we asked staff to dress as their favourite book character – this raised a few smiles amongst the students.  Costumes of note were two dinosaurs, Death, some munchkins and a Gangster Granny.

The library regularly promotes wider reading and encourages students to explore classic and contemporary literature through special events and activities.  This year’s book fair took place from 24 – 28 June and we held a Best Blurb competition to win tokens to spend at the fair.

This year we started our events calendar with the launch of the “BookBuzz” programme for Year 7 students. Every student in Year 7 had the opportunity to choose a free Book from a specially selected collection of 16 titles. So, whether you are hooked on horror, fanatical about fantasy or hankering for some humour, there was something for everyone! Students will receive their free book as a Christmas present from the library.

Other events in the academic year 2024 – 2025 include the BAT Book Awards where four shortlisted books will be read by a group of year 7 & 8 students who then vote on their favourite book.  Notley held the event in summer 2024 and had a visit from one of the authors – Ian Eagleton, author of Glitterboy – who gave us a captivating talk on his experiences growing up, how he dealt with bullying and his process as an author.

The Notley library encourages all year groups to take part in the events. The activities are designed to encourage students to engage with the world around them, to explore new subjects and activities and, most importantly, to have fun!