New library system

Marr College has now gone live on the South Ayrshire Council library system. What this means for our students is that they can now access material from anywhere in SAC, and can visit any local library - all using the same card they use in the school library.

There are also a range of online materials available, including ebooks and online encyclopaedias - these can be accessed using the barcode number on the back of the new library card plus a PIN number, available from Mr Carey.

For more information, please ask Mr Carey in the Marr College Library.

New books

I have loads of new books on display in the library, including Hunger Games, War Horse, and books by Jacqueline Wilson, Eoin Colfer, Darren Shan and Cathy Cassidy (and more!).

There is also a range of new study guides for use in the library only. These are on display on the rack over by the PCs.

CILIP Carnegie Medal 2012

The shortlist has been announced for the 2012 Carnegie prize for children's literature. The nominees are:

• David Almond - My Name is Mina
• Lissa Evans - Small Change for Stuart
• Sonya Hartnett - The Midnight Zoo
• Ali Lewis - Everybody Jam
• Andy Mulligan - Trash
• Patrick Ness - A Monster Calls
• Annabel Pitcher - My Sister Lives on the Mantelpiece
• Ruta Sepetys - Between Shades of Gray

We'll get these in the library as soon as possible!

World Book Day 2012

Thursday 1st March is World Book Day 2012! To celebrate this I will be giving all S1 classes the chance to choose from a selection of free books during their English library period. I have books by Philip Reeve, Jacqueline Wilson, Cressida Cowell, and Sophie McKenzie - not to mention a Where's Wally one!

Welcome back...

Regrettably, I have not been able to update this blog for a while due to a slight technical hitch, but welcome back to Marr anyway!

The Carnegie Medal I blogged about before the summer was won by the Patrick Ness book, "Monsters of Men". I'll try to get a few copies in the library soon.

You should also check out the new Marr College Maths Blog from the link on the right of the page.

Carnegie Medal Shortlist 2011

The shortlist has been announced for the 2011 Carnegie Medal for children's fiction. The books that are in with a chance of winning the prize are:

• Prisoner of the Inquisition by Theresa Breslin
• The Death Defying Pepper Roux by Geraldine McCaughrean
• Monsters of Men by Patrick Ness
• The Bride’s Farewell by Meg Rosoff
• White Crow by Marcus Sedgwick
• Out of Shadows by Jason Wallace

If you liked the recent Doctor Who episode written by Neil Gaiman (The Doctor's Wife), why not have a look at his 2010 Carnegie Medal winner, "The Graveyard Book"?

New study guides

I hope everyone enjoyed / is enjoying their time off. The next time you come in to the library, please have a look at the new display of study guides. These cover a wide range of subjects at both Standard and Higher grade. I've also added a lot of new fiction in case you need something to help you relax!