The library is open every day to students and staff and all are welcome.

Students can borrow up two books for a period of two weeks and these can be renewed up to three times. We offer a wide range of fiction including non-fiction books, including:

• Age-appropriate fiction in a huge variety of genres
• Graphic novels and manga
• Dictionaries
• Revision guides
• Magazines

In addition we offer the following resources:

• Computers for homework and accessing the library catalogue
• DVD hire
• Chess set hire

New titles are purchased regularly and we follow the latest book trends and awards. If there is something you want to read and can't find, let us know!

Our online library catalogue, Oliver, can be accessed using your Microsoft Outlook email and Google Classroom password. Explore the full range of titles available, check where they are located and reserve or renew them. For inspiration, look through the suggested reading lists or take a look at the book reviews left by other students. Help is on hand if you have any queries - just ask Mrs Miller, our librarian, your teacher or any of the Library Ambassadors. Happy browsing!

Follow this link or click on the image above to access Oliver now: Https://bartholomew.oliverasp.co.uk/library/Login

Watch this video to find out more about Oliver and how it works. 

Oliver online library catalogue tutorial

Students from each year group can apply to be a Library Ambassador. The application process takes place in the autumn. The role of a Library Ambassador involves helping in the library at break and lunchtimes, promoting the library across the school and suggesting new ideas and initiatives to be run in the library. 

Book Group, Games Club, Homework Club and Chess Club all meet in the library. Details are listed on our Extracurricular Activities page.

A number of exciting events take place throughout the year, including reading challenges, quizzes and competitions.

The National Reading Champions Quiz 

At Bartholomew School we love a competition and the NRCQ, run by the National Literacy Trust, offers a thrilling experience for avid readers aged 10 to14 years to become part of a team and represent their school in a national competition.  Celebrating libraries and librarians, the competition brings great excitement and drama to the wonderful world of reading. 

World Book Day

A key date in the library calendar, every year the whole school comes together to celebrate World Book Day with a Bake Off, reading challenge or dressing up as your favourite book character!

The Summer Reading Challenge

Our Library Ambassadors set a reading challenge in the summer term. The top three readers receive a book token and everyone that takes part receives a certificate.

Book Awards

Our reading groups follow numerous book awards including:

The Oxfordshire Book Awards 

Year 8 book group students read as many books as they can on the shortlist and submit their votes in March. We are invited to attend the live winners’ ceremony in November where authors accept their awards, students meet book lovers from other schools and can have their books signed by the authors.

The Yoto Carnegies

Year 9 book group students read, discuss and review the books on the shortlist, and engage in reading-related activities, which they can share online. They vote for their favourites to win the Shadowers’ Choice Awards. We enjoy watching the results ceremony being live-streamed and have been known to celebrate with some cake!

The Excelsior Awards

These awards are the only nationwide book award for graphic novels and manga where young people decide the winner by rating each book as they read it. The Excelsior Award attempts to highlight some of the amazing graphic books that are out there - books that fully deserve to be in our school libraries alongside regular fiction.

These top ten lists of books have been chosen by our current Library Ambassadors. How many have you read?

Year 7 & 8 Top Ten Reads	Year 9 Top Ten Reads

Our recommended reading booklet includes some of our most popular books new to the Library within the last year. Books are divided into genre and a reading age recommendation is given for each book. Click on the image above to enlarge, or browse a paper copy of the booklet in the library.Recommended Reading BookletRead any of these fabulous books, submit a book review on Oliver and receive a well done card! 

Each subject features a range of fiction and non-fiction books to support the Key Stage 3 curriculum. Many of these books can be borrowed from the Library.