Library

The Pine Hill School Library is in many ways the heart of the school. When most people think about libraries they naturally think of books. Books and a love of reading are promoted and fostered every day in our library, but the Pine Hill School Library is so much more! It is also a place where students gather to investigate what they are curious about. It is a virtual library with our online portal, Libguides. This online tool provides students and families with resources to dig deeper, 24/7, into topics they have started to investigate in school. With the addition of the Pine Hill School Library, students will be able to explore what they are curious about with hands-on tools and activities.

The three major focus areas of the Pine Hill Library Program are Information and Media Literacy, Love of Reading and Inquiry Research Skills.

Information and Media Literacy:
A student who is information and media literate:
• Engages in the information literacy process by accessing, evaluating and communicating informational text
• Uses a variety of skills and strategies to comprehend nonfiction and informational text
• Accesses and organizes information and media

Love of Reading:
A student who develops a love of reading:
• Has access to exciting and engaging literature in a comfortable and welcoming learning environment
• Reads for a variety of purposes and across content areas
• Independently reads books and texts each year

Inquiry Research Skills:
In the book, Guided Inquiry: Learning in the 21st Century by Carol Kuhlthau, Leslie Maniotes and Ann K.Caspari, “Inquiry is an approach to learning whereby students find and use a variety of sources of information and ideas to increase their understanding of a problem, topic or issue. It requires more of them than answering questions or getting a right answer. It espouses investigation, exploration, search, quest, research, pursuit and study.” At Pine Hill, the goal is for students to learn about a curriculum topic and then develop inquiry questions that allow them to dive deeper into an area of the topic they are curious about. Students then creatively share what they’ve learned with others.

A student who develops inquiry research skills:
• Is a creative, innovative thinker
• Has the skills they need to be a risk-taker and creator

The teacher librarian works in collaboration with classroom teachers and the technology teacher to create opportunities for students to learn the skills needed to accomplish these goals. In addition to working collaboratively with students and teachers in the classroom, students attend scheduled library classes. In these classes the teacher librarian continues to provide opportunities for students to learn these focus skills and foster a love of reading.

Students in grades 1- 5 check out books from the library as needed and during their scheduled library classes. Kindergarten students check out books to be used in their classrooms. Parents may also check out books from the Pine Hill Library. Send an email to the teacher librarian at ryanl@doversherborn.org to have an account created.

Ways you can help:
Volunteers are always welcome as well! Take a look at the Pine Hill School Library’s Volunteer Website for the latest information.

The Pine Hill Wish List Donation Program is a way for families to donate books to the Pine Hill Library in honor of a student or teacher. See the Wish List information site for complete details!