The School Library

View our online catalogue

The Library is purpose built to provide all students and staff at the school with an outstanding range of resources. It is used for individual study, research and leisure reading. It can accommodate over 100 students for quiet study and offers extensive computer and wi-fi facilities.

There are over 17,000 borrowable items including books (eBooks too), DVDs, audio books and multi-media equipment. Students can access national daily newspapers, popular magazines and journals and enjoy a wide range of fiction material.

We have thousands of fiction titles covering all genres and students can relax on soft seating in the reading zone. There are over 12,000 non-fiction titles on the shelves covering all areas of the curriculum and these are continually updated in line with subject leads.

There is also a limited amount of media equipment (cameras & video cameras) which can be borrowed for school work – please speak to library staff for more information.

Electronic Resources

In addition, students have access to a wide range of digital resources to help them with their studies including MASSOLIT, Hodder Magazine Archives, JSTOR, Babel, Issues Online and other digital magazine archives.

Our online web app gives you details of all our resources, plus details of literacy competitions, recommended reads, trailers for books and films.

This document collates online resources for reading and learning covering all subject areas and wellbeing.

Opening Hours

Monday - Thursday: 8:30am to 4:30pm
Friday: 8:30am to 4:00pm

The library is staffed by one full time and one part time librarian.

Find Us Online

AccessIT - this is our library catalogue, and the central hub for all information about the resources we have available. Students can quickly browse as a guest, or login using their school credentials to make reservations. Our full collection of ebooks is also indexed here, plus under Quick Lists you can find numerous reading lists for wider subject reading.

VLeBooks - All our eBooks are listed and linked in AccessIt but if you are only looking for digital books, searching here will be faster. Students login via Office 365 using their school email address and password. You can also download the VLeBooks reader app for IOS or Android.

Email the Library Staff (librarian@thomas-hardye.net) - please feel free to get in touch with us if you have any queries about the LRC or your child’s reading.

Activities and clubs

Year 9 students can participate in a Book Club where students can recommend, discuss and enjoy book talk every week. For the last few years these students have taken part in the Wessex Amazing Book Award and attended the book award final at another local school.
Chess sets are available for quiet sessions with friends in the Library at lunchtime.
Thomas Hardye participates in World Book Day each year. Various bookish activities take place including a Where’s Wally Treasure Hunt, book folding sessions and whole school book quiz.
Other events take place throughout the year usually with a book related theme. These have included Christmas book folding, escape rooms and author talks.
Book awards are highlighted, such as the CILIP Carnegie Medal, YA Book Prize, the Excelsior Award for graphic novels and the Booker Prize.

Library Code of Conduct

During lesson time, the Library is a designated “Silent Zone” for silent study only. At other times the expectation is that students work or read quietly.
No food or drink should be consumed in the library apart from water in a lidded container.
Bags should be left in the bag store.
Phone policy: Sixth Form for research only. Lower School – no phones allowed.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who manages the Library?

The Library is staffed by one full time and one part time librarian

Do I need a library card?

No, resources are issued without needing a library card or number. All student photos are available on the library system so we can check when books are issued.

How many books can I borrow?

In Lower School (Yrs 9, 10 & 11) you can borrow 4 items.
In Sixth Form you can borrow 8 items.

How long is the loan period?

The loan period for most items is 3 weeks (not including weekends or school holidays). Some items such as textbooks and DVD’s are issued for 1 week.

What happens if I forget to take a book back on time?

Students will not be charged fines but they will not be able to borrow other titles until the overdue item is returned. Students are sent emails once their book is overdue and tutors are also sent class lists of overdue books. When books become very overdue letters and/or emails are sent to parents/guardians for assistance in returning the items.

I’ve lost a library book, what should I do?

Don’t panic! Speak to a member of library staff as soon as possible. Most books are not lost, they are merely mislaid! The responsibility for the book belongs to the person to whom it was issued. This is also relevant to books that are badly damaged. If a book is truly lost or damaged, then students are charged for a replacement copy.

What computing access is available?

There are 16 desktop computers available on a first come, first served basis and sixth form students are also able to borrow laptops for use in the library only. There is a colour/black & white printer available using the follow me printer service used across the school.

Can I help out in the library?

There is a thriving Student Librarian programme in the library. Year 9 librarians are recruited in October to assist throughout the year at break and lunchtimes. Each student is required to help out one day a week to issue and return books, shelve stock and a variety of other tasks to assist the librarians.

Do you have a stationery shop?

The library runs a stationery shop selling a range of educational equipment at cost price purchased via the school supplier including pens, pencils, rulers, revision cards, folders and headphones. Items can be purchased using cash only.

Stationery shop price list