The Browning Library supports the school curriculum and provides access to information, technology and literature for all students. Lower School boys visit the library once a week for instruction, story time, and to check out books. The Lower School library program aims to introduce the boys to a wide variety of literature and resources so that they may develop their information literacy skills and feel comfortable navigating the library’s print and electronic resources.
Pre-Primary and Grade One
The primary objectives are to promote literature appreciation, an understanding of different genres, and a level of comfort in the library. The librarians cover care of books, the examination of different types of reading materials, and an introduction to the arrangement of library materials.
Students are introduced to a variety of reference materials, and they learn to implement beginning research skills in coordination with their classroom work. Using both traditional print reference sources and online encyclopedias and websites, second graders work with the librarians to do background research for their Science Fair projects and their New York City landmarks project. As they expand their choices for free reading selection, second graders begin to search for fiction and nonfiction books using the online catalog.
Students continue building research skills and learn to use electronic databases and online resources to support their classroom projects in social studies and science. Students begin to search independently for books using the catalog. Third graders also visit the New York Public Library as a class and are encouraged to use their local library branches.
By Fourth Grade, students become comfortable using the online catalog independently to find materials for pleasure reading and for research. They continue to use electronic databases, and to evaluate the resources they find on the web. All of their acquired information literacy skills will build a foundation for the research projects awaiting them in Middle School.