The Library at James Cook Boys’ Technology overlooks the school oval and provides a pleasant learning environment for both students and teachers. It is a space where students can feel safe, welcome and stimulated. There are specific areas where students can enjoy relaxed seating, study privately, or work in small groups. The Library staff at James Cook strive to create a library service in which the teaching, learning and recreational needs of the school community are paramount.

OPENING HOURS

The Library is opened from 8.30am until the end of the school day. It is available to students during recess and lunch breaks (except Wednesdays, because of sport). In the event that the teacher librarian is on playground duty, the library is closed.

BORROWING

Junior students (Years 7 to 10) may borrow 2 Fiction and 2 Non-Fiction books and Senior students (Years 11 & 12) may borrow 2 Fiction and 4 Non-Fiction books. Students may borrow books for the following periods of time:

• Fiction: 2 weeks

• Non-Fiction: 2 weeks
• Closed Reserve: 1 week
• Periodicals: Overnight loan

RESOURCES

The Library has:

• an attractive, up-to-date collection of books (c.12,000 items)
• an excellent collection of manga - including Naruto, Fullmetal Alchemist, Tsubasa and Bleach. 
• recent editions of Encyclopaedia Britannica and World Book Encyclopaedia
• the specialist 20 volume music resource, The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians
• membership of Infocus, an information service for schools run by the State Library of NSW
• an audiovisual collection of over 400 videos to support the curriculum
• subscription to over 20 periodicals including Australian Personal Computer, Choice, National Geographic, New Scientist, and Wheels.
• daily newspapers - The Australian and Sydney Morning Herald.
• an author/critic file which holds specialised critiques of writers and literature
• a comprehensive section in Closed Reserve of Excel and other study guides to support senior students at Preliminary and HSC levels across the curriculum.

FACILITIES

The Library can accommodate over 100 students at any one time. Specific areas have been set aside to support a range of learning, study and recreational situations evident at James Cook. These include:

• a classroom space for larger groups, seating 36 students
• a smaller space for classes of 16 or less
• rows of soft chairs in the Fiction section for wide reading classes or students reading for leisure
• individual carrels for private study
• the Teacher Resource Room which doubles as a seminar room for student use
• photocopying facilities and computer access to the school’s Intranet and the Internet.

OTHER LIBRARY USES

Because the Library at James Cook BTHS is such an attractive and open space, it hosts a number of important events during the school year. These include:

• Year meetings
• Orientation meetings for prospective students and their parents
• Staff professional development groups
• Debates
• Peer Tutoring Program during DEAR, where students from Years 10 provide reading assistance to selected students from Years 7.